Smyrna times., 1877-11-28

LOST AT SEA.-Another Gloom.-Twice with
in the space of five weeks our town has
been thrown into mourning by sudden
DEATH sister and brother having unex.
pectedly surrendered their lives to an
fate.
On the 18th ult. Mrs. Jas. P. Hoffecker.
a lady in seeming good health, was taken
from the world by heart disease, almost
without warning, and in the early
darkness of Saturday morning last her
eldest brother, DR.. George S. Culbreth,
was cast away at sea along the coast
of North Carolina by the wreck of the
u. S. man-of-war Huron. Such Affections,
following so closely upon each other, make
the gloom all the more intense. We give
an account of the wreck in another column.
Dir. c. was the surgeon OF the ill-fated
steamer. Few young men of this town
ever worked their way through the world
with more rapid SUCCESS than did DR.. Cul-
breth. He was the son of the late DIR.
Rich'd Culbreth, practicing physician of
this town, and was born here in 1913. His
father died when he was quite young, and
he was thrown upon his own resources
He decided to learn the drug business and
entered the store of James P. HOffeckpr
(brother-in-law) after quitting school. After
acquiring most excellent knowledge Of
pharmacy he concluded to follow the eX
ample of his father and study medicine.
Accordingly he was graduated at the Penn
sylvania University in 1868, and soon after
decided to 20 before the Examining Board
of Naval Surgeons with a view of securing
position in the Navy. lie passed most
creditahle examination and was appointed
an Acting Assistant Surgeon April y, 1866,
and received his commission as Passed
Assistant Surgeon in the regular service a
month aitPrward, and was attached to the
steamer California. He was ordered to the
Pensacola, then in the Pacific squadron, in
1871, and afterward to duty at Boston. re-
maining on duty there at Chelsea Hospital
until November 10, 1873, when he WAS
ordered to the i,Wol. He had lately been
promoted to the full grade of Surgeon and
was the last on the list of promotions. IL
was considered one of the most sllillful OF
the younger physicians in the Navy, and
even when in the Pacific Squadron, as only
! Past Assistant, he was on the flag ship, the
! Admrals vessel. His promotions were re
markably rapid. His rank was that o.
| lieutenant commander in the Navy. lie
was man Of fine qualities Of mind ant
| heart, and when quite young, during the
/
of the Union cause. He married here it
1870. His esteemed wife is the daughtci
of Major John G. Black. She, overcome
with grief, is now PROSTATE and quite i'll a
her fathers residence, with her daughte
of six years. where she has resided aIway
except when her lamcnted husband was on
shore duty.
This sudden bereavement calls to mno
several incidents of an interesting charac
ter. When the Doctor left here thrc
weeks a.o, after the death of his sister
to join his vessel, at Norfolk, Va, h.
stated to his friends that he was cspeciall
reluctant TO 90. He expressed this regre
so frequently that it is referred to on al
hands. lie was tiring Of the sea.scrvice
and had fully decided not to 90 to Sc
again after this cruise, which was to eXpir
next May. This he had promised his wifi
and friends. Another circumstance calle
to mind by the sad event is the strang
coincidence attending the fatality in tn
family. Father, mother, sister and brothe
all died suddenly. The father, thong
paralyZcd, was Unexpectedly taken off, an
the mother, though in feeble health, wa
not supposed to be at all nearing her enc
yet her life went out almost in a mOmen
from an attack Of heart disease. Th
daughter also died from the same diseas,
and at 4 time when robust health SCENE
, to make the grandest promises to herse
and friends And now the sudden takin
, off Of the elder son makes the fourth su,
den death in the family.
, Like thousands and thousands of your
} men DR.. Culhreth commenced life with ii
odds against him, yet he succeeded. Cha
] acter, talent and energy were the poin
| that told in his favor With the salary Of
, clerkship he paid for his medical tuition
and brain and determination enabled hi
to pass the rigid examinations of the Med
cal Board. Thus, thorugh his own exertiol
! almost exclusively, he gained an honerC
position in the service of his country, ar
= went down at his post with his homo
thick upon him. 1t is not saying too muC
to say that no citizen of the town has ev,
gone to his reward with cleaner characte