The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-08-04
GENERAL PEMBERToN's DEATH.


Hung Over an Unfortunate Commander.
After long career Of disappointment
and daring as a soldier, succeeded by
several years Of unobtrusive private life,
Gen. ]. G Pemberton, who was in com.
mand of the Confederate forces at the
fall of ViCksburg, died on Wednesday at
Penylln, pleasant suburb of the city, |
on the Pennsylvania Railroad, Phils'
delphia was his home, the place where
he was born, and in the trying hours of
his last illness he had the consolation
that comes from the presence around his
bedside of old friends and the members
of his family.
The name of General John G. Pember-
ton will always be associated with the
siege of Vicksburg and his stubborn de.
fense ftEat "iron" fortress of the Mis-
sissippi," as the Confederates called it,
against the army of General Grant. He
was one of the victims of the war, for in !
the only great work he had an OF portu'
nifty to do he was from the first, in
hopeless position. The years that have
passed since be marched out of the sur
rendered city, a paroled prisoner, have
made him pale memory. Not much
was known of his capacity as soldier
when the siege begen, and he was never
given an opportunity again. The doom
of a beaten man was on him, justly OF
upjustly, and h never again had tie con.
tidence of the Confederate troops,
Gen, Pemberton was one of the Off
GERS of the regular army who resigned |
his commission at the breaking out of
the war of the Rebellion. He was a ma.
tive of Philadelphia, and was b,rn in
1877. He graduated from West Point
in 1887, served with distinction in the
Mexican War, and at the time of his res
ignation was captain, On entering the
Confederate service he was made lieu
tenant colonel of cavalry and assistant
sdjutant general to General Joseph E. |
Johnston. Without reeiDg any service
he was promoted to be lieutenant gen.
eral in the provisional army and was put |
in command of the Confederate forces in !
Northern Mississippi, where the advanc
ing army of Grant found him in the
spring of 1868. After the fall OF ViCks-
burg Pemberton was under cloud. He |
went to Richmond, resigned his rank as
lieutenant general beCauJ the Confed- |
crate Government could not give him an
adequate command, and, as lieutenant
colonel in the regular army, commanded |
Lees artillery. His last work in the
war was an unsuccessful attempt to pre-
vent Grants passage of the James by
shelling his bridges. At the close of the |
war he was inspector of artillery, in
command at Charleston.
After the war he became farmer near
Warrenton, Fauquier county, Va. He
has passed quiet, uneveDtful life. His
loss of Vicksburg 80 stirred up the pop
ular feeling of the South against him
that he never had the opportunity to re.
trieve that disaster, and he failed to at |
tain the distinction that was expected for |
him by his official superiors, the conf.
denCe and respect of all of whom, how
ever, he SEEM have always retained. |
The farm was remote and isolated, and |
the life was different to what he had |
been accustomed. Therefore he gave 1t
up and went from one place to another,
stopping for a little while, until at last,
about four years ago, he anchored here,
Meantime he had been at Norfolk, Va,
Allentown, South Amboy, and other
places. He had given up nearly every
thing for the cause in which he had cast
his lot, and his fortune was neCe sarily
diminished. About two months ago he
began complaining Of indigestion, and
since then grew constantly worse. DR..
VIM. Pepper, the consulting physician, a
few days agu performed a remarkable
operation upon his bladder, which af-
forded him relief from pain. Since
Tuesday he was delirious and at times
unconscious. All through the doctors
could not determine .zaCtly what was
the matter with him, but the CompliCa-
ton of troubles took him off at last.
Most Of the relatives, including his son,
F. R. Pemberton & Co., shipping merCh.
ants of this city, were with him when
he died. At 5;ll, bearing to the last the
evidences of his soldierly training and
gentleness of character, ne passed away.