Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1891-01-21
THE Late EDMUND FLAGG.
Journalist, luther, Drdnaatfst aud Poet
AN Erentf,.l Literary Career

OV'ttsFVf.'c"t - Inc Lt'f''V
Fans CHURCH, VA, Jan. 16

Edmund Flagg. journalist, author, dram
stist and poet, was the most conspicuous
character in this community. He was born
at Wicasset, Me-, in February, 1916, and
died at Highland View, a little way over
the line of this district, in Providence, No
vember l, 1890. He would have been sew
euty-five years old the coming February.
He was decended from Puritan stock. The
first ancestral Flagg came over from Eng
land in the Rose landing in Boston, 1887.
Mr. Flagg's father graduated at Harvard
few years after his cousin, Daniel Webster
He graduated at Bowdoin. and in two months
after leaving college was teaching CLASH
cal school in Louisville, KY, and writing
articles with George d. Prentice for the
Louisville Journal, and continued his con
nection in some form or other for nearly
thirty years In the summer of 1886 he
travelled on horseback through Illinois and
Missouri, contributing a series of articles
for that journal. Ia 1867 he taught school
at ST. Louis, read law and wrote Tor the
press. In 1887 he was admitted to the bar
and edited the ST. Louis Bulletin. In 1888
he superintendent the publication for the
Harpers "The Far West" in two volumes,
written by him, and with Prentice started
the Louisville Literary News Letter. In 1910
he was in the law office of Sargent S. Prem
tiss, at Vicksburg, Miss. March 4, lS4l, as
editor of the Vickburg IWi9, he was severe
" wounded in duel with the editor of the
Vicksburg Sentinel In 1912 43 he was ed
itor of the Gazette, Marietta, Ohio, and wrote
q series of romances for the New York Ncc
World, conducted by Park Benjamin. In
1874 45 he was awps, and editor Of the
Ereninq Gazette. In 1916 AZ he was secre-
tary OF a mutual insurance company and
wrote treatise on the system, and was re-
porter of volume of debates in the consti-
tutional convention of Missouri; and at the
same time either wrote or adapted for the
stage several plays. OF these we're Mary
Tudor" Catherine Howard" Ray Blass, J."
Count Julian" Carlton" and "Castillian
Honor" The first three of these were sue
cessfully put upon the boards in southern
and western cities and in New York. In
lS4S be was reporter of the courts of ST.
Louis In 1s49 he was appointed secretary
of the legation at Berlin. When holding
this position he wrote Edmond Dantes,' q
sequel TO Dumas Count Of Monte CristO,
issued by the Petersons. Ia 1884 it was re-
published. In 1850 he wrote tale entitled
blanche of Artois," for which he received
a prize of 500 from the Louisville Courier
Between this date and 1851 his pen was en-
ployed With the production of articles,
pamphlets, &C., of a vide range OF topics
and of an equally wide range of character,
and in both prose and poetry. In 1852 he
edited the ST. Louis Times through the holly
contested presidential campaign of Scott
and Pierce, In 1858 he superintendent the
publication of his two volumes by ScTibner,
styled Venice a City of the Sea-" This
work covered the period from 1897, when
Napoleon began the war with Italy, to the
capitulation of Radetsky in 1919 He also
wrote al this time the most of the letter
press for Meyers Omitted States illustrated
West" edited by c. A. Dana. He held an
appointment in the State Department for
about six years. Marcy was Secretary when
he was appointed. In 1854 he was placed
in charge of the report ordered by Congress
on our commercial relations with all foreign
nations, yhich was published in 1856 in
four quarto volumes. After that he pre-
pared an annual report on the same subject.
In 1851 he was Washington correspondent
| for several western papers and in 1861 he
was placed in charge of the library in the
Interior Department and remained there
until 1869, when he resigned and established
| his residence on his Eastwood farm in Prov
| idence district, Fairfax county, Va. The
Prime Minister" Frances Of Valois"
were written oy NJ. Flagg. There are sew
eral other noticeable works written by him,
reference to which is omitted for the sake
of breviiy. His last published work is en-
titled "De Molai, the last of the military
grand masters of the order of Templar
Knights, published by the Petersons 1888.
This work of Mr.. Flagg's, SO skillfulIy plot
ted and so wildly and thrillingly delineat-
ed, is fitting crown and close to his long,
active, arduous and eventful literary career
Mr.. Flagg kept diary for more than fifty
years, making the last entry only three days
previous to his decease He had partly
written an autobiography, using this diary
for much of the data used. In February
1862, Mr. Flagg and Miss Kate, daughter
of Sidney S. Gallaher of Charleslown West
Virginia, were married Mrs Flagg and
her three sons survive to mourn the irrepa-
rable loss of husband and father.
lisa.
Mr.. George Bancroft, the historian, died
at his residence in Washington City on Sat