Tensas gazette., 1916-11-24
~ MEMO oRiAM.
CHARLES c. coRDIll.

AOono iooe VCuhOVAoys w SS"N 'h"e""e'
He had been an invalid for several
years and the news of his death, while
painful to his friends, was not unex-
pected. His remains were inferred IN
the family lot at the Natchez ceme-
terry.
Charles G. Cordill was born in Goa
homs county, Miss, October l3, 1874,
son of Joseph CordilI and Mary Har'
mon, but his parents moved, in his
infancy, to Tensas parish, buying Bar
celons plantation, near Waterproof,
where young Cordill passed his boy
hood.
He attended the public school at
Waterproof and later, Magruder's
Academy, at Baton Rouge.
While q student at the latter insti-
tuition, and when he was only sixteen
years old, the Civil War broke out
and young Cordill enlisted in the Ten
sas Cavalry, under Capt. Isaac F.
Harrison, and, with his command,
joined the army under Gen. Albert
Sidney Johnston, participating in the
Battle of Shiloh and the engagements
following that sanguinary conflict as
the Confederate Army retreated to
Corinth, Miss. Subsequently the Ten
sas Cavalry was transferred to the
Trans- Mississippi Depa ment and
young Cordill, with his command,
participated in the many. engage
ments resulting from Banks Red Riv-
or campaign, including the Battle of
Mansfield, La.
At the close Of the'war, young Cor
dill, although still under age, formed
. partnership with the late John Stew
art and conducted commercial busi-
ness in Waterproof until the year
1858, when he engaged In cotton
planting, on Myrtle Grove plantation,
with the late Mr.. A. E. Bass. This
venture proving successful, he moved
to st. Joseph, formed a partnership
with A. N. Craig, of New Oriein>
bought the property on the Plank
Road corner, now owned By Mr.
Alice Steen, and again bs came a
merchant. Through the failure of
GanArd, Craig & Co., of New Orleans,
the st. Joseph firm of G. c. Cordil!
& Co., became involved and went ont
of business about 1871, Judge Cordil'
then finally abandoning commercial
pursuits. He bought the Kenilworth
plantation, on Lake st. Joseph, and
devoted his attention to cotton plant
ing, although he continued to reside
In st. Joseph.
About this time Judge Cordill wa
appointed Parish Judge, an Office of
dignity and great responsibility, but
which, under the Constitution Of 1868
e6G|d b held by q layman. Notwirh
~ ssde net that he never studied
J .Jud' DordilI Oiled this Office
great credit to himself and to the
Ire satisfaction of the Bar and peo-
of Tensas. His keen, analytical
d, mate sense of justice, and
xve all, his thorough knowledge OF
ran nature, OF local conditions and
Nems, and his sound Judgment
y made up for his lack of tech
illegal training, with the result
81 Ais career as judge was emf
creditable and honorable.
9ze occurred the political revo-
- IN In Tensss, in which Judge Cor
dill was easily the leader, and the re-
sultant establishment of white suprem-
acy in the parish made him the ac-
knowledged political leader in Tensas,
which position he held without SER
ious opposition until his voluntary re-
tlrement from political life in 1912.
IN 1873, with the late Atlas F. Brown
- his colleague, Judge Cor,iil en-
tered the wider field of State politics
a. member of the House of Repre-
sentstives in the Legislature VIII ch
called the Constitutional Convention
Of 1879. In this Legislature, although
its life was brief, he made his mark
and gave promise of the influence
which he was afterwards to exert in
State affairs. In 1884, Judge Cordill
was chosen as Senator from the dis
trict composed of Tensas and Concor-
dis parishes and served IN the Louis
lana Senate, without opposition for
re-election until 1912, period of 2S
years, covering the second admins
tration Of Gov. McEnery, the second
administration of Gov. Nichols, the
two administrations OF Gov. Foster
and those of Governors Heard, Blsnch
ard and Sanders, a length of SERVICE
which il believed to be unparalleled
In Louisiana history.
From the beginning OF his career in
the Senate he was a man of mark.
His greatness of iutehect, his aggress
iveness personality and his strict po-
litical and personal integrity were
Soon recognized, and as his great
mental endowmepts ripened and ma
turcd with experience, he became the
trusted counsellor of the succeeding
Governors, the dean, bv virtue of
age, length of service and ability, of
the Senate and enjoyed for more than
two decades position of influence,
respect and power. unsurpassed, and
rarely, II ever, equalled in Louisiana
political life. II we were called on to