Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1893-09-15
FUNER1L OBSEQUIES.
Impressive Ceremonies at the
Funeral of Col. Ed. Beck,
SepteDlber o. 1898.

luutTdl tue IOllOWlnS udN, HAS Detn
the one event of the week. Mr..
Beck had long been incapacitated
for active physical work, and upon
his retirement from the post office
he assumed the duties Of night
watch of this town. For the past
two months his failing health COM
PEELED the employment of a substi-
tute for this duty, but he was able
to appear upon the streets from
time to time, and was up town on
the Monday preceding his death.
He was not known to be in very
serious condition and the announce
ment of his death came with almost
the shock of the news of a sudden
death upon this community.
We republish from the f. p. of
December 80, 1888, the following
sketch of Col. Beck's career prior
to his arrival in Idaho:
"The youngest private soldier in
the army during the war, now
postmaster at Grangeville, was
born December 4, 1919. He enlist
ed in the 18th Kentucky Infantry
as drummer, but his company was
soon transformed as Co. NJ, 9th
Kentucky Cavalry. His captain
wanted to discharge him and send
him home, but he insisted he could
stand guard and do duty as well as
the biggest man among them. All
of this he did, and while his older
comrades were suffering with hun
ger and full of complainings, little
Dick, as they called him, was ever
bright and cheerful. At only one
time did the young warrior ever
shed tears, and that was the first
Christmas he spent in the ranks.
He was on guard duty, and while
on his lonely beat the thought of
his widowed mother and little sis
ter and brother in the old home
without him on the blessed holiday
brought ON his first real attack of
inconsistencies. He contracted in
tlammation of the lungs by lying
out in the snow in the winter of
1862, while his regiment was chas-
ing John Morgan. His officers
wanted to send him to the hospital,
but he begged them to let him stay
with his regiment. Not until the
winter of '63, when his horse fell
through the ice near Danville, KY,
and fractured his left leg below the
knee, would he leave his company.
When little Dick was sent to the
hospital at Louisville, his company
was out, and there were few dry
eyes among his comrades. They
had slight hope of ever seeing the
little fellow again. After his leg
got better he was sent to Barracks
No. l, Louisville. The doctor in
charge said that he would never be
able to rejoin his regiment. and he
was transferred as a drummer to
Co. H., National Relief Corps, then
stationed at Washington. He was
at Carlisle, Pa, in 1864, when Nc
Clellan ran against Lincoln for
President. His company was
marched to the polls and he voted
at fifteen years old, and afterwards
played the Dead March at the fu-
neral services of the President at
Harrisburg, Pa, He was discharg-
ed in 1865, at the close of the war.
His mother dying in 1866 he en-
listed in Company G, 2nd Infantry.
In three months he was a corporal,
in six months sergeant, and was
for twelve years a sergeant in his
company, which was ordered to
Idaho in 1877 to participate in the
Nez Perez Indian war, and at its
conclusion it garrisoned Cam
Howard until it was abandoned.
In 1880 Mr.. Beck applied for his
discharge and has ever since resi-
ded here with his family. The
office of postmaster of this town,
which he has creditably filled for
the last three years is a deserved
reward to faithful soldier, and
although his general health is very
poor we hope he may be long spar
ed to enjoy it,"
To the above we may add that
Mr.. Beck held the post Office here
until his successor took possession
in July last. A more accommodating
and obliging official never lived,
and the news of the appointment
of his successor was a great sur
prise to citizens of all shades of po-
litical belief, Since our admission
as State Mr. Beck turned to good
account his knowledge of military
life by assisting in the organiza-
ton of the Idaho National Guard.
He was the father and founder OF
Company c., LIST Reg, l. n. g., OF
Grangeyille, and with his know
ledge Of the manual of arms and
untiring zeal and patience in the
good cause, he succeeded in con.
ycrting an awkward squad OF
Grangeville farm boys into the best
drilled and most efficient company
in the State militia. Last year he
was elected Colonel of the LIST Reg.
iment, receiving from the several
companies more votes than all the
other candidates combined.
The funeral on Saturday after.