Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-07-30

GENERAL RALEIGH r. COLSTON.
On Confederate Uniform)
his daughter. Mrs. John d. Ragland, OF
petersburg. was summoned 10 his bed
SIDE. and she remained with him until the
end
General Colston's eventful life Is an
object lesson Of the possibilities Of real
worth. OF French lineage, he was born
An France. October 81. 1875, and, passing
bis boyhood days I'm Paris. he witnessed
some N the thrilling scenes Of the ieNo-
luton Of his country.
CAME TO VIRGINIA.
When but II years Of age be migrated TO
This country with the passport of an
American citizen issued 10 him by the
American Minister to France. General
Ievfs Cass. and, coming direct TO Nir-
piria entered as a cadet the Virginia
Military Institute In a very short time
he found himself orphaned and left de-
pendent upon his own resources.
Win bright. quick mind, and nope
fnl optimistic disposition, he ala
not DESPAIR. as many others would
have done; but by virtue OF
his boyish knowledge Of the French
tongue sought and obtained the position
OF assistant Instructor in French uhueI
that noble old Roman. Colonel Preston.
This position had its emoluments, WHICH,
though small. were sufficient TO en"pie
the determined young man 10 meet MS
o,perses and TO finish his course at the
institute. and. by contributing from time
to time 10 the newspapers, be was supse-
mently paid enough TO maintain himseh
creditablv. After mis- graduation he was
made Assistant Professor Of Frencn' ana
advanced 10 the responsible once OF urea
aurer OF the institute, though his saiary
was still very meagre.
Fuu of vii. and devoted to books, ana
with that determination 10 succeed whlch
afterwards made him famous, young
Colston Joined the Franklin Literary so
ciety. Of Lexington. where ne was Ia
rontact with such great men as Governor
Mcdowell and Hon. John w. Brocken-
brough and with these and other dis
t,ngulshed gentlemen. for whom the Lex
ington Bar was proverbial. he held his
own in discussions Of the various ques-
tlons that were ever before the literary
societies Of the grand old town.
PROFESSOR MILITARY STRATEGY.
Immediately before the war Professor
Colston was made Professor Of Military
Strategy. in connection with the full pro-
fcssorship Of French. and allowed TO go
abroad 10 perfect his studies He re-
turned only a very short time before Nir-
gnia seeded from the Union. When
hostitlos commencel he marched his
corps to Richmond. General stonewan
Jackson was active commandant of the
corps. and the hour was fixed by the
Adutaut-Goneral at Richmond for the
cadets 20 march al y o'clock. keveille
had found the whole corps keen for the
preparations. and long before the hour
10 depart the restless young hearts. un-
used 20 wars stern alarms. were eager
10 move on. bat "Old Jack" was inexor-
able. Move on, move onw was yelled.
and echoed by the cadets until Colston
suggested 10 Jackson that al was ready,
hni that time would be gained on the
road The laconic reply was. "The order
10 move is u o'clock; il is only 10 by my
watch"
The corps was IN line more than
an hour. and only when the clock
struck u was the order given TO Move
on. Alas how few returnedi
Nnen The corps. or the remnant, re-
ported back az the Institute. ana call
was made for Professor Colston 10 re-
turn. he declined TO abandon mis- com
mand. the Sixteenth Virginia Regiment.
Holiness Brigade; but asked that his
place might be hlled by one less able to
perform his duties IN the field. u was
bot a short time thereafter before Gene
raj Colston was placed in command Of