New-York tribune., 1905-03-07

cences Of the men and the stirring times when he
central figure IN American affairs were WV
idly rscounted to those fortunate enough to know
him.
Judge Reagen's life busy He was a
OF tremendous capacity. He was born in Ten
IN 1878. His parents were poor. and at an
early age he worked IN a lanyard and later a
farm His first business venture was trading ex-
pedition down the French and Tennessee rivers to
Alabama. He successful and with the money
acquired he took college In 1898 he moved
70 Mississippi and obtained employment as an
overseer of plantation Natchez. In 1889 he
went TO Texas. and soon afterward enlisted in the
war against the Indians He took part IN the COM
monty called Chexokee battle OF July 10 and 16
OF the same year. After this commission in the
regular army offered to him, but he declined
It, His first public Office was that Of Public Sur
veyor OF Nacogdoches County and Deputy Sur
In the woods the greater part of the time. and his
work was interspersed with Indian fighting. He
was always in public life up until 1886 after Texas
had become State. when he was elected probate
judge or Henderson County and colonel of the
militia. Two years later he was elected to the leg
slature. He entered national politics in 1857 and
was elected member OF the 25th Congress. He
bitterly opposed the reopenin of the African slave
trade. going so far decline the nomination for
congress because the platform advocated it. but
was prevailed to serve. He was reelected
Retiring from Congress in 1850 with the other
members from Southern States he returned home
OAly u ledru tnaC ne mad been elected a dele
gate TO the State Constitutional Convention better
known as the Secession Convention He went to
Austin and participated in the deliberations of that
DooY. he was elected one of the six DELEGATES to
ILle ProVlSlonal Confederate Conference. On March
.. 1850 he was appointed Postmaster General of the
Confederate States. He served in that capacity as
wen as a mem Der OF the provisional Congress- until
the Organization OF the constitutional government
or the Confederacy in February 1861. He held that
ONCE until the downfall of the Confederacy. AL
though Cabinet officer, he took the field and par
icipGted in several battles. He commanded the
battalion OF infantry that supported the three bat
LerieS OF siege guns that defended the Meadow
Bridge road over which General Sheridan tried to
enter Richmond after getting in tho Lee in
1854 When the Confederate Cabinet left Richmond
Mr. Trenholm was too sick TO continue his duties
as Secretary OF the Treasury and Judge Reagan
was appointed Secretary of the Treasury and con-
ttnued to discharge the duties of both offices until
the Cabinet was dissolved. He captured with
In Boston. He remained there until paroled, and
then returned to his home in Texas. He practised
law and managed his farm until 1875. when Con-
gress having removed his disabilities he was
elected TO the House of Representatives. served
continuously in that body until 1887, when he was
elected member of the United States Senate He
resigned from the Senate in 1891 accept post
OF chairman Of the State Railroad Commission OF
Texas. That was the last Office e held some
time ago he retired to his farm at Palestine where
ne ended his days 1t is understood that he had
completed a volumnOus and valuable history of the
Confederacy-a work written at the request OF
many friends who knew his intimate knowledge OF
ali that occurred within the period.