Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1896-05-29
A DISTINGUISHED VIRGIN[AN
GONE.
GEN. JOHN ECHOLS PASSES
AWAY,
SKETCH OF HIS LlFE-TELEGRAMS RE-
CEIVED FROM ALL OVER THE COUN-
TRY-THE FUNERAL-DISTlNGU
MEN FROM ABROAD ATTEND 1T.
&C., &C., &C.


on Sunday evening at 7:45 clock. He had
been suffering from Bright disease for a
year OF two. Last week he came to this
city with his wife. He was quite i'll, but
rallied slightly after being here a day Oh
two. But however his family and friends
might be blinded by hope, to him it was
clear that the end was approaching, and
that be had come to his old home, the little
City of his heart, to die. He had made
every preparation, his thoughtfulness going
even to the mementoes he should leave his
friends. Two OF three days before his
death he took from his pocket and handed
his son little slip on which this memoran-
da was written: "John Echols to his friend
Robert W. Burke, 1896. Always true and
steadfast.' The words were to be engrav-
ed on a mel ento for Mr.. Burke
who had been FOR many years his
closest personal friend outside Of his family
circle in Staunton.
On Saturday it was seen that he was
very ill, and that uramic poisoning had set
in. He became partially unconscious. On
Sunday he sank into stupor and died that
evening. His wife and children were with
him.
SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.
General Echols was born in Lynchburg
March 90, 1928, and thus died after an ac-
tive and useful life, aged 10 years. lie be-
gan life thrown on his own resources and
taught school in Harrisonburg before the
war. hewing out his own pathway through
life. He entered the first class at the Vir-
ginia Military Institute, graduating from
the ssWe est Point Of the South'' in 1913.
He was also educated at Washington Col
lege NOW Washington & Lee University
and studied law at Harvard. AS a young
man be settled at Union, Monroe county.
Virginia {now West Virginia., where his
conspicuous abilities soon enabled him to
build up lucrative practice at the bar,
and be represented that county in the Wiz
ginia legislature during several terms. He
was member of the Secession convention
and was one of the sgners of the ordinance
that took Virginia out OF the Union. He
then offered his services to the State and
was made lieutenant colonel of the 9th
Virginia Infantry, Stonewall Brigade, of
which W. W. Gordon was colonel, and
personally commanded that regiment at
the hotly contested battle of Kernstown.
wounded in the arm, and spent several
months in StauntOn at the residence Of
Davis A. Kayser, until he recovered. He
was afterwards made brigadier general and
assigned to the command of the department
of Southwest Virginia West Virginia),
October Is, 1862.
On May Is, 1864. he was in the battle Of
New Market, Echols' and Wharton's brig
AIDES of General John G Breckinridge's
division, defeating greatly superior force
OF Federals under General Frank Siegel.
General Echols supported the flank of the V.
M. 1. cadets in their famous charge in this
fight. General Echols also commanded at the
battle of Cold Knob Mountain, West Viz
ginia, November 26, 1862, and at the fight
at Droop Mountain, West Virginia, No
vember G., 1868. He also took part in the
bloody battle of Second Cold Harbor, June
-, 1864.
August %, 1864, General Echois was as
signed to the command of the district OF
Southwestern Virginia and East Tennes-
see, and assumed command October 80,
1864. In March, 1865, he succeeded Gener-
al Jubal A. Early in command of the Trans
Allegheny Department. Later, he was as
signed by General John g. Breckenridge,
then Secretary Of War, to the command OF
large department in Texas, but the wal
closed before he was transferred to that
point.
After the close of the war, in September
1865, General Echols came to Staunton
and formeda law partnership with Col. r
II. Catlett, his former Adjutant General
who came to Staunton at that time, and
Major Henderson NJ. Bell, the style of the
firm being Echols, Catlett and Bell. HI
also was the head of the real estate firm O.
Echols. Catlett, Bell and ,Hotchkiss-;
firm that began the development of tn,
rich mines west of Stanton and that wa.
the real pioneer in the opening up of thai
wonderful section. With the Hon. John B
Baldwin and the Hon. A. Fl. H. Stuart
General EchOls took prominent part il
getting Virginia back into the Union, thu
insuring peaceful and stable local govern
ment. Immediately on his arrival il
-, u OH
the National Valley Bank, one of the sound
est banking Institutions in the country, an(
was elected its first president, a position HI
held continuously until his death, Now
here than IN the management Of this insIi
tuition were his abilities more clearl,
shown. The demoralized condition of tn,
Virginia Central railroad (now the Chesa
peake and Ohio also at this time attracted
B. Baldwin and others, he reorganized thai
road, secured its extension through Ken
lucky, and was for twenty years director
of the Chesapeake and Ohio, which has fel
the impulse of his skill and wisdom. Late
he became Manager, and Receiver of Thu
Chesapeake, Ohio and Southern. He wa
the close personal friend and adviser of Z
2. Huntington, ard closely guarded wit
his customary.s 4 that millionaire1s in
.terests in Kentucky and the Southwest.
General Eehols also served on the boar
tof visitors Of the Virginia Military Inst
Gute. and was, at the time of his death, on
of the hoard of trustees of Washington .
Lee University, He represented the cour
ty of Augusta in the House of Delegate
at the beginning of the Debt question wa
in 1879.
When General EchOls first moved t
Stanton, in 1865, be resided in the uppe
part of the building at 126 East Main St
toe rooms of which are now accunied b