Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-06-18

Before attempting TO ex;rsss the pro.
found sense Of sorrow which we, 10 c clm-
mon with the entire commu 1ity,
rience at the realization Of the =. .ls- ~
cur brother Is no more - - = : :. /.
proper to give brief ,,.I.rs p tae 6eein ~ y
iAIy history o. IN, whoss nsnle Se
oesiie Pe,Pe' ~~.ed upoa the records OF
, ooi don, so that we VINO kuew
aLu ed him 10 fe may be instTu.
u .sssA la preserving his memory as
r'Feolo1s heritage % those who ere TO
coboe after us, such being ia part the
duty Of this association. General John
9 Fizsr died on Wednesday, June IA
1876, between the age OF thirty-seven
I and thirty-eight years He was IRA
near DyershnTg, in the State OF Tsnnss,
see, where be lived until eight or ten
years Of age. With his father, he raovsd
10 Psnols county, Mississippi. UIs
father died shortly Riterwsrd. He tren
found home Ia the family of an upele
John B. Fizsr, Of Pamela couriv. Al
the sge Of fifteen he entere[i business ss
clerk In country stsre il I.afsvs tie
county, on the TsLL.ahaIohIe river. sbnuf
ten miles from Oxford. After serving In
that capae.ty for eighteen months or
two ye&is, his ambitious spirit brought
MIN 20 Memphis, where he found q
wiher and more inviting field for his rap
IDLY developing talent for business. The
breaking out OF the war between the
states found bin, high in the confidence
OF one OF oer then leading merCh3yts,
WITH whom be was employed, His wa
not the spirit to res--aatn Ia the peacs f,il
pursuits OF the merchant however fond
; Of s.-5ess, ind when the call Of his
couLtfy was but q whisper in the lard,
ie Tepsired to bis ole county OF Pamela,
where, from the associates Of bis boy
hood, he aidet in organizing a company
Of infantry, and was elected its srsf.
litutsBant. His company went
at once to Corinth, where the
seventeenth mississippi regiment wss
organised, his his company beinp
company II in that regiment, and
was appointed s6jutsnt by Colonel W.
3. FeatherstoCe. 1his regiment was ct
once ordered to Manassas Junction.
where it participated in the irst battle
N OF Manassas, and later in the engages
meDt at Bsll's Buff, on both OF which
occasions the young adjutant was con-
spicuous for his dash and gsllaptry,
tempered with coolEess and discretion.
Some months later, when Colonel
Festherstoue was promoted to the office
OF general Of q brigade, he sppoiDted
Lieutenant Fizer bis sdjutaDt-gensral
The reorganization Of the army follow
ing Immediately after, he was elected
lieutenant.colnnel Of his old regiment,
and, ceslgoing the staff position, he st
odcs entered upon the dischsrSe Of The
duties OF his new office. He participated
in the battles aIogD3 Richmond. In one
OF these engagements, his colonel beirg
severely wounded, he took command OF
the regiment, and lead 1t in the second
baltic OF Manassas, and at the capture
OF HarpeI's Ferry. he participated In
the battle Of SheIpsa urg and ST Ere der.
icksburg, still in command of his regi-
meot. At Fredericksburg he wss with
BRTksdsle's brigade, stationed in the
center OF the city, and was again dis
| tinguished for bis tkjll and daring in
holding the enemy ia check, and in his
attack upon the pOntoon builders under
9 oeadiy fire from the enemy's guns on
| tha hattts ~ 2tssye hina. At Gettysburg
eteS he ootS biEes1f with eouel honor,
ana was severely ~Po1slsssgt T.-rf asss
Gettysburg be received his commil sion
of colonel of the regiment, its former
colonel, the gallant Holder, having been
elected 10 the Confederate cOngIess.
Colonel Fizer came with Lougstreet to
| Tennessee, and participated in the bat
tie o! Chiekamsugs, and lead the chsrge
upon the works at Knoxville, being in
charge OF the brigsde, and was among
the first TO mount the works, where
he reesived terrible wound in the arm,
rendering smputstion necessary; not
withstanding which he retained COM
mand Cf the brigade and lead it safely
from The field, and when relieved was
nearly prOstrated from the loss Of blood
he giving no thought to his wound
uuiil the safety Of his brigade was az
sured. AS soon as he recovered from
the effects Of the onoputation of bis
right arm, he wSs-at the special re-
quest OF General M'Laws, with whose
| division he had served in the army OF
| Virginia assigned to the command ef a
brigade in South Carolina, where he
was engaged In active services in that
State and in North Carolina, ard bore
q distinguished part in the closing act
of the great drama at BsntOnville, North
Carolina, where General Johnston at
| the head Of that remnant Of the west
ern army which was left, encountered
General Shermsn's entire force; and, in
| day long to be remembered in the an
nails OF the war, by those who paItieips-
/ ted in 1t, achieved q victory for our
arms. So signal WIS bis bravery; so
lofty and proud the bearing of this
young bTigsdier, as st the head Of his
columns he charged the ranks OF the en-
emy and bore them down before him,
that his spprecistive commander sig
nslized him for his gallantry by sps-
eial notice in general orders. While on
his way home after the finsl surrender;
wheR the country was fall ofhslf starved
aud desperate sold eTs, his path lay
through Augusta, Georgia, where he
found a perfect reign Of terror; men,
women and children in state of fright
ful alarm, In consequence Of the Tiot0us
conduct of several thousand disbsnded
soldiers, who, afttr pluBdering the army
stores collected at that point, becOm.
| Ing emboldened by the demoralizs-
ton of robbery, had al
ready insugursted an indiscrim.
mate and wholesale plumber OF private
honses, insulting and maltreating all
who demonstrated with or sought to op
pose them. Several Intellectual efforts
had been made by ex.officIsls Of high
rank to restore order and protect The in
| habitants, when General Fizer arrived
upon the scene. Comprehending the
situation st glance, he mounted 8
goods-bOx and addressed the frenzied
mob around him, first with gentle words
OF remonstrance, appealing to THEN his
| tory as brave men, and for the honor of
the fisg they had lately followed, to
abandon such uDmsnIy conduct. His
entresty was received with shouts Of de-
TisioD and threats Of violence. Imme.
diately the whole aspect Of the man
changes, snc drawing his sword like
fl 4sh of light, he demands to know IL
| there are ten men who are unwilling to
1 disgrace the uaifoTm they wesT, IL 81, to
| follow him, and at the imminent peril
Of his life, with q handful OF res0lute
men, armed with whatever they could
lay their hands on, he charges the infu-
rated crowd, driving them before him.
| With his little hand augmented by those
whose better fealings had bsen aroused
| by his noble conduct, he, with less than
one hundred men, put TO flight over one
thousand, driving them from the city,
killing two OF tae rioters and wOunding
q number Of Others. With order re-
stored, ne was teDdered the hospitslities
OF the city, aad was Cffered any assist
ance in the shape Of money or anything
else that he might need to aid him on
his journey home. Though sadly in
| HScoi LIS Ptoud epiIlt scoIueG tuS &C"
ceptsnce OF reward for that which to
MIN was merely the pgomptings af true
manhood. To this good day he Is
still held in affeetionate rennem-
bFsnce by the cifizsas Of Augusts.
/ We have thus briefly touched up0n the
military record OF our deceased brother.
Il IL unnecessary foF US to refer to his
career in the paths OF peace, after his
/ 0litteYinR blade WAS refuruad IN ife
scabbard. The chamber Of commerce