The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-05-11
General DavidSOn's Grand
Tribute.
Continued from First Page.)


entail citizen of his time, and was
captain of a company raised for SER
vice in the war of 1872, !.ut before
ms regiment reached the scene { ac-
tive hostinties, the peace between
Great Britain and the United States
was made.
DIR. Robert b. Vance, the uncle If
the General, was a member OF Con-
gresS from the Western district OF
this State from 1924 to 1873. I@is
nephew, Zebulon Il. Vance, repres mt
ed the same district from 1858 to
1861, and General II. Il. Vance repre-
scented the same District in Congress
from 1872 to 1882.
I'm almost every stage of our I g.
tional progress, this family has bonn
most honorable part, in peace and
in war, being represented in the mill
tary and civil annals OF the coIutry
and the rather unusual fact appears
that the same Congressional district
has been represented in the national
counseis by three members related TO
the same family.
General Vance's opportunities for
education were such as the country at
that time afforded, but were 50 dill
gently employed by him, that when
he came to mans estate he was founo
To be fully equipped for the many
and high duties he was called upon
To discharge during long and active
period. His nature and disposition
were exceedingly bright and pleasant
and attractive. His personal popu-
larity was wonderful, exceeding, in
my opinion, that of his celebrated
brother. When barely of age, he was
elected Clerk of the Court of pleas
and quarter-sessions of his native
county, which position he filled with
eminent satisfaction for eight years.
At the same time he engaged in mer-
camille pursuits In Ashevilie, and was
an enterprising, progressive and sue
cessful business man.
"At the first call to arms at the
beginning of the late Civil War, he
raised a company of his neighbors.
which afterwards became Company
II, of the goth Regiment n. c.
troops; and at the organization oil
that regiment at Camp Patton, in
AsheyiIIe. in the summer of 1861, he
was unanimously elected Colonel, his
commission bearing date September
IL, 1861. His regiment was then
moved five miles West of Asheville,
TO a point now known as the sulphur
Springs, where it was drilled ana
equipped. In the autumn following
il proceeded to Raleigh under orders,
and there remained a short while,
when it was sent to the Army of Ten
nessee, and began active service IN
front of the enemy in East Tennessee.
in the corps of General Kirby Smith,
who then commanded the right wing
Of the Army of Tennessee. AT the re-
organization of the regiment in the
Spring of 1862, he was reelected
Colonel. His regiment, under his inn
mediate command afterwards, parti-
cipated in the active and ardNous
campaign in Kentucky and Tennessee.
during the years 1862-'63. He was
Is,afr. of n rnFf
around Cumberland Gap, at LeXing-
ton, Perrysville and Harrisburg, and
the brigade in which his regiment was
assigned covered the retreat of Gener-
al Bragg in Kentucky in the fall of
1862. At the battle Of Murfreesboro,
his regiment was on the extreme left
of the Confederate line of battle, and
opened that battle by firing the first
shot. 1t was soon very hotly engaged,
and shortly after the action began
General Raines, commanding the
Brigade, was killed, and the command
devolved upon Colonel Vance, who
handled the Brigade with so much
skill and bravery during the next two
DAYS. that he attracted the attention
of the commanding officers of the
Division and Corps, and upon their
recommendation he was promoted to
Brigadier- his commission
bearing date of March 16, 1868. Dur
ing this battle MS morse was Killed
under him by shell which exploded
in his body.
shortly after the battle of Muir
freesboro, General Vance was pros
trated by a most severe attack of fe-
yer. which long endangered his life
and prevented his resuming active
service until the summer of 1863, and
it was while he was so Frustrated tha1
his promotion to Brigadier came K
him. He reported to General Brags
for duty at Chattanooga, just as the
Chicamauga campaign was opening
but his old Brigade, having been ne
cessarily assigned during his illness
to the command of another, and tht
General preferring to have a Brigade
of North Carolinians, and that not be
ing found Immediately practicable, h
was employed by General Bragg il
various detail work in the movement
preliminary to the battle of Chica
manga. and while that battle was il
progress, the authorities at Richmond
having become alarmed that the linz
of Confederate communication be
tween Richmond and the Southwes
was exposed to the Federals, then DC
cupying East Tennessee. because o
the withdrawing of the Confederate
forces from that region, to meet tn,
emergency General Bragg directe,
the latter to proceed at once to or