The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1905-01-11
The Lexington Dispatch.
Wednesday, January II, 1905.
Memorial Of Hon. Z. A. Meetze
Continued from last week.)

Mr.. Efrd said:
Hon. Henry \. MeetZe was born on
| farm near Lexington village in 1920, and
! died at his home in Lexington suddenly,
| in January, 1904 His father was John
Meetze and his smother Anna Caugh1nan.
! His grandfather was Rev. John I.
Meetze, we'll known to students OF the
early Church history Of this county as
Lutheran preacher Of prominence. John.
Henrv's father. had four sons and two
| daughters. He was planter for much
| Of his life but was also engaged in mer-
! chandising and saw milling He moved
! TO Lexington when Henry was a small
| bov. and built the house in Lexington
which the older members Of the present
generation remember as the Drafts hotel,
which was burned in the raid Of 1868.
| Of Henry's brother John aDd George
moved to Warrenton. Va, and George
| still survives. One Of the sisters mar
ried Caleb Bouknight, and has been
dead for several years. The other mar
ried -. -. Wilson and lives now IN Co
lumbia with the widow Of Willie II.
Meetze.
Henry was educated in the schools of
county, the greater part Of his education
having been obtained at the Lexington
Classical and Theological Institute. AS
a student he was much attached to Dr..
Hazelius, then at the head Of that insti-
tuition, and the Doctor reclprOcated the
attachment. He pursued the law course
in some Of the law Offices OF his native
county and was admitted to the Bar in
1S43. At this time John Addison was
Commissioner in Equity for Lexington
county, and died holding that position
in 184-. Henry was appointed by the
Governor to ELL that Office ad interim
and at the following session Of the Leg
islature he was elected to that Office,
which he held to it's abolition by
the constitution Of 1870 In the
meantime he married the widow Of
John Addison in 1845, and by her had one
son, Willie H., who died in June, 1903,
leaving q widow, son and one daughter.
His first wife died about 1860, and in
1862 he married Miss Rosa Benjamin.
At the breaking out Of the war in
1861, he enlisted in Greggs regiment
and served in it for some months. He
then came home and organized several
companies. He next entered Co. & of
the 18th S. c. regiment as private and
was soon chosen QuartermaSter, which
position he held until 1863 On account
Of failing health he was compelled to
give up active duties in the field but
served the government to the end OF the
war. After the surrender in in 1865 he
again assumed the duties Of the office
of Commissioner ofLexington District.
My first recollection of Maj. Meetze
was the night that Wheeler's calvary
passed my fathers house in advance Of
Kilpatrick's command, then moving
from Augusta toward Columbia. The
evening before Wheeler's calvary passed
at night, Maj. MeetZe came to my faith
er's house and had with him wagon
drawn by several mules. He went to
bed in the house while colored man or
two camped with the mules and wagon.
In the night after the calvary had been
passing for some time, he got up and
went away with his teams. When I
reached the years of maturity, learned
that in that wagon he had the records
OF mesne conveyance for this court
from 1910 up to that time, many of the
Judgment rolls and many records be-
longing to the Office Of Commissioner in
Equity. Them he hauled in the wagon
toward Newberry behind or in company
with Wheeler's calvary and then came
back home from westernly direction
after the enemy had passed through Lex
ington. The preservation Of these rec
ords have been Of incalcJlable service
in the settlement Of property rights in
this county since the war.
After the abolition of the Office of
CO nmissioner in Equity he began the
general practice Of the law at Lexing
ton. 1t was due almost entirely to his
efforts that the white men Of the county
voted in the first election under the new
constitution and at it most OF the county
officers were elected by the Democrats.
At tbs next election all the elective Of
fcers. including the members to the
Legislature, were elected by Democrats,
and it has SO remained. In 1872, when
his disabilities were removed by Presi-
dent Johnson, he was elected to the Leg
islature and served in that capacity for
four years. During this time for two
years he was chairman Of the Judiciary
committee, and for the remaining two
| he was practically the chairman, as the
chairman's s health did not permit his
performing the duties. During this time
he was appointed by the House one Of
the managers Of the Impeachment of
| Judge Moses. He also managed the I'M
parchment proceedings against Cardoza.
! He was elected to the Senate in 1876.
and served one term. At the election
Of 1876 the government of the State was
rescured from Republicans, and he aad
the present Chief Justice, the Hon. Y.
J. Pope, were appointed committee to
conduct the case before a specially con-
stituted court to ascertain how much Of
! the then existing debt of the State was
fraudulent, End this proceeding resulted
in relieving the State of abouta u quarter
of a million Of Indebtedness. In 1883 he
was again elected State Senator and
served that term ending in 1892. He ac-
lively continued the practice OF law 50
long as his health permitted. III his
later life he accepted the position Of
Magistrate. first by appointment, and
was twice nominated at primaries with
out any effort on his part although op-
! posed by active candidates, and died
holding that office.
In religion Maj Meetza was d stanch