Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1898-04-06
DEATH OF JUDGE EDMONDSON.

ut his home in this place last Thursday
night, aged &c years. For more than
q year he had been sufferer from
Bright's dis ease, and bis condition of
late had been such as to make his friends
hopeful of hisrecovery. Thinkit 6 him
asleep on Thursday mt rning he was
not disturbed until after breakfast,
when all efforts to awaken him were
without avail. He was found to be I'M
consciyu md although everything was
done to arouse him that medicaA. kill
could Suggest, he remained in coma
to:e condition until that night at nearly
midnight, when he quietly passed away.
James Kerr Edmondson was the SON
of James and Margaret Edmondson,
and was born on North river short
distance south of Buena Vista.
He was educated at Washing on Col
lege, now Washington and Lee Univer-
sity, and entered the County Clerks
Office of Rockbridse, in 1853, where he
served as deputy for County Clerk
Char'e s Chaplin until 1860. Resigning
the above Office he was for one year
Town Sergeant and Clerk. At the out.
break of the civil war he entered the
Confederate service as lieutenant in
the Rockbridge Riaes, and for distin-
guished bravery was made captain and
lieu.enant-colonel, and was recommend
ed for still higher military honors by
General Jackson. He took part in all
the engagements in which the celebrat-
ed Stonewall Brigade participated, and
as colonel he commanded the noted
Twenty-second Virginia Regiment at
the battle of Charlottesville, where he
lost an arm, aud in consequence he had
t, retire from active service. He re-
turned to Lexington and was put in
command Of the military post at this
p ace.
In the fall If 1868 he was Apo nted
to fill the vacancy caused by the death
of Clerk Chaplin, which position he held
until 1868, when he was removed by
the military power. The following
year he studied law at Washington
College, and IN 1870 was elected G ,un.
ty Judge Of Rockbridse county for
term of five years and VAS re-electe
for six years. He declined another
election and devoted himself to the
practice of his prof, ssiob, in which he
did large and lucrative business until
his death. Until recently ne was
commissioner in ehanoesy, and held the
honored position of receiver for IN
FClrcuit Court for twelve years, which
position he resigned March 4th on ac'
| count Of ill health. He adm nsteret
this position with rare ability andhand
led over 81, 100000, during which time
MT mt wa. lost through injudiciou
investment of the funds; 4
Judge Ehhonds n was q stauncl
Demociat and for number Of year
was charm IN of the part in tn 8 coun
| ty. Unde1bis management Rockbridg
threw off tn power of Malone ant
polled. one Of the largest votes ip 1T
his'oi when General Fltzhugh LIE
was elected Governor OF Virginia. Ii
1893 he was elected to represent thi
county IN the Legislature. de wa
put on The Finance Committee and wa
recognized as leaderby Lis associates
He was at the time of b 'eath assigne
of the Bank of Lexin ton, which wa
wrecked in 1895 BY his good manage
ment the depositors we're pa d.a div
dend Of 70 per cent. of their deposit
In that institu ion.
He was chairman of the Jackso
meme rial fund, and through his III
firing efforts the heroic bronze statr
which. stands in our cemetery as M
mortal to StonewallJackson, was erecte
At one tice he was a member OF Il
Board Of Visitors Of the Western Sta
Hospital for the Insane, at Staunto
r Since 1870 he Lad teen member
the Board OF Trustees Of Washingt'
' and LIE University, and was also at t
time of his death a member of t
= Beard of Visitors Of The Deaf, Dunn
i, and Blind Institution, at Staupton.
: was q deacon in the Presbyterian chur
f and an active and influential man in t
councils of that denomination,
In 1857 Judge Edmondson MARI
Miss Emily Jane Taylor, daughter
Mr.. and Mrs. John Taylor, OF near Stat
ttop, who survives him. They W
y without children. He had two bro
ers, who died in childhood, and