The daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1889-1890, 1889-09-26
D. H. HILL DEAD.
HE QUIETLY PASSES AWAY IN
CHARLOTTE.

The Great Soldier and Educator
Joins the Great Army of South
ern Dead on the other side
of the RIVER.
We are not surprised, though none the
less concerned to learn from the Charlotte
Chronicle, received last night, that this
gentleman, one of the most distinguished
OF our generals during the late war, and
since the war, one of the most useful and
distinguished educators, is dead. Hehas
long been an invalid. We appropriate
part of the sketch of the dead soldier
from the Charlotte Chronicle:
General D. H. Hill died at the residence
of J. K. Irwin of this city yesterday even
ing, at half past four o'clock.
Just as the clouds that had hung over
the city during the recent storm were
clearing away, the life of this noble old
warrior, part of which was spent in the
terrible storm of shot and shell which
swept over our sunny Southland quar-
ter ot century ago, ebbed away, and he
passed over the River to rest under the
shade of the trees"
His death though expected, was not
looked for so soon. The day previous he
was up and even read the newspapers as
usual. His death was caused from cancer
OF the stomach. He knew that his davs
were numbered; and towards the last
his prayers at family worship gave evil
denCe of very close communion with his
Heavenly Father.
General Hill was born in York county,
5. G., at Hills Iron Works, which were
established by his grandfather Vim. Hill,
before the Revolution, and were the only
works OF the kind, at the time OF estab-
lishment south of Richmond. His father,
Solomon Hill, fell heir to these works.
He died when his son Daniel was only
tour years old, and his youth was guided
and character moulded by his mother.
AT the age OF sixteen General Hill went
to West Point where he graduated in the
class of 40, with Generals Longstreet
and A. P. Stewart, and also with Generals
Doubleday and Reynolds.
From Charleston he went direct to the
Mexican war, and was one of six lieuten-
ants in the entire army who were twice
breveted for gallant and meritorious
service This service was rendered at
Seragorda, ChurubuscO, and Monterey.
Alter the war, the Legislature of South
Carolina, his native State, presented him
with gold sword.
Joe Johnston, who was an engineering
officer, was wounded before the city Of
Mexico. General Twiggs asked for an
artillery officer to take ohnstons place,
and Lieutenant Hill was assigned. He
was given Johnstons field glass all dab
bled in that soldiers blood. He went
out first and was the first American
soldier to see the city of Mexico.
On November, 2, 1S4S, General Hill
was married to Miss Isabella Morrison,
oldest daughter of DR.. r. H. Morrison,
and in the same year he went to Wash
ington College, Lexington, Va, as Pro-
lessor of mathematics, and in 1854, he
accepted a similar position in Davidson
College, where he helped materially to
raise the standard OF scholarship.
He came to Charlotte few years be-
fore the war as superintendent of the
academy till the outbreak of the
war, when he went out as Colonel of the
First North Carolina Regiment, and was
in the first battle of the war at Big Bethel.
Nearly all his cadets went out with him
and over half of them were killed. He
was in many Of the most important bat
ties in Virginia; at Seven Pines his di-
vision made up of North Carolina troops
nearly altogether was the only one that
pulled a trigger.
He was in the battles around Richmond
and at Malvern Hill, and at Boonesboro
or South Mountain. He held back, with
his division of 5000, McCleIIan's whole
army until Lee had safely crossed the
Potomac. Mrs. Margaret ]. Preston
called this battle the Thermopylae of the
late war.
Being promoted to Lieutenant-Ge General
he was sent to help Bragg, and Major
Archer Anderson says that at Chica-
mauga, General Hills division did the
stubbornest fighting of the war.