Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-05-10
Death of a Venerable Resident of the
County

Maj. VIM. M. Tate, who was during the
and widely known citizens of Augusta, died
on Sunday last at 2. NJ, on his farm
three miles from the city. He had been con-
fined to his bed from rheumatism for four
or five months and died after great suffer
ing, at the age of seventy-five years.
Maj. Tate belonged to a family that came
from Pennsylvania to Augusta before the
Revolution and who fought in it's battles
His father was John Tate. Maj. Tate was
born on the farm near Swoopes Depot. He
was student at Washington College about
the year 1928, and later at the University OF
Virginia. His first public service was that OF
Justice of the Peace under the old Constitu
| ton, when the Justices constituted the
| County Court. When the Constitution was
changed in 1850 and the Justices became
elective by the people, he was repeatedly re-
elected by them until he moved out of the
district. When the civil war came on he
acted as purchasing agent Of cattle for the
Confederate Government in this section, q
service for which he refused to take any
pay. In order to give him more ample arl
thority, President Davis appointed him to
the rank of Major, but even with the of1icia
rank he periodically refused to take COM
pensation.
At the time the ordinance Of secession
was voted on by the people Of Augusta
May %, 1861, Maj. VIM. M. Tate. Hugh
W. Sheffey and James Walker, were elected
to the House of Delegates, and Bolivar
Christian to the Senate. When the wal
ended Maj. Tate was one of the Committee
appointed at a public meeting Of citizens OF
Augusta, held in Staunton, May 9Th, 1866, tic
go to Richmond and confer with the U. S.
authorities there, civil OF military, and as
certain what liberty was to be allowed in
regard to the establishment Of the State
government. Since the reconstruction of the
State government, he has quietly lived on his
farm taking little interest in public matters
except those connected with his church
the Presbyterian. In the church bodies OF
that denomination he took an active and
prominent part on all questions that came
uP loI u1oo ooo1ol. LIZ Aeto always ttll ttUlt
writer on either Church Oh State matters
and before the war contributed much to the
Staunton press in opposition to the change
of the State constitution, and all other pro
posed deviations from the path the ole
Commonwealth had always trodden. Ht
was opposed to all change. In Agricultu
raj matters he was very prominent, was {
frequent contributor to the old Southern
Planter Of Richmond, and at home he was
one Of the founders of the old Augusta
County Fair which preceded the Baldwin
Augusta Fair. In social life he was a gen
erous, high spirited, scrupulously honorabl,
representative of the fast disappearing typ
of old Virginia gentlemen.
Maj. Tate was married three times, frs
to Miss Graham of Lexington, next to Mis-
Frazier, and last to Miss Waddel, siste.
of MI. Jos. A. Waddell. His widow ant
several children survive him.
He was buried on Tuesday morning las
at Hebron church, which he was al
!, Elder, Rev. J. E. Booker conducting
y the services, and Messrs. JOS Trimble
= John Christian, w. NJ. Bell, Samuel Brown
Henry Harrison and G. G. Child acting d
pall-bearers.