Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1899-03-09
THE LIFE OF HoTCHKiss.
St0newalI Jackson Camp Places on
Record a Splendid Paper.

!. W NV
St0neWalI Jackson Camp Places Q
Record a Splendid Paper.
HAt recent meeting of Stonewa
Jackson Camp Confederate Veteran
the following admirable paper on tn
life of the late Major Hotchkiss, wa
adopted and ordered spread upon tn
minutes.
Comrade Jed Hotchkiss has gone t
join The silent majority. Many rest
lutions, adopted by other bodies wit
which he was identified, have told tn
story of his we'll spent life. For righ
we'll had our friend rounded out th
measure OF his three score years ant
ten.
In adding its tribute TO his menor.
this camp has mainly to do with hi
valuable military service. his loyalr.
of devotion, unshaken by defeat, to th
cause and the people of the Confederat
States, his strong attachment to tn,
camp, Of which he may we'll be callet
the founder, his untiring zeal for it
advancement, his fidelity of comrade
ship in our personal intercourse, ant
his sturdy vindication, always ani
everywhere, of the truth and principles
which animated the Southern volunteer
soldier in the mighty struggle of 1861 65
Hotchkiss is gone from us, but his
work lives after him. 1t was fol
others rather than himself. What be
has done for Virginia cannot be told
in resolutions. Nor can we do Justice
to the man in a few passing sentences.
The multitude attending the beau
tiful and touching service, which fifty
closed his we'll spent life. bore testi-
mony that the community incurred
his loss as citizen. 1t was a loks as
well to his country and his generation,
for he was greater man than we
recognized him to be when he walked
among US, and the future will better
judge him. In war and in peace few
men of his day have done more work
or better to the purpose. He was the
very genius of labor and impersoration
of energy. A student of books always,
toiler by night and by day. be was
also student of nature, of men and
affairs, and equally at home in many
provinces of science. Able as he was
he took all truth for his province. His
mind was treasure house of informa-
tion, and in his special field of engin-
eering, he was an accomplished scholar,
public speaker, writer and
teacher. And familiar as he was with
the processes and the mighty forces of
nature, all such knowledge served
with him to confirm his faith in his |
religion. He was "a faithful soldier
md servant of Christ unto his life's
,nd," and as men serve here and go |
renee, we believe he has gone to his
'eward.
AS we followed him to his resting
,lace in Thornrose Cemetery, which
le had done so much to beautify, we
elt that every member of this camp
lad lost friend In him, ''by his
ldoptiOn tried His interest in and
idelity to this organization was only
,he expression of his unfailing faith in
he principles for which we took the
ield in 1861. With him it was the
conviction born of intelligent study of
jbe conditions in the South, from the
standpoint of an unbiased Northern |
man. In none but righteous cause
could one with his antecedents and |
environments have become so pro-
nounced in bis opinions. Self reliant
as his great leader himself, frank. open,
decided in every conviction, every
inch man, he stood an argument, and
an intelligent argument, for the justice
Of the Southern cause. ready at all
times and in all places to give reason
for the faith that was in him, and
as occasion offered, in the
centres of education and influence
throughout the North, and before
leading men and learned societies
abroad, flor bis reputation was more
than nationaD, the facts about this
section as we know them and would
have them known. And for this he
had exceptional opportunities as a
lecturer before scientific bodies and
institutions of learning, and as a
prominent member of the American
Society, (founded by Benjamin Frank
lin), OF the Scotch-Irish Society, of
the Southern Historical Society, of
the American Association for the Ad-
vancement of Science, of the Society
or Mining Engineers. of the Geograph-
ical and Geological Societies, as Com
missioner at the Columbian Exposition
and that at New Orleans, sc.
Being one of the charter members OF
this camy, it happened that the army
record of Comrade Hotchkiss is not on
file. 1t is, however, sufficiently vel
known to be stated as follows:
The commencement OF hostilities il
1861 found him resident of Augusts
county, conducting the Loch Willow
School near Churchville, one of th'
two high schools foryoung men founded
by him, the other being known a.
Messy Creek Academy. He ha,
devoted himself to this work upol
coming to Virginia twelve years pre-
viously from his native State, New
Y ork, and with marked success. HI
was of an old English family, first set
tied at New Haven, Conn.,, about 1641
and of Revolutionary stock, Captain
Gideon Hotchkiss, his ancestor, having
served in the French war as we'll as il
the Continental Line.
In the fourteen companies whicl
took the field from this county prio
to the close of his session (last of ] June
were many of his pupils, his assistant