Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1904-11-30
Death OF Col. Thomas M .Semmes
Saturday Evening

Death OF Col. Thomas NJ. Semme
l. Saturday Evening
Colonel Thomas NJ. Semmes
3 professor of Modern Languages II
: the Virginia Military Institute
died Saturday evening at his HON
in Lexington, after an illness o
nearly two months from complied
n ton of kidney and liver trouble
He had been in declining healti
for some time, and last summer
spent several weeks at Atlantic
, City with the hope that visit tt
the seashore would prove benefi.
cial, but he returned home not
permanently improved.
The funeral services were held
Monday morning ut III o'clock
from X. +. Lee Memorial Episco-
pal church, conducted by the rec
tor, Rev. DIR. Robert j. McBryde,
who was assisted by Rev. DR..
Charles Manly of the Baptist
church. The spacious auditorium
was crowded with friends Of the
deceased, and some could not gain
entrance. The remains were es-
corted by the battalion Of cadets,
under the command of Colonel l..
II. Stroller, led by the institute
band. At the cemetery, after the
body was deposited in the grave
a salute of three rounds was fired
by the cadets, and the services
were concluded with hymn sung
by the Presbyterian choir.
The active pall-bearers were
Colonel Semmes' associates in the
observation-disclosures E. w. Nichols,
r. A. Mari, Hunter Pendeton,
N. b., Tucker, Francis Mallory, !
and H, G. Ford. The honorary
pall-bearers were Superintendent
Ship and officers of the Institute,
President Denny and nemb hers of
the faculty of Washington and
Lee University, and personal
friends of the deceased in the
Colonel Thomas NJ. Semmes was
81 years of age. He was the only
child of Mr.. Thomas Sempes of
Port Royal, Caroline county. Va,
and was born September 4th,
1910. His mother before her mar
riagc Was Miss Eliza Bernard. His
parents removed to Richmond
while lie was quite small, and his {
Early life was spent in that city.
AT the age IT seventeen he en-
;ere1 the third class at the Vir-
yinia Military Institute, graduated {
n 1860, and was at once appoint
ID assistant instructor in French. l
lie was made full professor of 8
Modern Languages in 1897, and z
leld that position to his death. Il
carly in the Civil War he enlisted L
n the Confederate Army and c
erved in West Virginia at lieuten- "
MT and adiutant of Colonel Rust's L
arkansas Regiment. In 1862 at s.
he reorganization OF the Virginia a
Hillary institute, he was ordered u
y the Secretary of War Of the II
States, to resume bis
uties at the V. M. l. in order to V
'ain soldiers for the Confederacy. r
In 1894 Colonel Semmes married "
Iiss Louise peterborough, NJ
aughter Of Judge John BROCK st
through, She survives with five "
Bernard B. Semmes H
Newport News, Mrs. Howard l.. L,
ones of Chattanooga, Tenn, Mrs. H
|. b. Corse of Lexington, Mrs.W. N
. Roberts of Washington, ID. c., H
nd Mr.. Thomas Nj. Semmes, Jr., C,
Lexington. All were here ex-
.pt Mrs. Jones.
Colonel Semmss was man of
firing, unassuming disposition, h
rod citizen, IA painstaking and -
'nscienscious instructor, AN Garnet ~
hristian, and for many years =.
'strvman Of r. 4. teo Memorial a -"
lurch; He vas held in the high 81 81
t esteem ~ wide circle of IS IS
lends, among them being hun ~ ",
eds of young mon in all parts of w.
Q country who have come under ~ ~
@ influence of his attractive ~
rsonality at the V. M. l. -"
AS mark Of respect to HE ~,
emory, there was q suspension
all academic duties at Washing -;
gton and Lee University during o ON
3 funeral, All duties were also ~ ~,
spended at the Institute. ~
The floral offerings were numer- ~n
8 and handsome. r.