The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-07-09
THE LATE IsIIAM G. HARRIS.


fin. of Tennessee: Miss Polk. friend
from his native state, and the members
OF the household where the senator has
lived for some time. Another son.
Charles s. Harris. not realizing the
end was SO near, had left the house n
short time before death came.
Another son. James Il. Harris, re-
hiding in Tennessee, arrived In the city
today, and a fourth son, lsham G.
Harris. Jr, Is now on his fathers ranch
and stock farm at Abilene, Tex. and
probably will meet the funeral train
when 1t reaches Memphis where the
lnterment will be made.
Senator Harris was last In the senate
chamber about ten days ago, but he
was unable TO stay for any length Of
Time and had to be taken home in a
carriage. During the past six months
the senator had been able to attend to
his duties only at Intervals having
been away from the city several times
endeavoring to recuperate.
Senator Harris remains will lie In
state In the marble room of tn. senate
tomorrow morning. and during the af-
fernoon funeral services will be held In
the senate chamber. Accompanied by
= committees of the senate ana house,
the body will be taken TO Memphis,
leRving here after the senate cere-
monies. On Monday the remains will
lie in state for few hours at Nach-
willie.
Probably no man In public life has
6tss hentifled with more Of the his
tory of this country than Senator
Harris. He had almost completed his
seventy.ninth year. having been born
1n~February. 1878, and first became
member of congress In 1S49. His con.
Kressional career thus began earlier
than that Of any member Of either
house. antedating Senators Morrill, and
Sherman by seven years. and TIon.
Aalushas A. Grow. now member Of
the house from Pennsylvania, by one
year Mr.. Harris had, when elected
to congress, already become a man Of
state reputation In Tennessee, having
the year previously served as a presi-
lential elector on the Democratic ticket
and two years before been elected
member of the legislature Of the state,
Mr.. Harris represented the ninth
Tennessee district in congress for the
two terms ending in 1858. when he de-
clined denomination. He then moved
to Memphis, where he has since resid-
ed. Here he was engaged In the prac-
tlce of law until 1857, with the inter-
ruption necessary to allow him to be-
come presidential elector in 1866. He
was three times in succession before
the war, beginning in 1857, elected gov
ernor of the state, and was serving in
that capacity when the war broke out.
He took pronounced stand for the
southern Confederacy. and was known
as one of the southern war governors.
After Lees surrender Mr. Harris was
one of the small party of political refu-
gees who escaped to Mexico, going
ACROSS country on horseback. Parson
Brownlow, who had become the mill
tary governor of Tennessee, offered a
large reward In a Enthusiastically
worded poster for the capture Of his
predecessor, but the latter remained
absent from the country until his re-
turn was safe. He remained In Mexico
Tor several months. going thence to
England, where he resided until 1867,
when he returned to Memphis and re-
aumed his practice of the law.
Mr. Harris was allowed to follow the
pursuits Of the private citizen until
1877, when he was elected to the United
States senate, defeating Hon. l.. L..
Hawkins Republican He has remain
ed a member of the senate ever since,
and would have completed his goth con-
secutive year In that body on the
Nth of next March IL he had lived to
that date His term would not have
expired until 1901.