The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-08-28
The Death of a Prominent Official.

|
inst the people of this county were
saddened by the intelligence of the
death of one of its most prominent
officials and respected citizeDs, the
Hon. William w. +. Bright, He
died at 4 o'clock that morning af.
ter having been low for about six
weeks.
Mr.. bright was born in Blount
county, Tenn. Dec. 10, 1910. He
was the son of David and Jane Key
Bright and is a close relative of
one of the mosI reputable families
! Of the State Of Tennessee, being
the cousin of Judge D. M. Key and
distantly related to #. S. Key,
author of "The Star Spangled
Banner"
He was reared in Blount county,
receiving his education at Ewing
and Jefferson college near Knox
Vile.
On August 18th, 1851 he volun.
teered as private in Company "E"
Fifth Tennessee Regiment, battal-
ion of Cavalry. Upon re. .organiza-
ton in 1862 his company became
Company "K'', End Tennessee Cav
airy sni. served to the end of the
war. In the early part of the war
he served iu the department Of
East Tennessee, but after the bat
tie Of Chicamauga to the end his
command belonged to Gen. Joe
Wheeler's Cavalry and from the
fall of 1868 to the close of the war,
nnder the leadership Of that gall
liant Cavalry man he served as a
faithful and distinguished soldier
IN some of the hardest fought bat
ties, always performing with alert-
ness his duty sometimes under
most trying circumstances.
He figured IN tho battle of Mill
Springs, Hadesburg, Dutton's Hill
in Kentucky, also Murphreysboro,
Chicamauga, Averysboro and Ben
tonville .,esides numerous other
smaller conflicts, being wounded
and captured ct Dutton's Hill, but
exchanged tive months later. He
was again captured In Georgia but
managed to escape, surrenderlng
at Charlotte, N. O.. May 3rd, 1858
and parolled the same day.
Since the war Mr.. Bright has
made his home In Piokens county,
where out of the sixty two years of
his earthly existence he has served
q career OF usefulness in peace in
the capacity Of farmer and teacher.
From 1890 to '94 he served as
school commissioners Of picke.is
county and In the fall Of '9e was
eleoted Superintendent !of Eduoa.
ton Of this county, again elected
to this position In 1900 and was @
candidate for the same in 1902
without an!.oppotlent.
A angular ooinoident in tho
death OF this great man who has
spent o number of years of unpara.
lelled activity as a faithful soldier
and q good citizen and in the ma.
terial uplifting of the educational
interests of this country, is that he
was Dufl6u upon Gne same uay
about the came time that he was
to be elected for the third time to
fill the high and responsible Office
of Superintendent of Education of
Pickens county.
While his death is greatly Ia.
mented by all who knew him, his
good deeds are still living among
us and there Is an abiding consola.
tion in the truth that his was @ we'll
spent life and that he has fought
a good fight.
He was buried with Masonic
honors at Cross Roads cemetery
at 4 p. m. Aug. 20, 1902, leaving a
widow and 8 daughters-Misses
Hannah, Lizzie, jamie, Maggie and
Eunice.
He has been 20 years q member
Of the Cross Roads church.
eHsezssss-ss.-Nass..~--~ss~-.
Caid OF Thanks.