Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1897-04-08
cen. John 3. stevenson.

Gen. John D. Stevenson.
Several weeks ago we announced the
death of Gen. John d. Stevenson OF Missou'
ri, at his home in st. Louis, and gave such
salient points in his life as were in our pos
session at the time. He was one OF the
gifted young men who were taking an &C
tive part in politics in that State in the preg-
nent times which ante dated the Kansas
troubles, and when Frank Blair and Gratz
Brown were forging to the front as leaders
in the anti-slavery movement of that day.
Gen. Stevenson held to the same views
which Blair and Brown maintained, and
the three were strong force in Missouri
politics. State Senator and afterwards U.
s Senator r. L. Y. PeytOn and Gen. Joe
Shelby, with others equally prominent, took
the Southern side of the issues of that tur-
bulent period, as did Gov. Claiborne jack
son. There was strongly defined line
drawn between the policies and aims of
these men and the commencement of hostil-
tiles between the States found them arrayed
against each other in bitter strife They
have all passed over the river" the issues
of contention then have been settled by the
abitrament of the sword, and the grave
closed over the animosities then engendered.
Gen. Stevenson was the last of them to
obey the final summons, and as he was born
in Staunton, has a brother. Capt. K. W.
Stevenson, and sister, Mrs. M. q. Har-
man, still living here, and other relatives in
the county, we give fuller notice of the
events Of his life than heretofore published.
His mother was Miss Dunlap, sister Of
the late Bailey Dunlap Of Middle River,
and he was cousin of Geo. B., Robert and
Taylor Dunlap of this county, and Mrs.
Fannie Hartman of Roanoke. Va. The fol-
lowing sketch of Gen. Stevenson is taken
from the st. Louis GIobe-D Democrat, and
will be read with interest by many Of our
patrons:
''Gen. John D. Stevenson died at 10 O'clOck
last night, after an illness dating back to
December Is, at his residence, No. $500 Nor
gan street. The funeral will be held at 2
o'clock tomorrow afternoon from the fami-
ly residence. The pall-bearers will be Of
fcers OF the Loyal Legion, OF which he was
Nelson Cole. Maj. Charles E. Pearce, Col.
Wells II. Blodgett, Capt. W. r. Rogers and
Capt. Lloyd q. Harris. The deceased was
also member OF John A. Logan, Prest. Il.
A. r.
John D. Stevenson was born in Staunton,
Va, on June 8, 1921. He spent two years in
the College Of South Carolina. and was
graduated in law at Staunton in 1871, and
in 1912 began the practice Of law in Frank
lin county, Mo. He organized a volunteer
company in 1846, and served in Gen Stephen
w. sKealney's invasion Of New Mexico. He
commanded Company E of Dragons In the
war with Mexico in 1916 and 1847 under Col.
H. W. Doniphan, and was with Maj. VIM.
Gilpin when he entered California. He
participated in the Battle of Chihuahua and
many other noted engagements. After his
return he removed to st. Louis, and was fire.
quently member of the Legislature, and
President for one term of the State Senate.
He was member of the electoral college
IN 1861. At the breaking out of the civil
war he became stauch supporter of the
union cause, and raised the 7th Missouri
Regiment. An interesting story is told of
him in this connection. His relatives we're
on the Confederate side, but he was reared
under the care OF his grandmother, whom
he had. on numerous occasions in his early
youth, heard pray for the abolition of sla-
very. This fact caused him to be an abOli-
zionist.
During the siege of Corinth he command
ed the district of Savannah. He then led
brigade in Tennessee and was made Brig
adler General of Volunteers on November 26,
1862. He served in the Vicksburg campaign
and made the charge at Champion Hill that
broke the enemy's left flank. He led an ex-
petition that drove the COnfederates from
Northern Louisiana, commanded the district
Of COrinth and then occupied and fortified
Decatur, Ala. On August 8. 1864, being left
without command, he resigned, but was
recOmmissiOned and assigned to the district
of Harper's Ferry. For a time during the
reconstruction period he was in charge of
Northern Georgia. At the close of the war
he was made a brevet Major General of
Volunteers, and in 1867, for his services at
Champion Hill. breveted Brigadier General
in the regular army, in which he had been
He left the army in 1871, and began the
practice of law in ST.. Louis.
His first public Office in st. Louis, was that
of City Collector. Upon the death of Gen
Shields Assessor and Collector of Water
Rates, he was appointed his successor
Henry OverstOlz was the Mayor. Mayor
Ewing made him Health Commissioner
Eight years ago he was elected City Com
ptrOller being one of the Republicans elect
ed when E. A. Noonan was chosen Mayor
At the end of his term Gen. Stevenson was
appointed auditor of the Laclede Gaslight
Company, which position he retained up to
the time Of his death.
On February 1876. he married Miss Han
nah Letcher. Of Lexington. Va, cousin of
Gov. Letcher. The lady survives him, and
they celebrated their golden wedding on
February II, 1895. Mrs. Getty. wife of Gen.
e. W. Getty. OF Washington, d. g., is sis
ter, also Mrs. Caroline Hartman, of Staun-
ton. Va, and Mrs. Isabel Kinney, of Will
mington. Del. A brother, William Steven
son, of Staunton, Va. is still living. Gen.
Stevenson leaves two children-JOhn H.,
who is Judge of the Second District Police
Court. and Miss Virginia E. Steven son, a
teacher in Mary Institute"