The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-10-27
William Nelson S Death

To The Salt Lake Trlbune-Ihe
shock over the almost instant, and al
together unexpected death of Colone'
| William Nelson, is most profound.
He was in his usual health aud per.
| formed his regular work on saturday
| He was as usual in his home on sat
urday night-therc was not shadow
of approaching sorrow when the good
nights were spoken on Saturday nlghr'.
| Yesterday morning at 6:l3 he was
seized with illness and died at 6;5o
of hemorrhage of the brain,
He was born IN suburb of the city
of Glasgow, Scotland, scventy1our
wears ago. He came TO America
youth. When the war of the reoellon
came on. he enlisted in the Tenth WIS
consin regiment, of which Judge Hark-
| ness of this city was the major.
brother in another regiment was killed
in the battle Of Peach Orchard, the
same battle in which General McPher-
son was slain,
Colonel Nelson fought through all the
battles in which General George L.
Thomas was commander.
One incident of his career as sol
dier gives a clear idea of him. He was
with twenty four men detailed TO guard
Paint Rock bridge on the Memphis
& Charleston railroad. AT night he was
confronted by a brigade of 200 Con
fedcrate cavalry and commanded to
surrender.
The colonel replied: We have not
come 1000 miles to surrender; VIC are
here to guard this bridge A battle
followed which lasted all night. In
the morning there were twenty SIX dead
Confederates and fifty wounded. Sev-
enteen of the union soldiers were
wounded In the morning reinforce
ments arrived and relieved the eight
remaining Uoratiuscs at the bridge. -
For this the colonel received the
thanks of Secretary Stanton and Prcsi-
dent Lincoln.
On the last day of Chickamauga,
when Rosecraus right and center
were rolled back, General Thomas
threw out brigade to delay the on
coming Confederatcs until he could get
his corps in position on the heights in
the rear. Out of the chaos that fol
lowed the colonel emerged, but as a
prisoner. He was eighteen months in
the slaughter pen Of Andersonville, the
hell of Libby, and the purgatory of
Danville prisons
He served four years. Returning TO
Wisconsin he served through one ses-
sion of the Wisconsin Legislature.
Appointed United States marshal of
Utah, he arrived here Just when the
excitement was greatest and the bit
terness most pronounced. He was mar
shal at the time and directed the exc
cuton of John d. Lee,
Thlrty-two years ago he became as
sociated in an editorial capacity with
The Salt Lake Tribune, and twelve
years ago was made editor in
chief. He worked necessarily to the
end, His last days work filled the
editorial page OF Yesterdays s Tribune
and the page shows that his pen was
as robust and incisive as ever. He
literally died with the harness on his
back
His work has made his name house.
hold word III all this intermountaiu
region. He was devoted to the laws.
to right as God gave him 70 see the
right, and he had no compromises TO
ask or receive from the wrong. His
pen has been great power in this re.
gion, and there has never been a mo.
meut' = doubt as 10 where he stood.
In private life he was kindly rnaE,
and with ultimate friends most genial.
In his noiseless way he held score
OF old soldiers as his steady pension.
ers, In his home be was q model hus.
band and father. He had one son and
four daughters. The death of his son
some three years ago was a heavy
blow. He closed his lips and said moth. |
ing, but those who knew him knew
how much he was suffering.
His home today j. something pitia |
bic TO see. The widow and daughters
had not one premonition Of sorrow on |
Saturday night-the dawn of yester !
day saw his death. and the blow was
terrible. All sympathy goes out TO |
them, aud the prayer is on thousand |
lips; "God pity them Gods peace |
90 the soul ths, has fled. -
c. G.. GOODWIN. |