Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-06-01
DIR. SAMUEL P. MOORE,
DEATH OF TIE CoNFEDIRAcY's SUR
GgoH- oH-GZEBRAL.
His Illness Very Brief one-sketeh Of Hi
Lifs-serviess in Two
Armies.

DR.. Samuel Preston Moore died after
short Illness at hrs residence, No. 202 west
Grace street, yesterday morning at l:l5
O'Clock.
He came 10 Richmond at the beginning OF
the war as the surgeon.General OF the Con.
iederate States army aud had ever since re-
sided here. He was the most distinguished
officer OF the southern cause remaining in
our midst, aud in anv crowd OF men would
have been notable. Though but little above
the medium height and somewhs, slight OF
| figure, he bore himself as erectly as West
Point cadet. In all his movements there
were evidences OF his long military expe-
rience. His face was finely modelled, and
his head was richly covered with white balr
that was curly and siIken to a remarkable
degree. He usually shaved bis chin aud
allowed the beard on the sides OF his face to
grow long. Altogether his appearance was
That Of m elderly man with whom time had
dealt gently and whose interest In life was
undiminished. In conversation he was very
bright. In greeting old friends he had nearly
ALWAYS a iacetious remark, and his observa-
tlons on men and things were rhcy without
unklndness.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
1
seveniy-iour years ago. and after receiving
| frst-rate education entered upon the prac-
! ticc OF medicine, and was appointed an as
sistant surgeon in the United States army in
1885. Here he remained until February,
1861, when in obedience 10 the call Of his
native State he resigned bis commission and
entered her service.
In the old army he had attained the rank
OF major and full surgeon and had served at
| u.
| war with Mexico, and on the frontier when
that life was full Of hardship and peril and
when the Indians instead OF being, ls now,
a few scattered and broken-sDirlted bands
| were nowerfu and often on the war-path.
| HIS life was brimful OF adventure. The
record Of it II 1t could he uniolded would read
| like a volume Of romance; but he hated any
! thing like brag, and except 10 the innerm0st
circle OF bis friends was rarely ever heard to
talk OF occurrences IN which he was con-
spicuous.
In Mexico his conduct was distinguished
not only by gaIantry, but by great skill and
success in the management Of the exceed
| ingly important trusts committed to his
| charge.
| such was his rank and distinction that
when The Confederacy was formed President
| Davis, who had known him long and well,
appointed him 10 the Office Of Surgeons
! General.
HIS GREAT wAE.oFFcE.
The place assigned to Dr. Moore was one
| Of vast responsibility.
With resources sorely inadequate for the
prosecution Of 4 great war, particularly de-
| ticient IN hOspitahsfOres and trained sur
PeOns and nurses, the Consederacy found
| Itself In direiul need Of great organizers,
| and DR.. Moore proved 10 be a suitable man
for the Surgeon Generals office.
After the battle OF Seven Pines--the first
| conflict at arms which awakened Us to sn
accurate conception OF what war really
was sick and wounded began To pOur into
| Richmond by the thousands. Not only the
| hospitals were filled, but hundreds Of pri-
vate houses, while many wounded had 10
lie IN the streets until accommodations could
be hastily provided for them.
The brunt OF all The work to call order
out Of chaos fell upon this deceased gentle
man.
II was fearful task; aprodigious respon-
| slbility. That he performed his part as we'll
as any gne could there is no denying. II
the service fell short, as it did, 1t was be-
cause it was impossible for the Surgeon
General and his corps TO coniure up in
day vast hospitals and assemble hundreds OF
doctors and battaliOns OF nurses.
such was his work. His supervision was
required not only in Virginia, but IN all the
South.
DIsCIPLINARIAN.
DR.. Moore was a strict disciplinarian. lie
enforced, as far ~ be WAS able, the rigid
rules Of the old service. Upon men fresh
from the unbounded liberties Of civil life
these regulations seemed inIolerable tyranny.
Many were the murmurs, but the Doctor
knew better than the compliments what a
great war meant, and be was ineXOrable In
the maintenance Of discipline. Had he sought
mere popularity he would have pursued
an easy, go-as-You-pleAse" course; but he
was for serving his country, and many COM
petent to judge have declared that the
medical department was the best-managed
department in the COnfederacy. Certainly
some OF the disasters that beiel our cause
could have been ayerted had discipline as
strict as he enforced everywhere prevailed.
AVTER THE WAR.
The war over, the southern country up.
rooted by rec0nstructiOn ana oyerrun by
the blacks. the Doctor determined 10 con.
tinue his home In Richmond, and he pur-
chased the house No. 202 west Grace street,
in which be had ever since resided. With
fortune ample for his wants no paid little at.
tention to the practice Of medicine, prefer
ease.
The first public position he held after the
close OF hostilities was as a member OF the
Executive Board OF the Virginia Agricul- |
tural Society. He entered this in 1874 under |
the presidency Of Colonel W. &. Knight, and !
renamed until 1881, HIS services IN con- |
neciion with our fairs were valuable, and he |
was always a striking figure in the crowds |
on the grounds during the exhibitions.
MEMBER OF THB SCHOOL BOARD.
Dr. Moore was elected to the School Board |
in 1877, and was member until bis death.
he was chairman OF the Committee on |
Teachers and schools, and every morning |
went to the Superintendents office at the |
High School and talked over matters per- |
tanning 10 The public-school system, In which |
he took great pride.
AT the lat meeting of the board he urged |
the introduction into the schools OF nstruc- |
tion in mechanical drawing; also the teach.
ing and practice OF music, AS a means OF de-
veloping the children's lungs, and was
great advocate OF technical education gene
rally.
lie had written several papers with the
view OF aiding near-sighted pupils In their
studies, and was the author OF system OF
tests OF eyesight, with the purpose OF having
to be able to give wesk-eyed ones the best |
advantages from highland nearnees to black
boards.
His last visit to the Superintendepts Office
was on Thursday morning. For some
months past il had been remarked at the
office that be was failing in powers, and this
was attributed 10 an illness which he had
about year ago, from which he had not
permanently recovered; but on Thursday
be was more than usually sprightly, and
talked with great interest OF the forthcoming
High-School commencement, in arranging
for which he had spent great deal OF time
ILLNESS AND DEATH.
He was there from IL to IL o'clock and
then left for home. He ate dinner about
O'Clock and retired apparently 10 as good
health Us usual about III.
About midnight he alarmed bis wife by
violent ft OF coughing, and as home reme'
dies were Of no avail Doctors Davis aud
Lewis were soon summoned. They con-
cluded that he was suffering from congestion
OF the lungs, complicated with other trou'
bIes. They gave him the most assiduous
attention, but he grew worse steadily, and at
~ ID 10 1