The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1914-07-21
COL. R0BT. A. THOMPSON
PASSING TO HIS REST
LAST OF SIGNERS OF ORDI-
NANCE OF SECESSION.
DISTINGUISHED MAN
Began Life as Printers Apprentice
In this County-Scrved in the
Late War
MAN

! ~. p3Cu, CCIilIlpTClGI dSeni
On tie Piedmont and Northern Rail
/ way. WAS called to WHlhalla yesterda.
, by the announcement Of the extreme
FITNESS OF hi< father, Col. Il. A. Thomp
! son. Col. l'hompsOn il. 81 years of
| age and his passing is due to the in
!irmitic; OF age. lie has had no suf
| ferng. but has been :.inking for the
last ter days and was Just alive las
night. Telephone connection could
not be had with Walhaila last nigh
after midnight.
Col Thompson had Il very distn-
Euislcd career. He was one of those
delegated from tho Pickens district tc.
| me convention wkici, in 1860 frame,
me ordinance OF secession, and he {.
! the las, survivor OF the distinguished
company of 1G0 mon He loved hi,
carncstne@s by volunteering for IN,
service and subsequently arese to he
lieutenant colonel Of the Second Req
iIncnt OF Rifles. made up of men from
ilchens and Anderson districts.
He began life as printers annron
ticc Gil the Pcndlrton Nessenpar :,
l.; stated. although Chay. A. Lanrsto
OF this city is OF the impression that
nc began on paper published in An
aerson years before the war. Col
ihoihP1on was cnc of the founder.
CT the keowcc Courier OF WalhalIa
anu made that paper one of the hoe,
al the slate as It has ever been.
Robert 4. Thompson
tFronl Sketch Written in 1000,
ono OF the members Of the legisla-
Larc or South Carolina as It IL consti-
tuted today Is Col. Robert q Tbomr.
con- or Oconee. an elderly gentleman
WHO Is yet youthful In the case with
~hich he keeps track of current
events and In his aptitude to represent
Ine people of his county we'll. Col:
thompson was 4 member Of that
memorable Eody, which In 1860. de-
clded that the state must withdraw
from the union.
r.. A. Thompson was born in Pick
ems county, June 13, 1928. His father.
capt. Chas Thompson. native of
union county, died ut the advanced
age OF q. Col! r. a. Thompson spent
his childhood''on n farm, and at the
age OF IA he entered tho office OF the
fendieton Messenger, established in
lSoI. Therejhe served four yeare'
apprenticeship.'@ 1849c Col. Thomp-
son acquired an intereet, In the paper.
IN 1893 no went to Pickens, where he
established. the ,Keowee Courier. He
has been connected with this splendid
county paper until . year or two ago.
and until 1868 was its sole owner and
editor. In the latter year he moved
the paper to Walhalla.
In 1858 he was elected commissions
or In equity for Pickens county, serv-
ing In that capacity until 1868, when
the Office was discontinnedsb by legis-
lative .enactHent.,-
II 1860 he'w was q member of the Sc
cession convention. and In 1861 en-
tered the Confederate service as cap
tain of company b, Second South Car
olina regiment. Ia the fall Of 1862 he
was promoted to lieutenant colonel,
having commanded his company with
singular courage in the battle Of Seven
Pines. Late in 1863 he resigned his
commission on account of Ill health,
and he was never able to re-enter the
army. 4: ..
1872 he was admitted to the bar,
asscciating himself with Judge Sam
uel MCGOWAN. He divided his time
between law and journalism and was
unusually successful In each profess
sion. 44'
n 1876 through the press and on the
stump he eXerted his influence for
/; democracy and has in many CAM
pangns been chairman of the county
democratic executive committee. Ho
stands high In Masonry in the state,
/; and has for years been staunch and
levout Presbyterian. -