The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-05-27
DURBIN WARD DEAD.
The Veteran Soldier and Statesman
Passes to His Final Rest.
A Career Full OF Honora and Repiste With
Good worka--A nrisf HlAtory
Of His Life,

CINCINNATI, o, May "a General Dur-
bin Ward died NJ hts homo In Lebanon
Ohio, 0fh complication o. diseases, Sat
urday NJ 2A5 =. IN He had been sick for
the past eight weeks with acute Theama.
tiam ana sun I'd q relapse on MO1dhy
afternoon last, but rallied until Thurs
d1y afternoon, when no again suffered q
rel6p 70, from which ho never recovered
having been unconscious since an early
hour Friday morning The funl raj
may take place Wednesday.
DuTbln Ward WAS bora In Augusta,
BrOcken county, Ky, u bruaTy II, 1919
and was thereto 67 yeara Of e.. The
paternal ancestry IN both lines were OF
Eugliah extraction, and settled on q Q
eastern shore OF Maryland aud Virginia
about 1884, They were engaged in w
rlcnltnral pursui y and were monte 4
I The EplaU0pal church, On hll moth
er'5 aid his auce1i' y waa OF Welsh de-
scent aud were also 6grculiurata They
belonged 10 the Methodist church, and
settled IN Pennsylvania early In the
eighteenth century His father, Jesse
Ward, served In The war VI 1912, and
fought NJ Bladenaburg and H. defense
OF Baltiu ore. After the war he removed
10 kentucky. Owing 10 the law OF prl'
mogeni.uTe, then existing In Maryland
he, belnga younger son, Inherited NO
land. In Kentucky he married Rebecca
Patterson, the daughtr Of a substantial
farmer who haa also served In the war
Of 1919 at the River Raisin Ia Michigan,
and Aflerward lost hls land ly the
"sllngle" titles OF Kentucky.
Durbla was their ed az child aud was
named after the famous Methodist
preacher, John p. Durbin, tho school.
mate OF Mrs, g. Ward, Ia one OF the
rudt country school houses Of Kentucky,
The family subsequently removed TO
near EyertOn, Fayette county, Ind, and
th r, young Ward was brought up, aid
ing hls father In tina rude duties OF tho
farm, The ayidlty OF tho toy for learn
lug, and the scarcity OF books In thla
wild aud unculturei country ut the
time, are illustrated by the fact that the
youth had read every book no had ever
seJn when he was Is years OF age, Dur.
Ing each winter he attended the c0un'
tiy schools for u few weeks. and thla
was all the common school education he
ever received. AT Is. having acquired
by hla own unaldad studies q know ledge
oil the rudlments OF Latin, algebra and
geometry, no entered Miami Univerelty,
aud by teaching during Vacations and
living economically le managed TO
maintain himself there flr two years,
when no left II, without graduating.
Having chosen the law for hla pr0fea'
sion he removed TO Lebqnon, o, where
no commenced studying under the pre-
ceptOrship OF Judge Smith, but instruct
ing pupils az the same time, In order 10
pay his necessary expenses, H. cOm-
ploted his law studies under Governor
COrwin, with wN0m he entered into
partnership NJ lSi3, and IA y remained
associated In buslnps, for yearly three
years The partnership was dissolved
on account Of Mir, Wards election to thu
Office OF Prosecuting Attorney 0f Warren
county, After hOl1ip K tina, Office for six
years no uecame Que OF the Iepl eeenla'
tlyes In the lower House OF the Ohio
General Assembly, the ltst Legislature
elected under the new constitution. He
was Que Of the most active IN mbers Of
the House and distinguished himself by
drafting an elaborate report against
clpital pul ielmeut, ~ we'll ~ by de'
llvering an eloquent eulogy on q vernon
Morrow, which was ordered TO be spread
on tho Journal OF the H,uee II wa'
during this session that Judge B3llamy
St0rer and the Hon. William NJ. Carey
endeayofed 10 Induce the Legislature 10
loan the public arm TO Kospuih, TX gov
er1or OF Hungary, who was then al OK
ile In th.A G ultry.
Mr., Ward was one OF the most vi gor.
Ous In defeating the measure In the
II u 10 ~, II h, pgsipd the senate, Az
the next election he declined to be II
candidate, deciding IN return 10 the
practice OF his prof ion, Up 10 this
time he had acted with the Wing party
aud had been III active politician and q
feqieut cnmpaign speaker. From The
time hn u lchary rA'l r was elected ~
The Presto ucy ~ tu 1855 he took no no
tive part In p0llics. fhe Wing party
being dissolved, aud hayiug no tympa
thy with ths Know NOthinge, no COu-
nocted himself with the Democrats,
being convinced Of the B0undnoH0 Of
their political doctrines.
When tho wir br H. out I'm 1861 he
immediately ] lined h. Unlon army, 60.
lug into tho tanks ~ common soldier.
He never rged dRy NJ garrls n duty,
but was always 0t the front, and rose To
the rank OF brlgadltr by br0yet. He was
shot D riugh the body ~ Chlckamnuga
near the close OF the 81 cond days bat
tle, and his left arm waa thereby disab.
led for life He was then mustered out
OF the service on account Of permanent
disability, but hO Immediately went 10
WIS lingtOn, go the order revoked ant
returned TO the leld, commanding with
hia arm In q sling durlug the whole Of
tho Atlanta campaign,
Az the close OF tho war he opened an OF
dee In Washington for tho prolecution OF
soldiers elaine, and Temained there for
nearly two years. In November, 1865,
no was appointed United State Dlstrict
Attorney for the southern district Of
Ohio, and served for nearly three yeare,
when he was removed by PRECEDENT
Grant.
General Ward was acknowledged 10 b 4,
one OF the ablps' pilitlcal speakers or
hla day. Hls y eChes on The southern
policy Of the Republican party had u
vida circulation.
He married November 27h, 1860. Mles
Elizabeth Probasco, sister OF Judge
John ProbascO, former partner VI
Governor C0rwln, but has no children.
While tho lie OF GenerOl Ward haa
been prominent ~ d active, II has not
been successful, 10 measured by the
practical standards OF wealth OF omOl.
nment.
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