Arizona republican., 1907-08-29
PASSING OF
 A SOLDIER
Sudden Death of Adjutant
 General leaveII
Stricken at His Home In Tempe--MasOnic Funeral With Military Escort.

Colonel Benjamin Ward Leavell. ad- jutant general of Arizona, died yester- day morning about 10 o'clock, quite
 suddenly. at his home in Tempe. He had been in i'll health for several years, having contracted consumption while
 in the regular army, to which fact was due his retirement from the service. with the rank of major. It is said of him that he was at that time the
 youngest major in the regular estab-
 lishment. Notwithstanding his weak
 ened condition which 1t was appre-
 ciated by both himself and his friends
 could only terminate in death, he maintained a most cheerful manner
 and there was every reason to hope
 that the final summons might be de- layed indefinitely. His general health lseemed fair and he was able to be on the street as recently as Monday. when
 he suffered a slight hemorrhage, the first he ever had. It was relieved and
 he seemed to be improving again until yesterday morning when he was seized
 by a severe hemorrhage and died in a very few minutes. passing away before
 the arrival of his physician, who
 promptly answered the summons.
 Col. Leavell spent a week at Camp lBrodie during the encampment of the
 national guard early in the month. the
 visit proving something of an exertion
 for him. and during the last few days
 he had been more than usually active
 in the enjoyment of a visit to Tempe iof Brigadier General Markley, retired, under whom he passed the most of his
 military experience. while that gallant
 officer as a colonel. was in command iof the twenty-fnr-th infantry. The visit of General Markley was a delight
 to him and he had planned to accom- | pany him to Phoenix on Tuesday but
 could not do so owing to his condi tion.
 IL had been Col. Leavell's chief am bition in his later years. to live long enough to see completed the education of his two daughters the Misses Mary and Marjorie. aged IS and 15 respect ively who alone of his immediate fam fly survive him. His hopes were but 2 partly realized as the elder daughter graduated from the Tempe normal last year and Miss Marjorie is now a stu dent at that institution. To his inti- mates Col. Leavell spoke freely of his : physical condition though never com [ plainingly, accepting his fate with the
 fortitude of d true soldier. He has been heard to say recently that while he felt his strength was waning he hoped and expected to live perhaps a !. couple of years longer. His wife pre- ceded him to the grave a few years ago while he was living at Fort Bay ard, N. NJ. having been sent there by
 the government for the recuperation of his health. Interment was made at Fort Huachuca. Ariz.
 The funeral of Colonel Leavell will be held Friday morning about o'clock at the family home in Tempe and. will be under the auspices of the Masonic fra ? ternity. The national guard will at tend in numbers as a guard of honor. Colonel McClintock. commanding the first regiment. last night issued an or der directing Companies B, and D, of Phoenix. Tempe and Mesa, respect ively. to attend the funeral. and the commanding officers of each company ? will issue their orders in accordance at once.
 Shortly after the death of Colonel LedNeu, tne 1dCt was teleETdpneu tu Col McCIntock by the bereaved ? daughters and he reported at once to the governor. Col. McClintock then drove to Tempe and in conference ' with the family and friends the ar } engagements for the funeral were un- dertaken. Mrs. Kibbey also went to 2 Tempe at once and rendered her kind Ky services to the bereaved daughters. who are among the most popular and highly esteemed young women in the territory and are favorites among the normal students generally. They will have the sincere sympathy of all who
 know them in this their day of latest land greatest sorrow.
 B. w. Leavell was native of Ohio.
 and was 30 years old on March s. He
 entered West Point from that state. July 1. 1875. After graduation he was
 commissioned on June 13, 1879, as sec fond lieutenant and assigned to the
 Twenty-fourth infantry. He was pro-
 noted to the rank of first lieutenant
 October :, 1884. and commissioned ?
 captain February F, 1897. In 1895
 while still a lieuteDant he was detailed
 to duty with the national guard of Ari-
 Zona. On the outbreak of the Spanish
 American war in 1898 he accompanied
 his regiment to Cuba, where he did
 valiant service both on the line and in
 the rear. with the detail left at Sib-
 oney. He participated in the memor-
 able battle of San Juan Hill and his
 military record was altogether a splen-
 did one. During the earlier years of !; his army life he served in many of the
 western posts, notablys in Texas. In
 dian Territory and AHzona and had
 more than d taste of the vigorous war
 fare with the Indians. He was station ed at Huachuca. Grant and San Carlos
 in this territory in those days and at
 one time was quartermaster at Fort
 Grant and commanding officer at San Carlos.
 After the war in Cuba Captain Leav
 ell was sent to the Philippines but saw
 no service there. owing to i'll health. as
 the result of the Cuban campaign and
 the distressing conditions that obtain ed in the Philippines at that time. The
 army physicians recognized his serious condition and much against his will
 he was sent back to this country and placed in the sanitarium at Fort Bay ard, being then retired with the rank