The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1908-04-30
DEATH OF CAPT. A. M. WILLIS
A Biographical Sketch Of a Strenuous
Life.


April 18th. 1908, in his slst year OF age.
He leaves to mourn his departure his
aged wife, sevaral sons and daughters.
numerous grand children and host of
friends. After stormy life he rests
in peace.
Capt. Willis passed through enough
stirring scenes during his long life to
furnish sufficient material for half a
dozen modern novels. His parents
were Byrd Charles and Mary A. Willis.
Capt. Willis was named after his full
sisters second husband, Achille Murat,
eldest son OF Joachim Murat, King Of
Naples and Sicily, whose wife was
Queen Caroline Bonaparte On the
paternal side, Capt. Willis was great
grand son Of Harry" and Mildred
Willis, Mrs. Mildred Willis being an
aunt OF George Washington. On his
maternal side he was the grandson of
Major George Lewis, the nephew and
aide-de-camp of Gen. Washington.
In his youth he saw much of foreign
countries as midshipman in the U s.
navy and as clerk for his brother-in-
law, Commodore A. J. Dallas, a broth
er Of the Vice-P President under Presi-
dent Polk
Later, while still youth, he was
elected captain of II company of volun-
teers for the Mexican War, but the
company disbanded rather than be
made twin company in battalion
will! the Baltimore plug Uglies"
lie was married 1--WE failed to learn
what date) to Miss Edwe..a Amber,
whose father and grandfather had
owned jamestown Island and other
island property in Virginia. Dr.
James Amber, who was found dead :.
revolver in hand, showed that he had
died while watching the dead body Of
Commodore DeLong of the Jeanette
Arctic Expedition, was first cousin Of
Mrs. Willis.
But few people in any country could
lay claim to higher family connections
and blue-blood descent than Capt. A.
NJ. Willis, even though he ended his
long and busy life on homestead III
much -siandered Beaver county, Okla
Yet, he was never proud or boastful of
his high connection, holding that peo-
pie should be honored or dishonored by
their life and work, and not by any ac-
cident of birth.
At the breaking out of the Civil War
he voted against the secession of Vir-
glnia, but, like many others, he after
terwards concluded that his first duty
was to his state, and he finally enlist
ed as private in a Confederate COM
pany of infantry, although he had in
his pocket at the time a commission
from judah p. Benjamin, Secretary of
War for the Confederate States, to
raise an independent company. He
was promoted To lieutenant and served
as one of Gen. Early's aides at Bull
Run, and was mentioned by that Gen
eral in his report, for conspicuous
bravery. He afterwards left the in
fantry and used his commission to
raise company of cavalry, but induc-
ed by his esteem for Gen. Ashly, Stone
wall Jackson's cavalry chief, to join
that command. Ashly designed max
ing Willis colonel Of regiment, but
was accidentally killed before doing
so, while leading on foot company of
infantry into battle.
Capt. Willis was in one or two fights
under Gen Beverly n Robertson, a
first cousin of Capt. Willis wife. Af-
ter this time shortly. on account of
bad health and a sword wound, Cant.
Willis was compelled to give up mill
tary service until near the close of the
war, when he did some service repell-
ing the attacks of deserters So fair
was he with these people thet they Of
fered to raise a regiment 1000 strong
and re-enter the service il the Confed-
crate government would allow them to
elect all their officers with Willis as
Colonel. But election of officers had
been made unlawful 10y the Confeder-
ate government, and the offer was de-
clined.
When child Capt Willis had sat
on the knee of "Old Hickory" in the
White House aud upon the lap of old
Tiger Tail in Florida Asa man he
was at home with all classes of the
South, and associated with the elite at
Sulphur Springs and with official cir
cles at Washington he lived in afiiu-
ence and then in poverty When
wealthy he often led his hands at the
hardest labor in harvest with grain
cradle and scythe. In his old age and
comparative poverty, he worked more
than ever and esteemed labor as a
BILE sing and an aid to physical health.
Mr.. Willis averred and stoutly main
/ 49,. L ID