The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-02-17
Memoir to j. j. colmant.

WSIlOlT " u GOlndHLs
Comrade J. C. Alternately read the fol-
lowing memoir to the late John Joseph
Colmant.
The subject Of this memoir. John Joseph
Colmant, was born at the town of Bonn
on the Rhine, Germany, May IA, 1881. His
father and grandfather were French; his
mother was Hollander. His grandfather
on his fathers side was a lieutenant in
the French army under Napoleon Bona
parte His brother was a soldier in the
Prussian army during the Franco-Prus-
sian war. His family now have in their
possession some rare relics captured by
his grandfather and brother, one a
sword captured from a Russian officer,
another glass goblet with Napoleon's
name engraved upon 1t underneath the
Emperors imperial crown taken by his
| brother at the siege of Paris from the
| Emperor's palace.
| John j. Colmant was educated at the
University of Bonn, in which college EN-
| peror Frederick, father of William. the
present Emperor of Germany, was edu-
Gated, and graduated In the same class.
Mr.. Colmant, upon his graduation, en-
tered the Germany army as required by
| law as lieutenant, and after the ex-
piration of one year-the law requiring
one year of service of commissioned of.
ficers-he came to America, and In Miss.
issippi enlisted In the Tenth Confederate
cavalry, was captured and imprisoned in
Camp Chase three months, and was re-,
leased one month before TIC sc4ose T.
the war by the Intervention of the Ger
man consul at Washington upon the
ground that he was a subject of Germany
and an officer in the Germany army. He
| then returned to Germany being in bad
health. He was fined heavily for violat-
| ing the neutrality of Germany by joining
| the Confederate army.
! He returned to America and located in
! Columbus, Miss, where he married Miss
| Florida Mitchell, his first wife, to whom
| there were born three children, one of
| whom died. leaving two living, Mrs.
| Cecille Creme and Mrs. Florida Rocket.
His last marriage was to Miss Emma
Mitchell, to whom there were born three
boys, John NJ, Lucius ana Oscar.
While a citizen of Mississippi he was
elected professor of horticulture and en-
tomology and ancient history of the Agri-
cultural and Mechanical college at Starks-
vile. He came to Alabama in 1894 and
| located nursery at Avondale, finally
settling himself at West End, where he
died the oath day of January, 1907.
This ended the remarkably checkered
career of a most noble man. He was an
ardent Mason and a member of Camp
Hardee, u. c. ", but on account of his
deafness he could not attend their meet
ings as often as he desired. Having in
his veins the commingling of French ana
Dutch blood, the keen. quick perception
and brilliancy of the French were prom
inent, while his Holland blood gave him
that COOL determined calculation peculiar
to that people, He was the embodiment
and the very soul of honor and integrity.
He lived upon a lofty plane and abhorred
everything that came in conflict with the
principles of a true gentleman. Kind, af-
fable and genial in disposition, he made
every one feel happy who came in con-
tact with him. He harbored no i'll feel
ing as TO the results of the war between
the states, but as a patriot he still loved
America, his adopted home, and died
loyal and loving citizen.
''By the flow of the inland river
Whence the fleets of iron have fled
Where the blades of the grave grass
CULVER.
Asleep are the ranks of the dead.
| Under the sod and the dew,
Waiting the judgment day,
Under the one the Blue,
| Under the other the Gray"
]. c. ALTERNATELY,
NEEDHAM A. GRAHAM,
CHARLES NJ. STURGIS,
Committee.