Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-04-12
DEATH OF GENERAL ST. JOHN
His Services la the COnGederacy.
and His Life in Louisville.

Nh N ava
The announcement Of the death of
General Isaac Munroe St. John will
be received with heartfelt regret in
this city, where he formerly resided
and was we'll and favorably known.
He died suddenly of apoplexy, on the
morning of the 18th instant, at Green
brier Sulphur Springs, in West Vir-
GINA. He was a gentleman of the
highest personal character, of the
finest culture, and ranked as one OF
the first civil engineers Of the country.
General St. john was born in Geor
gia, graduated at Yale college, and
entered his professional lille on the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad, where
he soon attracted the attention OF Fem
inent engineers. At theDbreaking out
Of the civil war he was living in South.
Carolina and joined fortunes with the
confederacy. Soon after his enlist
ment as a soldier in the army at
Richmond, he was placed in the en-
gineer corps, and assigned to duty un
der General Magruder, on the PENN.
sula, where he rendered valuable ser
vice in the construction of fortified
lions during McClellan's first cam
paign. The ability displayed by him
IL the arduous duties oil the field, at
tracted the attention of the war de-
partment at Richmond, and it was
decided to place him at the head of a
bureau ven more important than that
Of engineering g.
The inter and mining bureau hay
ing become the sole reliance of the
confederacy for the production of
powder, General st. John was pro
NOTED to the charge Of that branch
of the service, with headquarters al
Richmond. In that position he es
tablished a reputation second to that
ofnO man in the south. His success.
full management Of the bureau was
the source of great benefits to the
c~onfederacy, and served to bring Lis
remarkable talent into more promi-
nent notice. When General John G.
Breckenridge was appointed secretary
of war be found the commissariat 10
such a ~deplorable condition as to de-
mand a change, aud in locking for a
suitable officer TO place in charge he
selectedsGeneral st. John.
In his new field Of duty General st.
John achieved even greater triumphs
than had attended his previous efforts
and succeeded in establishing a system
by which supplies for the armies we're
collected directly from the pcople and
placed in depoti, ready for transporta-
tion. He was with Jefferson Davis
and his cabinet in the retreat after
the evacuation of Richmond, for
some days, but became separated
from Mr.. Davis before the capture.
Soon after the close of the war he
came to Kentucky to resume his pro-
f%ession, and became chief engineer OF
the j., G. and i. railroad. He built
the Short-hne to Cincinnati. In that
position he gave unmistakable evil
denee of bis great ability to solve diff
cult problems, and the construction
Of hal road was regarded as a great
feat in civil engineering.
After the completion Of the Short
line no became consulting engineer Of
the city OF Louisville, and was after.
ward elected city engineer. To him
the city is indebted for the FIRST com.
'Plete typographical map and the
establishment OF the present admirable
system of sewerage. lie declined a
%Fe-election 10 the Office of city engineer
and became consulting engineer Of the
Chesapeake and Chic railroad, and
chief engineer Of the Lexington and
Big Sandy RAILROAD, which position
he held at tho time Of bis death.
1t has been announced that bis re.
mains would be conveyed to the resi-.
dence Of his father, William st. John
in New York, and from thence re.
moved to Greenwood cemetery fol
ntATment. His many friends through
out the eouallg will cherish his mem.
DRY as that Of a high toned, chiyalriC
gentleman, Of earnest convictions
warm heart, and sincere devotion tC
duly in both military and civil life.