Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1898-08-24

Carmichael was announced to his friend
here last Wednesday afternoon whel
the following telegram was received b.
Mayor Thomas E. McCorkle:
LAKELAND, FLA, Aug. II, 1898.
TO Mayor, Lexington, Va:
While temporarily insane from sick
ness Captain John Carmichael com
mitted suicide here at $40 o'clock thi
morning by shooting himself through
the head. The body is being embabn
ed Please notify his family.
DAY,
i Commanding Brigadier
About the same time similar tele
gram was received from Assistant AID
iutant General w. H. Carter at Wash
Iington, addressed to Hon. II. st. q
Tucker.
SKETCH OF HIS CAREER.
Captain Carmichael was born and
reared in Augusta, Ga, and was the son
of Robert D. Carmichael, of that city
and Miss Louisa Walker Smith; of Alb
ingdon Va, both Of whom died in his
youth. He is survived by one brother,
VIM. S. Carmichael, now living in Ala
bama. The deceased was fifty years of
age on the 22nd of last December He
entered the Virginia Military Institute
| in 1864 and graduated in the class of
1870, his studies being interfered with
by the civil war. The battle of New
| Market, in which the cadets bore such
a conspicuous part, was fought shortly
after he entered the Institute, but on
account of his youthfulness he was not
| permitted to take part, greatly to his
regret. In the retreat from Lexington
when Hunters army invaded the Valley
and burnt the Institute and other prop
erty here, Cadet Carmichael took part.
He soon returned to Georgia and
joined the army and was appointed to
a staff position. At the close of hos
tilities he returned to the Institute and
completed the regular course.
After spending few years in agri-
cultural pursuits near Augusta, Ga,
and in Loudoun county, Va he remOy-
ed to Lexington i'll 1881, where his
family has since resided. His profession
was civil engineering, and in this ca
pacity he served in various parts of the
country. He also filled several COVER
mental positions-clerk of the Judiciary
Committee of the House of Representa-
tives, timber inspector in the Interior
Department, and during President
Cleveland's last term he was an inspec-
tor in the Land Office, with headquart-
ers in Oregon. lie was appointed last
December on the engineering corps Of
the Nicaraguan canal, where he served
until short time ago when he was ap-
pointed to position in the army as
ouartermasterin the commissary depart
ment with rank of captain. he at once
returned to his home here and made
preparations to enter upon his new
duties. He was sent to Florida and at
the time Of his death he was connected
with the First Ohio Volunteer Cavalry
In 1872 Captain Carmichael married
Miss Virginia Tucker, third daughter
Of Hon. and Mrs. John Randolph Tucker.
His wife and four chtidren-R Randolph
Tucker Carmichael, of Charleston, W.
Va, John Carmichael, Jr., Of Grafton,
W. Va, Harry st. George Carmichael
and Miss Laura Tucker Carmichael, Of
Lexington, Va.,-survive him.
THE FUNERAL.
The funeral took place Sunday after
noon at $50 o'clock from Grace Me-
mortal Episcopal church. The services
were conducted by the rector, Rev. r.
J. MeBryde, D. D., according to the
Impressive burial service of that church.
A large crowd of sympathetic friends
were present, filling the large edifce to
its utmost capacity. Many and beauti-
tiful were the floral offerings.
The pallbearers were-Honorary
General Scott Shipp, Coils. Il. NJ. Sem
mes, r. A. Mari, j. M. Brooke, W. T.
Poague, E. W. Nichols, J. d. H. Ross
Major F. W. Houston, Captain j. P.
Moore, Judge W. 2. Houston, John L.
Campbell, g. D. Letcher, j. G. Pole,
Thomas S. White, Nj. w. Paxton, w. s.
Hopkins, S. Il. Letcher w. T. Shields,
H. o. Dold, e. II. Barclay, Carter Har-
rison, Sergeant Wolfe, Taylor Tolley.
Among the active pallbearers were
the brother and three sons of the de-
ceased, as follows: WIS. Carmichael, J.
r. T. Carmichael, John Carmichael, Jr.,
H. st. G. Carmichael, r. 7. Shields, ".
g. White, T. H. Smith, f. II. Broken