Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-02-25
COL. WILLIAM CECIL ELAN
Continued From Page 1.

He formed the acquaintance Of Miss
Druslla a. Poindexter or Louisa coun-
ty. Va. in 1862 and January .. 1863,
they were united in marriage. He was
devoted to his home and family and
fond of the country. After the war he
purchased n farm In Louisa county, and
nothing delighted him more than the
superintendent OF It's operations.
Here he performed much of his most
brilliant literary work.
After the war he worked little on
the farm and taught school several
months. In 1865 he began to contribute
literary articles to the press. In 1866 he
went to Richmond. and was employed
to write editorials for the Richmond
Whig, and subsequently for the Rich
mond Examiner and the Southern
Opinion. under the editorial manages
ment of the late II. Rives Pollard.
Later he was the Virginia correspond
ent of several metropolitan dailies. In
1874 he went to Cuba on a. u. S. warshIp
as correspondent OF the New York
Times and wrote up the Virginius af-
fair. Moses p. Handy accompanied
him as the representative of the New
York Herald. They embarked at Nor
folk. coming here on a chartered
steamship from Richmond.
Returning from Cuba Colonel Elan
resumed his come ton with numerous
papers as correspondent. and did liter
airy work for Pittman's Magazine, New
York. LippincOt,'s. Philadelphia. and
OTHER publif atoms. November q. 1870,
when the floor Of the Supreme Court in
the apitol buildi lg, at Richmond gave
way, killing and morta wounding
over sixty persons, including some OF
the first men of Virginia, Colonel Elan
was taken from the debris unconscious
and SUPP osed to be dead. He sust aimed
q fra ctured arm Il bruised leg and in
juricS to his head and hack
In 1923 he reported in place of DIR.
Brock, who was killed in the Capitol
disnster, the proceedings of the House
OF Delegates for various raperS. In
April 1872. he became CITY editor of the
Richmond Wing, resigning the follow
ing year to go to Cuba for the New
York Times On his return he wrote a
short novel, entitled "QuwhiGle," and
another volume of miscellanies entitled
''Hotch-Pot or Just For Fun. Rhyme,
Rea on and Romance" In 1874 he de-
clined an offer of the position OF city
editor on several papers and formed a
bureau of correspondence in Richmond
and performed extensive work in that
line. In 1875 he again became city edi-
tor of the Richmond Wing. but gave
the position up the following year and
returned to correspondence and litera-
ture. and was engaged by the Baltimore
Sun on salary. In 1877 he resumed his
connection with the Wing, going a year
later to Washington City as its CORE
spondent there. In 1878 he did literary
work for the chesapeake and Ohio
Railway Company. During this year
he served the Wing, q morning paper.
and The Sun, an afternoon paper, as
city editor and in October of the same
year he became editor-in-chief of the
former paper. serving In that capacity
| up TO its sale. In 1886 he founded the
State Republican at Harrisburg edit
| ing that and several other journals at
| the same time. He was defea ed for
Congress in the Eighth District by Gen.
eral w. II. T.. Lee, and in 1SS7-SS was
| the representative Of Louisa county in
the House of Delegates. in which he
| was RECOGNIZED as leader and force
| full debater.
| Col. ELAN was Justly noted for the
courage Of his convictions at all times
and under all circumstances. He par
| ticipated in several affairs of honor as
in two, owing to defective vision, the
| first time by Col. Thomas Smith, who
subsequently, became United States
Judge in the territory of New Mexico,
and the last by Col. Richard F.
Beirne. editor Of the Richmond State.
both of whom afterward spoke of him
as chivalrous gentleman. In the
| first affair he declined to return the
| fire OF his antagonist, and, after advis-
| ing him to so home and cool off, fired
his pistol in the air. .
1t Is proper to state that people who
knew Col. Elan best loved him most.