The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-05-11
One Hundred and Eleven Years old,
and lie Died.

Last week, on Thursday, we attended
The funeral of the late Captain Freder-
ick Lahrbush, supposed to be one hun
dred and eleven years old AS he lay
III his coffin, he presented the appearance
OF old age as we meyer before saw on
the human countcnence. To- describe
1t would convey no adequate idea of the
appearance, and to exaggerate il would
be difficult. We are aware that his ace
has been disputed. But we have taken
pains to get at the facts, and TIE weight
of testimony is on the side Of his claim
TO have been born March 9, 1906: so
that, as he died April Z. 1877, he was
nearly one month over Ill years old.
lie was born eighteen years before the
death of DR.. Samuel johnson, whom he
well remembered, having often seen his
gigantic, burly form as he moved about
Westminster and other parts of London.
lie was educated at the military school
of Croydon, then ten miles out of Lon
don and now one of its suburbs. lie
entered the British army in 1889; went
in 1898 to Holland, where he served
with Major Wellesley, afterward the
Duke of Wellington. lie was with the
army at the surrender of IIumbert to
CORVALLIS, Sept. 8, 1898. Being famil-
lar with several European languages,
he was assigned to the staff OF Lord
Castlereagh, at that time the English
ambassador to Prussia, and witnessed
the battle of Jena, fought Oct. IA, 1906,
between the French under Napoleon
and the Prussians under the old Duke
of Brunswick, when the latter suffered
such disastrous defeat, losing, with
out reckoning the loss of their allies,
some 10000 in killed, wounded and
prisoners. In 1908, he embarked for
Portugal and again served with Wei.
lington (not yet made Duke) in the
Peninsular war. While leading the
assault upon strongly fortified point
at the battle of Busaco, Sept. q. 1910
he received severe sabre wound in his
head and was left for dead upon the
field, the larger part of his command
being also cut down. In 1911 he was
assigned to duty at the Cape of Good
Hope, and was aftcrward transferred
to ST. Helena TO assist in guarding Ma.
poleon. Being gentleman Of educa.
ton he was on familiar terms with the
distinguished prisoner, and accompanied
him on his fishing and other excursions
In 1878 he left the army and the Cape
Of Good Hope for the East Indies, and
he has since sailed around tie world
four times, residing for different period:
in all the four quarters of the globe
He was married OH Cape Good Hope
and on one of his voyages the vessel on
which he sailed with his family was
wrecked near Table Bay. His wife
was lost with the vessel, while her in
nj frIt T.
picked up in state Of insensibility and
supposed to be drowned, but was Al
length resuscitated. He spent severa
years in Australia, having been appoin
ted superintendent of the convict station
at Bathurst. He subsequently visited
the Island of Tahiti, where he resided
several years. He was still q resident
when the island was seized by the
French under Louis Philippe to enable
the Roman Catholic missionaries tC
carry on their work of proselytism by
reaping the fruits of the English mis-
| siOnaries. Soon after this iniQuitOu
seizure the subject of this sketch wa
overheard at the dinner table making
some remarks very. complimentary t.
the Protestant missionaries and iiicI
labors, but which were regarded as re
flecting upon the French and the Jes
uits. He was soon after invited to cal
upon the admiral, who very politcl,
asked him if he would like to see Eu
rope again. Comprehending at once
the meaning of the inquiry, and that i
would be of no avail to resist, he said i
would give him great pleasure. and h,
was accordingly sent to France in ,
French ship, with the intimaiion tina
he would not be expected to return.
In 1S4S he came to this country ac
campanied by his daughter, who in the
meantime had married aud become
widow. She died, leaving him withou
a near relative in the world. lie con
tinued to make his home in New York
where he has been supported by the
kindness of friends, number contrib
uting stated sum monthly for thii
purpose. He has been in the habit O
visiting them often, and to the last veal
of his life has been u cheerful compan
ion and welcome guest. He was
member of the church of which Rev
John Cotton Smith, d. d., is the rector
and from that venerable edifice he wa
borne to his burial in Greenwood. Svy
eral distinguished citizens and friend
attended the funeral and followed hi
remains to the grave.