The National tribune., 1907-08-01
SENATOR PETTUS DEAD.
A alabama Bere:t of Her Two United
States Senator's Within Five Weeks.

Not unexpected, and yet unwelcome,
was the news which came from Hot
Springs, Ark. Sunday, July 81, that Sem
ator E. w. Pettus of Alabama was dead
1t is but brief month since the world
learned of the death of Senator Morgan,
of the same State. The two Oldest mem
bers of the United States Senate. Sena-
tors Morgan and Pettus, of Alabama
lifelong friends and neighbors, are thus
taken.
Senator Pettus was born in Limestone
County. Ala. July s, 1921. Senator
PettuS on his mothers side of the house
was a grandson of Capt. Anthony VIM
ston, of Hanover County, Va. soldier
in the French and Indian War of 1854
1860, who in 1875 moved from Virginia
to the then almost unknown wilderness
of Tennessee. Later he moved South,
settling in north Alabama, a region then
owned and held by the Creeks and Cher
okees.
He read law and was admitted to the
bar in 1912, practicing his profession in
Gainesville. Ala. from 1912 to 1874.
From 1874 to 1S49 Senator Pettus
was Solicitor for the Seventh Judicial
Circuit of Alabama, barring some eight
months that he served as a Lieutenant
of Alabama volunteers in the Mexican
War. On the discovery of gold in Cali
fOrnia in 1S49, however, he abandoned
his legal practice. and, with company
of venturous young men from Alabama
and the neighboring States. set forth on
horseback across the plains to the new
Eldorado.
His adventures and experiences dur
ing his residence in California constitute
volume of exciting and entertaining
reading He returned to Alabama in
Gainesville, and in 1855 was elected
Judge of the Seventh Judicial Circuit of
that State, a position he filled until
1858.
During the year last named he moved
from Gainesville to Selma, Ala, where
he soon built up prosperous law prac-
tice. On the outbreak of the civil war
he entered the service of the Confeder-
acy as Major of the goth Ala, regi-
ment that he had helped to raise. With
in the same year he was promoted to
Lieutenant-Colonel At Rockyface
tinguished himself by holding the entire
Federal army in check during Sher-
mans march to the sea, and in the
Carolina campaign he was attached to
s. d. Lees Corps. SurrenderinS with
Gen. Johnston in North Carolina.
Interested in Politics.
Returning home at the close of the
struggle he resumed his law practice
and took an active interest in Alabama
pOlltlcS. he was DeieSdte ana Sidif
man of the Alabama Delegation at the
Democratic National Convention of
1872, 1876, 1880, 1884. 1883, 1892. 1896.
and on Nov. 16, 1896, was nominated
by the Democratic caucus of the Ala
bama Legislature for the United States
Senate and elected by vote of 81 TO
26, the other candidates for that place
being Senator Pugh, Congressman
Rankhead, and Gov. Oates. His term
expired on March 3, 1903, but he was
renominated and reelected.
AS member of the Senate he served
on the Judiciary. Military Affairs, Rail-
roads, Privileges and Elections, and In
dian Depredations Committees.
Senator Pettus was not great man.
nor was he brilliant, but he was good
man, and a brainy one. He had the
confidence of all his colleagues, and
there will be great regret at his taking
away.
Singularly enough, the Alabama Leg
islature, which met last Winter AMI
will not meet again for four years,
feeling that the career of it's two great
men was almost at an end, voted for
them for another. term each, and then,
fearing that death might intervene be-
fore another session of the Legislature
which meets only once in four years
voted for two other men to fill their
places. Representative Bankhead has
already been elected to fill the place of
the late Senator Morgan, and a promi-
nent Democrat by the name of johnson
will succeed Senator PettuS