Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-26
SYMPATHY FOR HIS FAMILY
Deceased Was q Native of Dinwiddie
County, Virginia.
SERVED IN CONFEDERATE ARMY
Member Of Prominent Virginia Fam
lily and Of A. P. Hill Camp, Con-
federate Veterans.

Col. Joseph Powhattan Minetree general
purchasing agent of the Southern railway,
and widely known among railway officials
and contractors, died at his residence 1923
+ street of a complication of diseases yes
terday afternoon at 4:35 o'clock. When
death occurred Col. Minetree was surround
ed by his wife and children, George McPhail
Minetree one of his sons who is a student
at Washington and Lee University, Lex
ington. Va, being the on,y one absent he
not arriving in this city until last evening
Col Minetree had been associated with rail-
way work for the past forty years. and
was one of the best known officials in this
section of the country. Until little more
than one week ago he was in good health
One afternoon he complained of feeling i'll
while at his Office in the Munsey building
He was advised to go to his home, which
he did. His condition gradually grew worse
Last evening, after 1t became known gener-
ally that Col. Minetree had passed away.
many kilograms and messages of condo,
renee We're received at the family residence
many or his close personal friends also
called to- express their sympathy for the
bereaved family
The funeral will occur from st. Thomas
Church next Monday morning at 1880
o CLOCK The interment will be private
Native of Virginia.
Col Minetree was born in Dinwiddie
county, Va, sixty-eight years ago, and
came of a long line of Virginia residents
SIX or seven generations Of his family hav-
ing been born in the Old Dominion He
dated his ancestry in this country on the
paternal side back to David Minetree, a
french Huguenot, who settled in America
IN the early part of the eighteenth century.
On the maternal side he was descended
from Marie Rene Durand, who was also a
Huguenot, and came to this country from
Haltl; following the instruction in that
Island led by Toussaint Overture Col
Minetree's ancestors upon their Arrival in
TINS country settled upon a large estate of
1oVOo acres near Richmond, Va, known
as the settlement of Manakin. From that
time the Minetrees have resided in the sec
ton and stood high in the various walks of
life The deceased attended the Virginia
Military institute, and at the beginning of
the civil war became the adjutlnt of the
4th Battalion Of Virginia Volunteers. which
office carried with it the rank of cantain
When the troops were mustered into the
army OF the confederate states Col. Nine
tree resigned and enlisted as a private in
the 4lst virginia Infantry. He gradually
rose to an adjutancy, and when the regi-
ment was later recognized was made a.
major Shortly thereafter battles in Vir-
gln1a occurred In rapid succession, and
COZ; Mlnetree, In the absence Of the
tack During the war he was wounded
several times. and after the battle of Get
tysDurg was commended by his command
ing officer for gallantry in action
Becomes Purchasing Agent.
When the war closed Col. Minetree took
up the pursuits of peace and began the
upbuilding of the railroad interests of his
mother state with all the vigor that had
characterized his efforts upon the field of
strife He was first appointed purchasing
agent of the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio
railroad and was later prominently identi-
fled with the Norfolk and Western railroad.
His service with those two roads covered
the period from 1886 to 1882. The latter
year Col. Minetree became purchasing
agent of the Richmond and DanviIe rail-
road, and in 1898 was appointed purchasing
agent or thc southern railway, which po-
sition he held until his death.
Col. Minetree was a member of the ROYAL
Arcanum. Knights of Honor and A. p
Hill Camp of Confederate Veterans He
always took an interest in the organizations
OF winch he was a member, and was par
ucuiafiy interested in the work of the
former confederate soldiers. The politics of
Virginia also interested him, and in the
various political races ne never neglected
an opportunity of saying a good word for
MS friends whenever the occasion offered
Coz. Minetrees wife, who was Miss Virginia
Elizabeth Epps of Eppsvilie, Prince George
county, Va. and nine children, Mrs H. P
Hollifieid of this city, Mrs. George Hewitt
Evans of Alexandria. Va; Joseph Powhat-
tan Minetree. jr of Greensboro, N. c.; Mrs.
Charles F. Fits of Chicago and Misses
Elizabeth f. and Claudio Haines Minetree
and Messrs. John T., James Lawrence and
George McPhail Mine:ree of this city sur
vive the deceased