The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1906-01-30
MAJOR LACY DEAD
A Notable Career Ended Sketch
of His Life-HiS Powers As
An Orator.
HIS SERVICES TO COxffOfUAU- fCStRsL,tTC.

Major ]. Horace Lacy quietly passed
away Saturday afternoon nt his home
on Washington avenue, alter bil MI
ness. Major Lacy was born June loth'
1923. in Tennessee. where his iather, WHO
wasa Presbyterian minister, was tcmpor-
arily located. lie was. however, oil Viz
ginia lineage on both hia maternal ana
Maternal side. lie was "a great-nephew
of William Graham, the first president oil
the Washington Academy, now Wash
inpton and lee. and was also n nephew
of the very distinguished Achihal Alex
ander, at one time the president oi Prince
ton. and was first cousin OF the lat"great
nulnit orator. Rev. Dr. Moses u. llOge
Major Lacy was an alumnus 0f Wash
,npton College and "A graduate Of thcpro-
iession of law, though he practlced IL LOT
a very short time.
On October II. 1913, he married Miss
Bette Jones, of EllwoOd, in this county,
and had, therefore, been married more
than fifty-seven years at the time oi his
death His was very high order ol in
telectual endowment and he had aculti-
waited mind. Indeed, there was little OF
the best literature, ancient or modern,
that he had not acquired. Thus equip
ped and having inherited from bis distin-
guished ancestry the powers tospeak, he
was an orator Of great ability. Keen in
harmless wit and respondent in charm
ing imagery, he was always an attrae-
tive speaker.
A few years after his maHiage he NOV
ed from EllwoOd To Chatham, which IN
the history OF the late war il designated
IA the Lacy House, and was there follow
ing the avocation OF a Virginia farmer,
and being a Democrat OF the Calhoun
school OF politics he was an earnest be-
lever i'm the doctrine Of States right;
hence v hen the alarm of war swept over
this fair land he joined the Confederate
army aud eventually becnmc major on
the staff of Gen. Kirby Smith. Alter the
cessation of hOstlities he resumed the
trend Of his life, which had been broken
by war. and he commenced his work at
Chatham and M a farmer. II was there
in 1870 when committee oionr clu1ens
called upon him late one evening To de-
liver the memorial Grafton in the Baptist
church the night OF that day rs our
tribute To the great Il. l.. Lee, whose
death had Just occurred. The MAJOR ac-
cepted. and on that occasion delivered
an address that no one will ever forget
who was so fortunate a TO hear HIM.
This was but one evidence of his power
as a public speaker 1t was just about
this time that the Ladies Confederate
Memorial Association requested HIM 70
present their cause to the people ni the
South in order TO enable them to prose
cute their patriotic mission. He accept.
ed the trust aad without any financial
CONDENSATION, at great incOuvenlence
and cost OF time to himself, addressed
the Legislatures Of Louisiana and Other
Southern States, and 10y his woR and
| from it the ladies We're given the assist
ance then absolutely and imperatiyely
essential for them 10 fulh their
| high and holy endeay0r Therefor
the Memorial Association, az wei
az every Confederate soldier, Il under
lasting obligation to him that we have
a Confederate cemetery here at all.
The Major represented this county II
the Legislature for one term. Major
Lacy was Virginia gentleman Of 'Old
Virginia" courtly in manners, very
Chesterfield in beaFing, kind OF heart
generous OF impulses, without an enemy
and with many, many friends, loya
Vireiniafi, an unsullied citizen, true
Confederate. At - years OF age thu
Angel of Death touched him and won hi'
immortal sou to the bright and better
land beyond.
By his death another link has beeI
broken which united us TO that pas
which is full Of pathOs and iul
of all that made Nirginia th'
wonder among the States OF this re
public. Though strong physically, a.
1 well as mentally. having lived more thar
eight decades. he has fallen painlessly t
sleep and died a follower of the Savior o
men. with the blessed assurance Oi lli'
endless. eternal beyond the stars, wher'
there il only brightness and bliss.
.He il survived by his widow and thre'
daughters-Mrs. Jas. Z. Smith, OF Rich
mond: Mrs Alfred Jones and Miss Sally
| Lacy. OF this city-and by three sons
Graham Lacy and Drury Lacy, OF st
Joseph. Missouri, and Rev. j. Horace
Lacy, OF Winchester, and many grand
children and some great grandchildren
To all those Of his household the sincer'
sympathy of our people go in this, thu
| sad hour Of their bereavement.
The funeral took place Monday after
noon at $3.50 o'clock from the Presby
terrain church, services conducted by Rev
DR.. j. W. Rosebro and the interlnent
made in the City Cemetery. The pail
bearers were:
Active-Messrs. s. Graham Howison
]. Willard Adams, DR.. j. n. Barney, "
II. Hurkamp, L. j. Smith, Rev John X
ROsebro.
Honorary-Messrs. NJ G. Willis, S. W
Somerville, James S. Knox, j. Arthur
Taylor, Robert c. Beale, DR.. Geo. II
Chewing. Judge j. T. Goodrich and st
| Goo II Fitzbuph.