Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-08-16

died at his home, GIL West Main
street, following long illness. He has
been failing rapidly for the past two
years, and since last Christmas it has
been considered that the end was only
a question Of time. During the past
week he has been sinking gradually.
and the end has been looked for daily.
Accident Caused Death.
Mr.. Forts death was due to paresls
and a post norton examination heln
following the death revealed the 1act
that an accident in 1869 Of which Mr..
Fort was the victim
The post norton revealed condi-
ton Of the brain resulting from
crushing of the skull over the left ear
the indentation at the time OF the, ac-
cident having been large enough to
admit a silver dollar. The injury was
received as the result of a runaway &C
cident, and the doctors performing the
post mortem were Of the opinion that
the paresis was due originally to the
accident
Was Twice Candidate For Mayor.
Mr.. Fort has taken an active part
in third party politics in the city for
many years. and had been the partys
candidate for mayor on two different
occasions. He ran for the Office In
/ 1907 anG received 9 tota! OF 322 Votes.
! II 1909 he was again candidate. but
received only 90 votes.
Was Veteran Of Civil War.
| At the age of Is, in 1862, Mr.. Fort
entered the army of the Tennessee.
commanded by General Grant, and
| served as a uuartermaster's clerk ana
| agent until the fall of 1865. His service
| for the three years was under Cen
| G. L. Fort, his uncle, and Col. L. ;.
Van Vliet.. He was on the line OF
| Grants communication when Grant
! tried to make the rear of Ficksburg
with Columbus as his base OF supplles
| IN the winter of 1923 When Generai
Forrest cul the line at Holly Springs
land destroyed Grants stores. young
| Fort was ore Of the two men VINO
with a small guard, mad charge OF the
army's reserve clothing. camp, ana
garrison euu,page at Jackson. Tenn.
! they received an order that, if they
we're attacked, to defend as long as
possible, and when they could hold
4 on. no longer TO burn the stores and
escape TO the nearby swamp. Luckily,
4 the post was not taken, but the TWO
YOUNG n,.t, IN charge took every pre-
! cautjon and had supplied benzine and
other inf1ammables So that by touch
of a torch. the goods would be placed
4 hevo7d the reach of the confederates'
/ Sat in Saddle Twenty Hours.
4, one time Young Fort commanded
. battery during an engagement. ana
his reputation III the army was tnst
there was no duty too hazardous ior
him to undertake. AZ time When
General Forrest captured Memphis
y,n-.'s batter; opened @GVe on the con
feGjarate-, ard the fire against the enc
my led ii to believe that the union
/ trno,,s had recaptnred the city. ne
-onrs.edates retreatei, leaving the vast
government stores that they mad con-
ternpiatsd DESTROYING
4 In this engag cement young Fort Was
| in his saddle for twenty-five hours con-
tiruously, without food or water
Paid Many Troops.
From Chicago, where ire union army
got mitch OF its money. Fort as quar-
ita~master.s agent. made many trips to
the front, bearing ON mis- person large
sums 20 be used in paying the soldiers
He carried orders at enc time author
;zing him to take command Of any gun
Ot1GT DCat isf lHS LAiS Sti-'A' --N>f
and get to the north all the cotton pos
chile These orders came from Presi-
dent Lincoln to General Fort. and the
Gntv vas Entrusted to the latter's
!; nephew.
Fer his services in the army Senator
Shelby NJ Cullon of Illinois, a per-
!. sonal friend of Mr.. Fort, has, at the
present time, special bin pending
to grant Mr.. Fort an adequate pen
sion.
Sketch Of Lifts.
William Jones Fort was born in a
log cabin in Marshall county, Illinois
near Lacon, July Z. 1874. being the cid
est Of thirteen children of9Washington
D. and Sinor Sarah fFoster) Fort
His ancestors on his fathers side
we're French 4uguenots who. on account
of religious and political persecution
sought refuge in this country during
II the middle CT the eighteenth century
His mothers ancestry dated from
Puritan stock who came to America In
the colonial days and fought in the
revolutionary war.
III Mr.. Fort was reared on the Illinois
farm, attended the schools OF his ma
3 tive county. and remained on the farm
until he entered the union army. Fol.
! lowing the close of the war he entered
mercantile life. but soon returned t.
farming. At the age of 30 he wa.
elected county judge Of his native
} county, and his administration wal
very successful.
On Jan. 1. 1874. Mr.. Fort took as hi
I wife Miss Emily Stevens. daughter o.
! the late Phineas and Caroline Stevens
the former ex-president Of the Mar
shalltown State Bank. Mrs. Fort diet
! in this city May 81, 1899. The cou
pie had no children.
Once Owned Much Land.
The fortune that came to Mrs. For
upon the death of her father resulted
in Mr.. Fort being called upon to taxi
charge Of extensive realty holdings
and at one time Mr.. Fort owned Owe
1000 acres OF finely -improved land II
Illinois and Iowa Mr.. Fort had beef
successful in Illinois, and brought t
Marshalltown with him twenty-five
wears ago about al. 0oeswhich went In
to lands In connectipn with th0s
Z owned BY Mr.. steseIa n fteSs = Nh