The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1882-08-24
DEATH OF SENATOR HILL.
His Last Hours Passed Without Agony.
Death Peaceful. I

His Last Hours Passed without Agony. 1
His Death Peaceful. l
ATLANTA, Ga, Aug. TO.
This morning at a quarter past six O'Clock
Senator Benjamin Harvey Hill died at his res |
idence in this city. The news that his suffer. |
fngs had reached their elimination, and that
the soul of the brave, generous and splendid
statesman, the upright citizen and Christian
gentleman had passed to its home and eward
was expected by all who had read the current
bulletins of his condition.; but when the sad
words passed from lip to lip, ben Hill is
dead,' strong men were moved to tears, and
with bowed head and sorrowful hearts passed
more slowly and solemnly on their way
There was scarce a man in all this city to
whom the words did not seem to bring a
personal application. On every hand were
heard the deepest utterances of grief and
respect, In every assembly the good deeds
and the great services of the departed were
referred to with the sincerest gratitude. In
business houses, in home circles, in the work
shops, and in the fields his great name and
fame are venerated.
Mr.. Hill was conscious apparently to the
moment of his death. He lay upon the bed in
the north room that he had previously fitted
up for his own special comfort. He was sur
rounded by his family, Mrs. Hill, the heart
broken widow; Mrs. DIR. Ridley and Mrs. Edgar
thompson, his g%rieving daughters; Benjamin
- ~ ahA ~ I'm, Ale 6Oio W.
P. Hill, of West Point, his brother; DIR. Il. b.
Ridley and Mr.. Edgar Thompson, his sons-in-
, mv n and De- Dr., Wright, his faithful physician;
passing restfully, as If to sleep, into the still
ness and GOODNESS of death. 1t was feared that
his last struggle would be agoniZing in the ex-
IRENE, but God spared him the terrible ordeal
and his stricken family from the painful
scene.
here in Atlanta, where his family might visit
and have the care of his grave. In accordance
with thisr request. the funeral will take place
in this city on Saturday afternoon at four
O'Clock, and the body will be inferred at Oak
land Cemetery.
His last words were to his wife. It was being
discussed whether further efforts to nourish
him should be made. He wrote on the tablet:
my dearest, L will! take any nourishment the
doctors think best" Since yesterday morning
at ten o'clock he took no nourishment what
ever, his system refusing to receive and retain
it. Yesterday evening, when Gen. Clement a.
Evans, his pastor, called and prayed with him,
Mr.. Hill recognized the General, and in au au-
dible voice exclaimed: Almost home." The
unlooked-for words, uttered SO distinctly, SO
reverently, and almost j~oyfully, touched oil
present to tears. 1t was the last expression of
his christian hope and faith. They were the
last words his eloquent lips uttered on this
earth.
A mass meeting of the citizens of Atlanta
was held in the State Capitol. kilograms from
all over the State and country received show
that the death of the great man had produced
the greatest sorrow.
The great flag presented to Atlanta by the
people of Cleveland, o., and upon the recep-
ton of which, in 1876, Mr.. Hill made one of the
grandest and most patriotic addresses of his
life, was thrown across the street from the
Kimball House, over the spot where he stood
when receiving it. 1t was heavily draped with
mourning, and bore these words: mourn
our loss"
BENJAMIN H. Hill was born in Jasper Coun
ty, Georgia, September Ii. 1873, u few miles
from HillsbOro, q small country village named
after his father, Isaac Hill, who at the time OF
the birth of young Ben was a prominent ant
GuaanScftrl fnrnnr nf 1agnpr County fnu
years after Mr.. Hill removed his family TO
small town in Troup County called Long Cane
where Ben grew up and WIS sent to Athens Il
school. Here he received first a good academ
ic education, and then was placed in the STATE
University, where he received a most com
plete collegiate education. Upon leaving col
lege Mr.. Hill returned to Troup County ant
entered the law Office of William Dougherty
of La Grange. In 1875 he commenced thu
practice of law, and at once took a position o
prominence among the bar of La Grange. HI
was quite fond of his profession, and. being
and Industrious. He had only been practicin,
law a few years before he was looked upon a
one of the most promising legal lights of tn,
Coweta, which at that time was credited witt
having more than its share of legal talent. Ii
early life Mr.. Hill allied himself with. tn
Wings, and his first appearance in the po.itica
liant canvass for General Taylor. In 1851 h
was elected to his first position of honor, an
Georgia as one of the Representatives iron
Troup County. In 1852 he supported FRANKLIN
Pierce against Winfield Scott, making quite
number of speeches. In 1855 he declared him
self a candidate for Congress in the Fourt
District. Soon after he had made his candidao
publicly known the Wing party OF the distric
Hills candidacy was Endorsed. About thi
time what was known as the American part
sprang into existence, and Mr., Hill was ais
: supported by that party against Hiram War;
!, er, who ran on the stra1ght-out Democrat
ticket. The district was known to have
} Democratic majority of about 4, 1000, but he wa
only defeated by sixty-eight votes. In 1856 b
was putont the Electoral ticket for Fillmore
and in this anvaSs met ToombSa and Stephen:
In 1857 the American or Wing party nom
| mated Hill for Governor against Joe Browne
now one of Georgia's Representatives in tn
, from the mountains to the seashorc, Brow
and Hill speaking in every section of the Stat,
b result gave Brown the victory. In Is;
!, of two years. In The fall of 1850 Mr.. Hill wa
elected as a Union delegate from Troup CouI
!; Milledgeviile. During the holding of this COZ
: vention Mr.. Hill opposed the measure {
secession with all of the vim and ell
/, dinance was passed, however, and after il
a.. passage. Mr.. Hill, feeling that he should 9
night Nigh n of t Reee eay that the se oT %Hraineee Was pan pass Sc
Mr.. Hill wrote a very gloomy letter, deplorin
and regretting from the bottom of his soul til
action of the State in seeding, which letter
extant. When probably upon that nigl
nearly every residence in the State when til
oAh6 ~ kANA& NJ 49, AAHA - N'to thA nSAASN III
o more gloomy looking than usual. He refuse
e to light his lamps, and closed his windows
{, tightly that the light from the dim tape
within could not be seen without. VIII,
e seemed to be an event of joy to othe
was regarded by Mr.. Hill as a most d
plorable occurrence. That convention the
e elected delegates from the various Congre
sional districts of the State to the Confedera
Congress-. Hill was elected from the FOurt
n the one in which he resided. The first Legi
v lature of this State that IN under Il
q Confederate Government met in 1851, and
Z Hill was elected Senator from Georgia to t!
Confederate Senate for the long term. Aft
the war Mr.. Hill was arrested by the FEEDER
Government and confined for a short tin
at Fort Lafayette. He very actively al
stubbornly opposed the reconstructit
n measures, and made in Atlanta duril
y the Seymour campaign in 1865 the me
powerful and characteristic speech OF his Lii
n but when the reconstruction measures becar
!. a fixed fact Mr.. Hill accepted the Situate
and went to Athens, where he returned to /
d professional duties. In 1873 a convention
the organized Democracy of the Ninth ID
dtdate of the party for the uneXpir
term of Garnett McMillen. After sever
-. days wrangling the convention broke up vii
: out making a nomination, and Estes and H
r went before the people on their own meri
backed by the recommendation of their frien
q in Washington representing the Ninth he W
a elected United States Senator for the term
six years, which term expires March B, 1S
!; While attending college in Athens Mr.. H
III became acquainted with Miss Caroline He
D. the daughter of MIR. Cicero Holt, of that cit
Il whom he married soon after graduating.
If Margaret Bethel was for TWEEN
e H. IS 6