The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-02-24
COL. A. S. HoRSLEY.

COIs A. D. nun OLE u
man whose name was once house. .
hold word in this county, and who
made an Impress upon the county which
has outlived him, died at the Confeder-
ate Soldiers Home near Nashville Sat-
urday mornmg.
Col Hershey was so big-hearted and
broad minded that his eccentricitIes,
faults and failures were overshadowed by
his virtues
Col Horsey was born in this county,
August Is, 1912 When the war between
the states began, be was a beardless
youth, not yet 10 years of age, but he
was among the first to volunteer bis ser
vices to the Southern Confederacy and
more gallant soldier never wore the
Gray. He enlisted as private 10 Co n
pany H., Of the First Tennessee Regi-
ment, which was largely made up OF
Young men Of this county. He not only
did not fear the bullets OF the enemy,but
neither did he spare himself the discom-
forts of army life. Through the heat of
summer and the cold of winter, hungry
and half clad, his brave heart never once
lost courage through four long, hard,
memorable years, but with honest con-
viction, and steadfast faith he
tramped his weary way to the very end
Of that unequ II struggle, and never laid
down his gun until his immo rtal leader,
Robert E. Lee, said surrender.
Many are the stories his comrades tell
OF his camp life. He was msn OF her
culean frame; q very giant in strength;
mao of m ,ods sometimss, strong
mind and a stubborn will. Bat he was
unselfish az he was strong, and HE
strength was mover to impose upon, but
always to protect the weak, aid his
word was as good as any mans bond
He never required from any man more
than his word, and never allowed any
man to doubt his own. He was as sim
die in manner and speech as a child, and
almost az unsuspecting. He was cred
ulous to fault. He lost small fortune
which he had accumulated by hard toll,
by unsuspecting trust in others. de
was so honest himself that he believed
all men honest until they had once de
ceived him, Then he would call thief
thief, and say it to his very face.
One fact in his war record will serve
TO show the stamina, the endurance, the
determined courage of the man. 1t was
at the battle OF C1icamauga. When he
walked that memorable morning and
heard the call to arms, soms one had
stolen his shoes. His company was
falling into line; his regiment was TAX
ing it's place. With somewhat surly
frown upon his face, but without a
murmur or moments hesitation, he en-
tered the battle barefooted, and wadeo
the bloody field until the days direfu
work was done.
He was printer by trade, and re
turning from the war he took charge oil
the Herald-then the Herald and Mail
AS was the custom 10 those days he did
much Of his typographical work. But
no developed both himself and his paper
as the years progressed, and when DC
omit journalism about 1882, there were
few better known men in Tennessee thar
All Horsely, and no country weekly
In the state ranked higher than thu
Herald. He was first to conceive tn
idea OF the "Country Correspondent" de
partment, and no man yet has eve
displayed the same genius in making
that department as attractive feature
as he did. In after years he became
mariner in the Herald with Il. p. Fig
ures. ESQ, but in 1876 Mr.. Figure
retired to engage in the practice OF la"
and the Herald vas merged into stoc
company. with Mr.. Horsley as editor
TIE news columns OF his paper were a
ways open to the poorest, to the hum
blest, to everybody; but Coz. horsle
wrote from conviction, and norman eve
dictated an editorial for him. And sc
Ia 1882, when the State debt questlo
rent the Democratic party 10 twain, tn
directors undertook to control the editor
;al policy of the Herald, and Col. Horsle
rather than write against his conviction
retired from the paper he had nourishs
and fostered and cared for 80 man
years, and loved so we'll, and went
North Carolina to engage in the lumbt
business. For several years he prosper
ed. but at last he met up with rasc
who, imposing upon his good hea
and trusting nature, swindled him OF
Of all he had, and left him ola and bani
rupt, and that was the beginning OF Il
end OF his usefulness and busine
career.
About two years ago, broken in heal
and nurse, he took refuge in the Co
feaerate Soldiers Home, and from the
Saturday morning he answered the nm