The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-07-30

GENERAL X. I- iDl-Sl'N
On the uniform of an Egyptian ofllcer)
Savannah and icter at Petersburg.
was commanding at LynchDurs al the
time of the surrender. some years later
] was offered position on the general
STAN of the Egyptian army and remain
ga m that country for six years. l re-
ceilcd "a decoration of Knight Commander
of the Turkish order of the Osmanlsh for
distinguished service. ! ann uow spending
the last days or my lie in great suffering
at the Lee Camp Soldiers Home, E-h-
mOnd Va.
ln cor cusion. General Colst0n said that
Doe formerly did great deal OF writing,
but that now. owing to the numones
ANA stikucss of his fingers, ne.cDllu write
but very little.
While General Coston has written O.
good many papers and essays duin. DIS
~. which hc left Go his TWO daugAters
yet is it NOT known at this time whether
Dee wrote an autobiography. in attempt-
mc. therefore 10 prepare more con-
p,ote sketch of General Colston's life. /
bad 90 fal back ON what casual inf0rmi-
lou Doe himself gave 90 Captain C0iouua,
of Washington and Colonel W. r.. CUTE
shaw. of this city TWO of bis most inti-
mate friends. Both gentlemen most kind
ly granted my request and Duo tlc fol-
lowing sketch / have attempted t0 Zee
produce 90 tine best of my ability. what
the friends of the dead hero knew OF
his life.
BORN TN PARIS.
General I.alcen j.. COiston was born
ln ihe city of Paris on the border of the
Seine. where he spent the early part 0i
ais youth When small boy while site
uug ln lls fathers house, nc saw tAc
oclnnlus ol one of tine French reyou-
lions, and was au eyewitness OF the death
of some Of the French scuarmes, VINO ale
ter leaving the "liotei de Nlie were
shot down by citizens then lying in am-
bush for them. When acOut fourteen
years old young Colston was present wnen
the remains OF Napoleon the Great We're
brought back from ST.. Helena % be laid
tc rest in Paris This fact he afterwards
mentioned as the greatest event which he
witnessed iu Paris Tor hc fairly worship
ped tne dead Caesar in his early youth.
Young Colsiou came TO America about
"a year before De. entered -NirSiuia the
home of his father, and soon afterwards
was matrculated IN the Virginia Mill
taiy Institute. at Lexington, where bee
graduated after taking his regular course
OF studies Being a Frenchman hy birth,
1t was rather natural that the professor
SNIP OK the lititu lAll1 AAn' was NitiNA
him al the Institution. which he readily
accepted lie remained there in that
capacity. together with Stonewall Jack
son. until the war between the States
broke out.
At the beginning of the war Major
jackson. VINO then commanded the corps
of cadets. together with Major Colston
came TO Richmond and pitched camp al
thc Fair Grounds. stacking arms in front
Of the ladies building. Soon afterwards
beth were appointed commanders OF resi-
n,ents. Jackson went 10 Iiarper's Ferry
while Colonel C0lston took command of
the Sixteenth Virginia Regiment. at Nor
folk. From NoriOlh Colonel Colston went
% the peninsula and took part in she
campalcn az Yorktown as commander of
a rcsiment and also Of a brigade. having
shortly before that been made a brgadlcr-
general.
At Charlottesville he commanded the
old StOnewal division OF Jackson. and
was subsequently assigned 20 the de-
fence Of Savannah. Ca. where he was I'm
command between that city and Twice
At Petersburg DE commanded afterwards
the troops that formed the battle line
which kept the Federal forces out OF the
city until General Lee could come 10 their
assistance. General Colston was then one
Of the commanders under General Beau
regard From there he was transferred 70
Lynchbure. where he remained In COM
mand until the war ended.
HIS CAREER IN EGYPT.
After the war between the States had