Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-04-29
kBIsHoP ELLISON cApERs DEAD.
Venerable Churchman Has Passed
Peacefully to the Great beyond.

Y
noon at 2.30 O'Clock. Bishop Capers
had been in bad health many months
and for several days had been sink
ing gradually. He was seventy years
of age and had presided over the
diocese for the past fifteen years.
He had been Secretary Of State of
South Carolina, brigadier general in
the Confederate army, and held other
positions OF rank and influence. He
was the father of John G. Capers,
Commissioner of Internal Revenue,
and National Republican Committee
ian for South Carolina.
Bishop Capers had made charac-
Tefistically gallant fight against
death. For days 1t seemed that his
strength could last only a few hours,
but he would rally and recognize
those around him with his usual
kind words. For over a year the
Bishop had been In Ill health, but
was at times able to attend to his
Episcopal duties and enjoyed fire.
quent drives, but about week ago
he b ,came i'll and 1t was realized that
his death was then only matter OF
hours.
Late Thursday afternoon the body
was taken from his residence on
Barnwell street to Trinity church and
rested upon the chancel Thursday
night, some of the clergy remaining
with the body. At o'clock this
morning there was early communion
at Trinity. Until IL o'clock this
morning the church was open for
those who wished to visit the church
and see the noble features of the
greatly beloved soldier-priest, and at
II o'clock the doors were closed until
12 o'clock. the hour of the funeral.
Active pallbearer,, by the Bishops
special request, will be his five sons
and his son-in-law.
History of His Life.
4Ellison Capers, ID. D., was born in
lBharleston, South Carolina, October
IA, 1887. His parents, were William
and Susan (McGilD Capers. His fa-
ther was distinguished and elo-
quent divine of the Methodist Ep!s-
copal church, and one of its first
bishops in the South. He founded
the missions of his church to the
negroes in South Ca. olina and wrote
a catechism for their use, and also a
useful work for the moral training of
children He ably edited the South
ern Christian Advocate, and served
efficiently as a missionary to the In
dians in the Southwest. The earliest
paternal ancestor to settle in Ameri-
Sca was William Capers, a Huguenot,
Of France, who had fled to England
to escape religious persecution.
About the year 1890 he settled upon
grants Of land from the Lord S Pro-
prietors," in Christ Church parish,
on the seaboard of South Carolina.
Capers Island and inlet We're named
for this family.
William Capers, the grandfather Of
Ellison CaIers. was one of Marion's
captains in the Revolution, and his
brother, G. Sinclair Capers, also
fought under the same great leader.
The first ancestor on the maternal
side to come to this county emigrated
from Ireland and became farmer
In Kershaw county.
The childhood and early youth of
Ellison Capers were passed in sthe
city of his birth, but in his twelfth
year bis fathe.. removed to Anderson
county, and he was appointed to the
arsenal in Columbia, He was gradu-
ated from the South Carolina Mill :.
tary Academy, Charleston November
1S, 1857. No degree was given then.
The stirring address to the class
made by his brother,the superintend-
ent, Major Francis w. Capers, made
strong impression upon him. iIe
was Of vigorous physique, and was
especially fond of horses and out
door exercise, including tasks in the
flower and vegetable garden. He
served as resident, graduate and as
sistant Instructor in mathematics
and rhetoric in the Citadel In 1853. 4
His inclination was for the pro-
fession of law, and he commenced the
study in the office of Hayne and Miles
! in Charleston. Upon his return, in
1850, from Winnsboro, where he
f,,
the intervening year, he recon-
menced the study of law.
On February "a, 1859, he was mar
ried to Charlotte Rebecca Palmer,
fourth daughter of John Gendron
and Catherine Cutrurier (Marion)
Palmer, scion of the distinguished
Dwight family Of America, Of st.
Johns, Berkeley, and moved to
Winnsboro, s. G.. In 1860 he was
elected professor in the Citadel with
the rank of second lieutenant, in
which position he was highly regard
ed by the cadets and his superior off,
GERS. @
In 1851 he was commissioned ma
jor of the First Regiment, South
Carolina Rifles, for the Confederate
service, and assisted General Petit.
grew in the organization and drill Of
that splendid command. He COM
manded the light battery on Sulli-
vans Island during the lombard
ment OF Fort Sumter. When Col.
Pettigrew resigned, to go to, Virginia,
Major Capers succeeded to the COM
mand. He resigned in 1851 and
joined Col. G. II. Stevens in organiz-
ing the Twenty-fourth South Caro-
lima Volunteers. as lieutenant colo
nel He did gallant service with that
regiment on the coast of South Caro-
lima and Mt Wilmington. NJ c. dur