Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1903-08-26
COL. j. II. KNIGHT
Dies at the Home Of His Daughter
in This CITY.

North Washington street at an early
hour Saturday morning, after an i'll
ness OF about year. He had suffered
for some time from a throat disease
similar to that which caused the
death of Gen. Grant. The ailment
had been held in check for some time
by the X-Ray treatment and his ply
sicians had ordered radium cure
from Paris, but it failed to arrive in
time for use. The sufferer had long
anticipated the end, although he had
made brave fight for life. Deceased
removed from Milwaukee to this city
last April in order to be near his
daughter, Mrs. Joseph E. Davies.
Deceased was native Of Delavan,
having been born ia Kent county OF
that state February 6, 1886.
He received a common school educa-
ton and later attended the Albany
law school and was graduate of I'm
ion college in the same class with Col.
w. F. Villas of Madison. When the
Civil war broke out he responded to
President Lincoln's call for rs, 900 men
and organized a company for the SER
vice, going with the company as first
lieutenant. 1t was known as Co. H.,
First Delaware three months infantry
regiment. At the close of the three
months service he was commissioned
captain and assistant adjutant of vol
unteers by President Lincoln and as
signed to duty with Gen. H. H. -.ock-
cy in the Regular army and joined his
regiment at the siege of Corinth. He
was injured at the battle of Perry
vile. Kentucky, by the explosion of a
shell which partially scattered his
spinal nerves. rendering him helpless
for fivp months. He was in the battle
of Mission Ridge and Lookout Noun
tain. In 1868 he was appointed colon
el of the First Delaware regiment by
governor of the state. At the close
of the war he served about ten years
in the regular army service, the great
er part of it being spent in the West
guarding railway lines and engineer
ing parties from the raids of the saw
ages. He was appointed Indian agent
at Bayfield,, Wisconsin, January 80,
1869, and resigned the following year
and started in business for himself.
He was breveted major and lieuten-
in the Regular army for
faithful and meritorious service dur
ing the war. He then bought some
law books ahd STUDIED law again. He
speculated in real estate and made
some good investments, and concluded
that he could make money in the ris-
ing values of property and by getting
back into his profession, he could
make a living. About the time Jay
Cooke failed and the crash came on,
he accepted the Office of register of
the land Office at Bayfield,, in the latter
part of 1872, at the request of C. G.
WashburE. who was then mem Der of
congress from Wisconsin.
Col. Knight settled in Ashland in
1878 where he practiced law for sever
al years. He was attorney for the
Wisconsin Central railroad and orga-
nized the Superior Lumber company
and has ever since been engaged in ac-
tive lumber operations under the firm
name of Knight & Villas. In 1882 his
family removed to Madison where
they remained fourteen years, return
ing to Ashland. residing there until
taking up their residence in this city.
He was elected the first mayor of Ash
land and served three terms as a demo
cratic mayor in arepublican city. He
was always identified with the growth
of Ashland and helped materially in
its upbuilding. He built the Knight
hotel and in many other ways helped
the city along. He was a candidate
for United States senator in the mem
orable fight in 1892 when Bragg and
Mitchell were aspirauts for the honor.
In 1890 his friends placed his name
before the Democratic convention for
governor and he lacked but one vote
for nomination. although he put out
no effort himself for that honor.
At the time of his death he was the
Oldest living member OF the Loyal Le-
gion in which organization he was
greatly liked. During his residence in
this citV ha mada uopu fr;on1n oa1