Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1888-05-31

10 auutobs u lafHo conCourho OF tny Tel.
low citizens standing beside the sspul-
ohre that contains the mortnl rem aims
OF that good, nobie, honest pc riot and
phiianthropiss, Eli Orozier, Ga the
former occasion we were here for the
purpose of dcpositing his body Within
the silent oon 6nes OF the tomb, 90 ming.
ling earth to earth, ashes TO ashes, dust
TO dust. To-day We are here to honor
the memory Of this good, patriotic old
maa. For more than forty years of his
life I knew him intim ately. During
this period his acts OF charity, beneyo-
leuoe and patriotism were perhaps bet.
ter known TO myself than 10 any other
mortal man.
Mr.. Crczler wEs q DelswArtan by
birth, and he arst drew tho breath OF
life Oh tho historic river Brandywlne,
on spot almost 10 sight OF the place
where We ars now assembled. He was
the son OF Thomas and Mary Croziar.
He sptang from good Old patriotic,
revolutionary stock; his grandfather,
Thomas Cr0zter, fought ard bled under
Gsneral Washington to free the colo.
mics OF America from the tyranieal and
dospotio rule OF Geea. Britain And
the maut'e Of his patriotism ard 10y atty
10 the flag Of his country fell upon ahd
for life clothed his grandson, Ell, to
whose memory, for bis deeds of patriot
ism, loyalty and charity, We to day
oedicate this granite shaft
Al the outbreak OF the slavc.holders'
rebellion of 1851, two OF his younger
brothers volunteered thpir services ss
soldiers to defend the old flag In The
hour Of peril and national calamity,
and one OF them, his brother Thomas,
| mi al o. hrT hullaAa nd hfa h.N.l
fell In to the hands OF tho traitors on the
bloody battle Geld OF Malvern Hill.
Not " iihstaudinE the advanced age Of
Ell Orezier et the outbreak of the rebel.
lioo, had 1t not been for b 10 ply sioal In.
hrmity, (extreme deAfness), he, too,
would have been In the front ranks OF
the army, battling for the old flsg he so
dearly loved. :
| His infirmity OF deafness wss pro
ducsd BY his heroic efforts to save the
propsrty Of the citizens OF the town Of
New Castle, Delaware, at The time that
large portion OF this ancient town WAS
destroyed by oobhsgration over hfty
years ago. Ell. then q young msa, as.
sisted the Wilmington fireman In draw
Ing sheir hand engine by hand from the
then borough of Wilmington 10 the
town Of New OAs.le, and he WAS In CON-
tinuous active service OF thu fire until
the flames were aubdusd. Ths weather
OF the time was intensely cold, and the
garments OF Eli and many OF his com.
rades wore mantles of ioe, aud their
clothing was frozen en- their persons.
Ell there contracted . severe oold In che
charitable hot In which he was engaged
which made him extremely deaf, which
severe atillosion followed him mp to the
day Of his death, and this stfilotiou
made him physically incapable OF en-
teripR the army as soldier.
After the war had commenced and
the brave, patriotic men OF Delaware
had left their wives and children At
home, whilst they themselves had gone
forth with their swords and M uskets in
their hands 10 battle for the old flag,
Eli At once determined to sec that the
wives end children OF those noble pa.
trlots should not suffer for the comf0r
and neoeBsaries OF life whilst their bus'
bands aud fathers were fighting under
the old flag for the perpe:uity of oonstl.
tutionAl American liberty aud unity,
and during the continuance of the war
he was ever on the alert TO h1d out sol.
diers' wives and ohildren who were In
sickness and distress, that he might at
oroe alleviate their eufferinSs.
During this period he collected thou.
sands OF dollars. He personally visited
hundreds OF homes OF the distressed and
destitute soldiers' wives, widows and
orphans, aud with his own hands de,
llvered to them food, fuel and raimen
purchased By him with tho money he
had personally collected by voluntary
eubscri ptions for that humane and pa
triotlc purpose, aud when the war was
over he still CO.. tiuued to look AFTER and
provide for the widows and orphans of
deceased soldiers, even up to the olose
OF his life. The Soldiers and Sailors
Monument erected IN this city In com
loemoTatlon OF Dsla1are's patriotic
dead, was commenced shortly after the
close OF the Rebellion. A very heavy
debt was incurred thereon, which the
Monument Association was not able to
llquidate.
The creditors we're In need of their
money, and seeing no prospect OF Hecur.
ing the money due TO them, seized upon
the monument, and il was advertised
to be sold at shefitf's sale, Whoa this
fact came to the knowledge OF Mr.,
Crnzier, he exclaimed In my presence:
'By the Eternal, this shall never be
dontl Tho monument erected 10 ooE-
memorAtlon of Delaware's patriotic
dead shall never be sold at sheriff's eale
: whilst Eli Grozter lives" He At once
asked me to prepare petition to the
patriotic men and women Of Delaware
for financial aid to eava the soldiers
monument from iLs sheriff'B grasp.
Immediately prepared the petition, and
: the old man, then past three score aud
tan yeara OF age, set OF on foot TO raise
7 the money to pay the debt then due for
its erection. He as once called upon
the attorney who hal issued the writ
and requested him 10 withdraw the sale
of the monument by the sheriff, he
!. (Orozier) pledaing his word that be
would raise tue money to meet the
claim, by contributions 'ron ths pa
+, tTlotio men aud women OF DelaN are, af
1t never should be said that Delaware
Q the firBt State to ratify the Ccnatitutlon
Z OF the United StAtes, WRa disRracei by
: the sale OF monument ereossd in com
: memoration Of her patriotic dead.
The attorney oheerfu,ly Acoeeded tt
, his reQnest, and no himself made Mt
! OrozIar very liberal contribution fol
u the purpose OF paying of the debt, be
aide conRratulating him upon the patrt
L utlc effort he waB making 10 save tht
), sta:e OF Delaware from iBfnmy and
disgrace. This man, my fellow cih
. Eenh, WAS our highly respected aad es
. teeued fellow citizen, Hon. CHARLES b
!. Lore. Mr. Crozier, to secure the money
!, to pay this debt, trndgAd on foot from
= the rocky hills OF Brandy wine Hun
= dred to the eunny sands that gtrt tbs
y broad Atlantic coast IN Sussex county
4 and in . short Bpaoe OF time collected
>, and paid of the debt then dus on tn
!, monument Brt he did not atop here