Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-09-26
TRIBUTE TO THE LIFE OF
LATE CAPT. ]. w. GREGG
Stanley Du sois Writes of Closing Days
of Rock Island Citizen
In Far West.


as a babe he turned his face on his pill
low and with peaceful look and closed
eyes his spirit passed to Him who
gave it and all that was mortal of
/ John w. Gregg was at rest forever.
THE last days of his life had been SUI
Ipremely happy ones. He had gone
from the cold and chill of northern
chimes to dwell what measure of days
There was left for him in the land of
perpetual sunshine and flowers. Never
could he look out of his window but
he saw blossoms of beauty and his nos
ItriIS were ever filled with perfumes
the equal Of which are nowhere else.
The mighty bulwarks of the Sierra
Madre mountains reared their saw
toOthed SUBMITS just outside his win
dow, and orange trees held out to him
| their golden globes right at hand
and more than all felicities of nature.
friends in that far-Off land called on
him. old soldier comrades, and a few
| fond hearts whom he cherished made
his last days days of pleasure.
There had come TO him the blessing
| of silence. and so it was that his ears
once vibrant with the discords and tu-
mults of earth were now tuned to mu-
sic unheard by the rest of the world
the notes of angel voices, friends long
since hymning anthems in the land be-
yond became verities to him, and the
song of the stars was one of the joys
Of his fading years.
He walked no longer with the
world. but in his heart he was always
| l. g. Ito -Ear-g,-
phic in it's sweetness and from his lips
came only words of joy. uplift and ben
edictiOn. His was a noble life, nobly
begun, nobly lived and nObly ended.
| II should be something of value to
| the young people who read this to
know more of him. He was born in
! Rock Island G3 years ago. He was
the son of DR.. Patrick and Mrs.
Sarah Gregg. a royal parentage. He
received his education in the public
schools of Rock Island and the col
| leges in Davenport and then studied
| law till he enlisted in the army. At
| the outbreak of the war of the rebel
| lion he enlisted as private in the
| 18th regiment Illinois volunteers in
| fantry, afterward reorganized into the
| seth regiment Illinois volunteer infan-
| try At the battle of Shiloh he was
taken prisoner with Gen. Prentice. and
spent six months in confederate jails.
After his release he again entered the
army and for gallant and meritoriOus
conduct he was promoted from private
to sergeant, then to second lieutenant,
hen 10 first lieutenant, then to captain
worthy rewards for service worthily
performed.
The cause for which he fought. for
ne was in many battles. having been
won. he came home and entered on
the activities of civil life. sweetened.
oroadened and blessed by his army eX-
periences. In these latter duties it
was his pleasure. as always. to perform
what was before him to do, with tidel-
ty and zeal. He made no great stir
in the world. but wherever he went all
with whom he came in contact recOg-
nized his true worth and joyed that
they could come within the sphere of
his influence.
He was laid to rest in Mountain
View cemetery Sunday. Sept. is, just
as the rays of the setting sun were
gliding the pinnacles of the peaks so
high and so near.
In quiet room a few real and true
friends had gathered to tender to- the
bereaved widow the condolences of af-
lection. 10 hear words of comfort and
truth from the pastor. Rev. Vincent
Brink, to listen to beautiful music rem
dered by some old Grand Army COM
rades. and by the friends of his boy
hood days. Spencer Robinson and Har
~ Barnhart. The casket was almost
hidden with flowers and a beautiful
flag. the flag OF the Grand Army post
of Pasadena. was draped over it.
Pines and palms will whisper his re-
QUEEN. birds will forever sing TO him,
and the flowers will always weave their
golden and blue blooms in all the
wealth and beauty of one of the fair
est spots in the world.
Often. in the later days, sitting at
his window, ne looked up to the hills
and wished for his friends delights
which had come TO him-nOw he is
forever among them, and his spirit
from even higher heights looks over
on us who still linger on the lower
levels. STANLEY Do BOlS.