Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1884-05-30
Eelerf Reabing.
The Chiefs of the Confederacy.

The serious illness Of Congressman
Reagan of Texas. who was postmaster
general of the Confederate Govern
ment, suggests some inquiries regard
ing the whereabouts of other members
of that organization. Although the
Confederate Government was but five
years in existence, it had numerous
cabinets. There were no less than
three secretaries Of state, five secre-
taries of war, two secretaries of the
treasury, and third, who was acting
secretary, and three attorney generals.
OF the secretaries Of state, Judah L.
Benjamin was. of course, the most
celebrated. Bob Toombs, who was
another secretary of state, lives
in Georgia. his old home. He is a
wealthy old man. as full of eccentri
cities as when, years ago, he announc-
ed that he expected to call his roll of
slaves on Bunker Hill. He has retired
from the active pursuits of life, having
an ample fortune. r. NJ. L. Hunter
of Virginia was another secretary OF
state in the Confederacy. H. too, is
still living in his old state. He is in
bad health, and an old and broken
man.
The secretaries of war have not es-
capped the scythe of the grim reaper as
successfully as have the secretaries of
state, three out of four of them being
dead George W Randolph of Vir
ginia, who was secretary of war in
1867: J, A. uedden, also of Virginia,
who was secretary Of war in 1868. and
J. S. Breckenridge, who succeeded him
in 1865, are all dead; L. Pope Walker.
of Alabama, the first secretary of war,
is still living in his old state, where he
practices his professionalism of q
lawyer-very successfully. John A.
ICauipisa!l who was for considerable
tinK acting secretary of war, is now q
resident Of Baltimore. lie represented
the Confederacy at the noted conference
between President Lincoln and the
members of the Confederate Govern
ment at Fortress Monroe during the
war, and was active as an official and
an adviser of that Government during
the entire period of its existence.
Though in his I'D year, he Is still an
active citizen, and highly honored for
his integrity.
There were but two secretaries Of
the treasury-C. G. Memminger Of
South Carolina, and George A. Tren-
holm. Mr.. Memmlnger still lives in
his old state, and practices law at his
home in Charleston. G. A. Trenholm,
who succeeded Memminger in 1864,
is dead. Judge Reagan was also act
ing secretary of war for short time.
Though the Confederacy had not
much of navy. it had navy depart
ment. S. r. Mallory of Florida was
the secretary of the navy. He died
several years ago.
The law department of the Confed-
eracy. or the attorney generals Office,
had three incumbents during the ex-
istence of that organizatlon-Thomas
Bragg of North Carolina, Thomas H.
Watts of Alabama, and Geo E. Davis
of North Carolina. Mr.. Watts still
lives in his old state, holding his resi-.
dence at Montgomery, and is success
full and prominent lawyer OF that city
Mr.. Davis continues a resident of his
own state-North Carolina-llving at
Wilmington. where he practices law
and talks about the old war times
with his old friends, who gather
about MIN. The Postoffice Depart
ment was presided over by one man
from the beginning to the end of the
Confederacy. and that was John ii.
Reagan, who is now. perhaps, on his
deathbed. OF the Confederate Con-
gress, five members are now in the
Congress of the United States Vest
of Missouri. who was Il senator in the
Confederacy, is in the Senate; Pugh
of Alabama. and Garland of Arkansas,
also in the Senate, and Singleton and
Barksdale Of Mississippi, who were
both members of the Confederate
House are in the House.