Daily Republican., 1880-10-01
WILMTNGTON. DEL. FRIDAY, OCTOBER / 1880.

of the Committee Of Arrangements
announced that Hon. willard sauls
bury had been selected % preside 4
the meeting and requested him 10 %
sume the chair. In complying will
this request the Chancellor made I
brief address, speaking extsmpofe, AND
in that slow but feeling and affecting
tone Of his, which one does not offer
hear nowadays. He said:
LADIES AID GRNTLsMBN:-Alfred Tor
bert 10 NO more. Only q few shor,
months ago he left his happy home Il
visit distant land.
Before he reached his destination he
perished In the sea. His liieless body
was washed ashore by the angry sel
and 1t has been brought back fol
burial. We have performed that task
with sorrowful hearts, and now We
have met here TO do reverence to his
memory. knew him from his early
boyhood and through his whole lite,
and never did know Of him aught thai
was Ill. Alfred Torbsrt In all bis rela-
tions In life was true. He was o dutiful
SOD, an excellent husband, q kind
parent, ssensrous q neighbor, good
citizen. o brave soldier and q noble
man. Now when he is dead that which
was good in his character seems plaine,
to discern, but his excellent traits can
mot be overrated. He is sleeping, but
hs sleeps we'll. The sleep is the last
he has fought his last battle. No sor.
row snail wake him any more.
The qusrtette, consisting Of Messrs.
Reynolds and Storm and Messrs. Robert
Hall and Charles X. Treidler, now
sang the hymn, "Prom all that dwell
below the skies" and Rev, Jonathan 8.
Willis offered up prayer. The anthem
"Cast thy burden on the Lord" was
chanted and Gen. Robert +. Stockton,
Of New jersey, being intro iuosd deliysr-
cd the
GRAFTON OF THE DAT
As follows
General Torbsrt and l were brought
together some twenty years ago, under
which required constant
attention and mutual confidence, which
gave rise to an intimacy that soon RI
pened into . friendship which con-
tinued uuinterruptsdly TO the day he
was so unexpectedly taken from us.
Pardon me, therefore, II mingle my
private sorrows with the public grief.
Torbert was my friend. None knew
him better none loved him more.
He was born in Georgetown, Della
ware, July l, 1889. His father was
Jonathan B. Torbert, a prominent
citizen, Q farmer by occupation, and o
local minister. Alfred re-
ceivsd . good sohoel education in
at the age of II, and dssir-
ed 10 engage in businsss at his native
place. This purpose he relinquished
TO grAtif, his father and be obsdisnt 10
bis cherished wish. Receiving an ap.
pointmcnt, he entered the National
Academy at West Point, dur
Ing 1851. There he won the friend
Ihip Of his classmates. His attention
10 duty WAS sufficient to insure success.
BE graduated in 1851, In the same
,lass with Generals Weitael, tiregg,
Webb, Hasen, Averill and Colonel
comstook and others, whose names
nave become familiar in the history Of
he late war. He returned from West
Point With . sad heart, only In time 70
100 his father laid in the grave. he
oon after reported for duty, and WAS
Ieut 70 the Second United States In
antEy as brevet second lieutenant.
In November, 1855, Ae was ordered
% join his regiment then On the Bio
arande frontier, ct Fort Mcintosh,
where he remained on Indian service
Until the fall Of 1856, at which time he
on with the regiment for the swAmps
y Florida, and served through the
,eminole campaign. In 1857, when our
roops were ordered to rendezvous at
FORT Lebsnon to prevent the contempla-
cd hostilitiss, Torbert came with his
and regiment, but on the 21st
Il July was detailed ON staG duty q
oommissary Of Subsistence,
,ndef the command Of the late General
Reno. When the army reached Camp
Floyd in Salt Lake Valley during the
ummsr Of 1858, he rejoinsd the regi-
nent, which remained in Utah until
$50, when he went with his regiment
o New Mexico where he served at
Tort Stanton, on Indian service, until
he spring of186l, whom he got so days |
cave Of absence and started for home.
On Ysashing San Antonio he learned
Or the Arst time that seven States had
determined 70 secede from the Union.
70 secure his services for the cause Of
sssssion great temptations were offered,
,ut he never swerved from his deter
10 remain In the service Of
hs United States. Indeed . frank de-
lunciation of the crime Of secession
ave rise TO an adrcit attempt to cap
ure him together with the men under
Iis charge. But suspeoting that an
fort would be made to dstain him, he
hanged his route, and, with some diff.
Guilty, succeeded In reaching the State
nd arrived safe In Philadelphia, where
is mother and sister had resided since
hs death Of his father. Prom here he
rent to Trenton, and was placed on
uty for service in the field.
Torbert was commissioned, September
8, 1861, colonel Of First Regiment,
lew Jersey Volunteers, then encsmped
/ Fairfax Seminary, near Alexandra,
,gether with the second, third and
,urth regiments from the same State
'hich had been formerly under the
ommand Of Gen. Phil. Kearuey, and
ttsshsd to Gen Franklin's command In
hs army Of the Potomac. He Joined
is command AMI served as colonel Of
his regiment at the siegeof Yorktown,a
Vest Point, at Gaines Camp; at Charles
"a. l. a-I svn |