The leader., 1901-09-25
COL. J. l.. POWER DEAD.
Confederate Veteran and Secretary
state of Mississippi

Confederate Veteran and Secretary OF
State of Mississippi.
JACKSON, Miss, Sept. 24.-Col. J. l..
Power died at 1872 a. m.
Col. Power was born in Ireland sixty
seven years ago and learned the print
er's trade at Lockport, n. Y. lie has
lived in Jackson fifty years and was the
publisher of the Clarion until elected
Secretary of State six years ago. He
served in the Confederate army during
the civil war, and had fine record as
soldier.
Col. Power has been citizen of Mis-
sissippi since 1855, and during this
period has been prominently identified
with public affairs in the State. In
| 1896, after long career of usefulness,
he was chosen Secretary of State, to
which position he was reelected with
out opposition at the expiration of his
term. This position he held at the
time of his death. For twenty five
years he has been Grand Secretary of
Masons, and his death leaves a vacancy
in the ranks of that order that will be
! felt severely. He was also connected
with many other fraternal orders, and
at different times held positions OF
trust.
Col. Power was born in Ireland in
1884, but being left an orphan at the
tender age of six, he soon determined
to strike out for himself. He ran away
at the age of sixteen from his home
and took ship for America. En- route
he was wrecked, but at last landed safe
| ly at New York with only few pen
nies in his pocket. He struggled along
however, and soon secured a position
in printing office at Lockport, in that
State. There he learned the trade
but becoming dissatisfied, he left for
New Orleans. After remaining there
a short while he came to Jackson
where he has resided continuously
since, with the exception of the time
he was absent on duty in the Confed-
crate army.
| When the war began he was ap-
pointed Orderly Sergeant in Company
A of Wither's Regiment of Light Ar
tillery, but soon was promoted to be
adjutant of that regiment. He was
present at the siege of Vicksburg and
saw service elsewhere. In 1864 he was
commissioned Superintendent of Ar
my Records under a joint act of the
Confederate Congress, and was in
Richmond in discharge of the duties OF
that position when the city fell.
Returning to Mississippi, he was
secretary of the convention called by
Gov. Sharkey to draft constitution
for the State. Soon afterward he
started the Mississippi Standard
which in 1866 was consolidated with
the Clarion. For many years he was
associated with Col Ethel Barksdale
in the management of that paper, the
firm of Power a. Barksdale being
elected public printer and retaining
the position for ten years.
After the election of Col. Barksdale
to Congress, the Clarion was consoli-
dated with the State Ledger, then un-
der the control of r. H. Henry, and
the new publication took the name of
Clarion Ledger, which it has retained
to this day. R. H. Henry was editor
and Col. Power was business manager
He afterward disposed of his interest
in the paper to r. II. Henry. In a few
years he was chosen Secretary of
State.
Col. Power took great interest in
fraternal orders and was always active
in promoting their interests. He not
only held high position as a Mason,
but was at one time grand master OF
Odd Fellows, and at the time of his
death a member of the Knights of
Pythias and Knights of Honor. He
was an elder in the Presbyterian
church and was for twenty years
superintendent of it's Sabbath school
During the yellow fever epidemic OF
1878, Col Power performed a work for
which he will be long remembered
He received and judiciously dispersed
to more than thirty eight stricken com
munities nearly 100000. He visited
many of the stricken towns and never
spared himself in the effort to bring
relief