Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-16
Passage Of One Of the Most Pictur-
esque American Characters.
LAWYER, SOLDIER AND JOURNALIST
Of Distinguished Family, and Man
of Superior Qualities.
HIS BODY ATED

The body of the late Col. Samuel Chester
| Reid was placed. in the retort at Lees
| crematory at 3 o'clock this afternoon and
before the sun sets today all that will re-
| main of man who for over half a CEN
| fury was one Of the most striking char
| acters in the Union will be q few ounces
of impalpable dust. No services of a re-
| ligious character were held. The ashes will
be taken to Greenwood cemetery and
buried by the side of the dead mans dis
| tinguished father. There were present
the widow, who was Miss Josie Rowan of
Kentucky, granddaughter of the famous
| Senator John Rowan of that state, and a
| daughter of Gen. Rowan, who at the time
of her marriage to Col. Reid in 1866 was
United States minister to Italy; the five
| children of the deceased, Mrs. K. K Ken
nedy of Philadelphia. Mrs. F. H. Parkhurst
| of Bangor, Me, Mr.. s. Chester Reid of
New York. Mr.. j. Row an Reid of Phila-
| delphia, Mr.. w. s. Reid, and Madame Di
Cesnola. of Bangor, Me, sister of the
| dead man.
| There was no man in Washington better
| known than Col. Samuel Chester Reid
For nearly half century he had made
Washington his most favored abiding place,
and for the larger portion of that time
| had been on terms of intimacy with al
most every man of note who came to the
| national capital. His history is full of
| was of superior character, and his per-
| severance and determination were I'M
equaled.
A Sketch of His Career
| Col Reid was born in New York in Oc-
| tober, 1878, and when he was sixteen years
| old shipped as sailor before the mast on
merchantmen and made voyage nearly
around the world. With his quick dis
cernment ana his peculiar readiness to
| adapt himself to any surroundings with
which he might be environed he became
an expert in maritime affairs. He tired of
| the sea, however, and in 1898 Joined the
survey of the Ohio river instituted by the
| United States This satisfied his incIina-
| ton for rowing both on sea and land. and
| In 1883 he settled in Natchez Miss, where
| he studied law under Gen. John A. Quit
| man. He was admitted to the bar of
Mississippi in 1Sil, to the bar of Louis
lana In 1874 and to the United States Su-
preme Court in 1916. While at Natchez
| he was appointed United States deputy
| marshal. He had a brilliant career in the
Mexican war, where ne fought as a mem
Der of the Texas Rangers under the com
mand of Capt. Ben Mccullough and was
mentioned for distinguished gallantry and
merftorious services at the battle of Mon
| terey After the Mexican war he attained
| still greater prominence in the south and
| was one of the most ardent advocates of a
direct railroad line to the Pacific ocean at
the convention which was held at Mem
phis in 1851
He declined in 1857 the tender made him
| by President Buchanan of becoming United
States minister to Italy. Meantime Colonel
Reid had done a large amount of work as
| newspaper correspondent and made an
enviable name for himself in that direction
He reported the proceedings of the Louis
lana Sc cession convention in 1861, and i'm
mediately after the war began in earnest
Went to the field as war correspondent
for number of southern newspapers,
| achieving fine reputation. At the close of
the war Colonel Reid renewed the practice
| Of law. but at the same time took an in
tense interest in the development of the
resources of the south and the trade and
commerce of that section.
The Armstrong Case.
Colonel Reid was a son of Captain Reid
who commanded the famous privatcers-
man, the brig General Armstrong that
was burned on the morning of September
q, 1914. by British vessels in the harbor
Of Fayal in the Azores, which were at that
time Portuguese possessions and neutral
ground; The history of this event is thrill
ing. When Captain Reid, after having
fought the enemy all through the preced-
ing night, came to the conclusion that his
ship could not be saved he determined to
scuttle her, and 1t is said that he ordered
the famous gun Long Tom a" pointed
downward through the ships deck and
nreo When the boat was sinking the
ship company departed for the shore in
Armstrong was abandoned sent off a board
ing party and set fire to her. The destruc-
ton OF the Armstrong served to inspire a
diplomatic correspondence between the
governments Of the United States and Por-
tugal for over forty years.
Inc portuguese government acknowledged
| its liability to this country and made a
demand upon Great Britain for satisfac-
t1on OF the violation of the neutrality OF
its territory and the destruction of the
General Armstrong. The British govern
ment made an apology and Unidentified
residents of Fayal for the loss sustained by
the firing of the British war vessels but
refused to pay for the General Armstrong
on the grounds that the privateer had first
cation.
A Famous Claim
The history of the Armstrong claim would
fill volumes. The case was submitted to
arbitration under the administration OF
Fillmore and Louis Napoleon, then presi-
dent of the French republic was chosen as
arbitrator.
In 1853 when Napoleon had become en-
peror of the French he decided the case in
favor of Portugal and England. Congress
was appealed to in 1854, and snimous re-
ports were made in favor of the claim, but
IL Iahed to pass by the lack Of a quorum
IN the House. In 1858 it was again submit.
ted to Congress, after having been heard
In the Court of Claims, but failed for
"NAAs VI oStioH. OT twenty years nothing
was done with the case, but Col Reid was
persistent in his belief in the justice of
the claim. In spite of the adverse treat
ment 1t had received, and during the For
ty-hfth Congress he renewed it. In the
Fcrty-sixth Congress unanimous reports
were made in its favor. and the bill pass
ed the Senate, but failed to get through
the House. At the first session Of the
Forty-seventh Congress in 1912 unanimous
reports were again made. and finally the
Dill passed, appropriating the sum of $TO,-
139 for the actual loss Of the brig and the
personal effects of the officers and crew,
without interest for sixty-eight years. the
period for which the claim had been
pending.
Recovery. of Long Tom.
The gun Long Tom," which was a part
OF the equipment of the General Arm
strong when she was sunk at FayaI is
now mounted at the navy yard at this
city. After lying in the water there for
many years 1t was gotten out and mounted
ON the castle of Santa Cruz at FayaI. In
September. 1891. Col. Reid requested Pres