The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-12-14
Sketch of His Long Life, Which Was
Replete with Public Services, Civ
il, Military and Political.
DEATH OF EDWARD FERRER0
SOLDIER WHO WAS BREVETTED
MAJOR GENERAL FOR BRAVERY.
And Who Was Also the Principal I'm
One of the Scandals of the Civil
War-His Troops Cowardly.
,necial to the Indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal
LAFAYETTE, Ind, Dec. l3.-Gen. Jas
per Packard. commandant of the Indiana
Soldiers Home, died at sos o'clock this
afternoon. About the bedside were assem-
bled his three children, Arthur, of Chi
cago, Miss Adelaide. of New Albany, and
Mrs. Florence Cooke. of Buffalo, N. Y, who
had been called on Sunday. Mrs. Packard
and DIR. Martin. the Home physician, who
has been one of his faithful attendants.
For some time General Packard had been
troubled with cystitis, and while members
of his family knew of this ailment, he
was so sensitive of the fact that knowl-
eoge of it had not been impaired to other
officials of the institution.
On Thanksgiving day all the officers OF
the Home took dinner and supper In the
general dining room. After the latter
meal the general was taken i'll and COM
PEELED to 60 to bed and was unable to
leave IL afterwards. He was at first at
tended by DR.. John Martin, assistant sur
geon at the Home, and later DIR. Sergeant,
Home surgeon, and DR.. Wishard, of In
dianapolis, were called into consultation
and were regular in their service until
near the end. 1t was on Saturday last
that the general sank into a comatose
condition and that night messages were
sent to his children. He sank steadily.
his strength decreasing and the coma be-
coming more pronounced until to-day he
was unable to recognize any of the friends
about him and was impossible to arouse.
He passed away as one going to a peaceful
rest.
Details of the funeral arrangements are
not completed, but it has been decided that
the burial will be Friday afternoon in the
Home cemetery. All the trustees of the
Home have been notified of the death and
are expected to arrive here tomorrow.
General Jasper Packard was in his sixty
eighth year. having been born in Ohio in
February, 1892. He came to Indiana with
his fathers family at an early age. He
was educated in Oberlin College and the
Michigan University. from which he was
graduated in 1856. He resided one year at
Hillsdale. Mich. being employed two terms
as principal of the high school and one
term at Hillsdale college. In 1856 he moved
to Laporte, where he resided until 1883,
when he came to New Albany. While a
young man in Laporte before the war he
held positions as teacher and principal of
the high school, superintendent of the city
schools, school examiner and county school
superintendent. In October. 1861, he en-
listed as a private in the Forty eighth In
diana Volunteers. The official record shows
that his advancement was rapid. 1t reads:
Oct "a. 1861; first lieutenant, February. 1862;
One-hundred-a d-and-twenty-e y-eighth Indiana In
fantry, February, 1884; colonel December.
1864; brevet brigadier general United States
Volunteers, June, 1s65; mustered out April
49, 1866. General Packard was wounded in
the battle of Iuka Sept. 19,s 1852 was in the
cattle of Corinth Oct. and 4, 1862 in the
campaign against Vicksburg with the Sew
enteenth Corps. participating in the bat
ties of Raymond, Jackson, Champion Hill,
and was wounded in the assault on Vicks-
burg May %, 1868. He was in the move
ment to Chattanooga with Sherman. par
ticipated in the assault on the north end
of Missionary ridge; asI lieutenant colonel
Of the Observation-Disclosures In
diana Volunteers he joined the Army Of the
Ohio, Twenty-third Corps; participated in
the Atlanta campaign from beginning TO
end, and was in all it's battles; in the cam
paign which eliminated in the dispersion
of Hoods army, including the battles of
Franklin and Nashville; transferred with
Schofield's army to North Carolina; in
command in the western district of North
Carolina until relieved. April TO- 1866. to be
mustered out.
Returning to Laporte he was elected au-
ditor, serving until 1868. when he was elect
ed to Congress, and reelected in 1870 and
1872 He declined TO be a candidate in 1874,
and established the Laporte Chronicle.
which he sold in 1877, having been appointed
an internal revenue agent. In 1856 he estab-
lished the Laporte Public Spirit, which was
published until April, 1855. when he moved
to New Albany and established the New
Albany Tribune. Repeated attempts had
been made to keep Republican paper
alive in Floyd county, one OF the Demo-
cratic strongholds of the State. but all
were failures until the Tribune was estab-
lished. The usual Democratic majorlties in
this county were about 1,1O0. These were
gradually reduced. and in 1896 Mckinley
carried the county by over 800 and the Re
publicans elected a majority of the county
officers, General Packard being sent to the
Legislature of 1897 with a handsome ma
jority.
For several years he was one Of the re-
gents of the State soldiers monument,
and took a deep interest in the finishing
of the work as II was originally designed.
Early in the present year he was rendered
the important position of commandant or
tho State Soldiers Home at Lafayette.
sition. taking his place about Aug. I. He
was discharsing his duties TO the general
satisfaction Of ell when he was stricken