Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-03-15
PNEUMONIA KILLS
| LAST SURV|VOROF
| Fl. SUMTER FIGHT
udge Roger Pryor Passes
Away at His Home in
New York.
REFUSED OPPORTUNITY
TO FIRE FIRST SHOT
)utlivcd Thousands of Men Who
Participated in Historic
Conflict.
g'ERVED IN SUPREME COURT
Congress His Ringing Speeches
on State Rights Aroused
His Native Virginia.
SERVED IN SUPREME COURT
n Congress His Ringing Speeches
on State Rights Aroused
His Native Virginia.

/ NEW YORK. March 14.-Roger At
;inson Pryor. former justice of the
Few York Supreme Court and famous
soldier in the Confederate army.
led at his homo here tonight at the
&c OF ninety years.
4 Justice Pryor had been Ill for several
GSechs. week ago pneumonia, which
|!vas the immediate cause OF his death.
CT In.
h Judge Roger A. Pryor was the las,
II urviVor OF the firing on Fort Sumter.
ic outlived the thousands OF partici-
ANTS on both sides of the historic
/ onfiict.
oncred the distinction of firing the
rst shot that was to preclpitatc the
/ var Between the States, he declined.
! could not fire the first gun" he said.
lie distinction thus fell to Edmund
tunin.
H AS young Congressman and news
II aper editor at thirty-two years OF
se. pryors ringing speeches in favor
II una The. state was hesitating on
fhe point OF secession when the clo-
l.uent tribune OF Virginia." as Horace
II red:
/ Strike one blow and Virginia will
4 ecede in an hour by Shire sbury
ERVED CoNFEDERAcY
II AS bRIGADIER-GESER
l General Pryor's war record was
II fiiNant. He served as member of
ne Provtsional Congress. Entering
tne confederate army as Il colonel. he
oon wAs promoted TO brigadier- gen
raj Then he took stand which is
ropably unprecedented in military his
fSfy. His views eonfiictcd with those
Z his superior officers. He resigned
iis generals commission. though it
sTas never accepted. aud entered the
anks of f.,Fitzhugh Lees cavalry as a
I During the last year of the var he
as held in Fort Lafayette. in New
ork Har5or, as prisoner of war.
lis ns,si friends begged both Grant and
| NO. damn him." declared Stanton.
we wont free him. We're going 10
| ang him."
ist appeal. Abraham Lincoln. They
tclatcd General Pryor's humane treat
l,ent OF the thousands Of sick and
founded soldiers which he captured at
Inc general had turned loose, rather
jhan send them to AndersonvilIe
Prison.
BHAHAM LINCOLN WROTE
ORDER FOR HIS RELEASE
/ Lincoln. on hearing this. wrote an
lreiease Tor exchange" OF the pris-
liner.
Al the end Of the war General Pryor
as destitute. He possessed a ragged
I've children. 4 comfortable fortune
Ead disappeared. But behind him
Eretched an honored career.
4 Born in Dinwiddie County Va in
Is2s, he was only thirty-sevcn years
Hid when he faced life anew. He had
Iarved in the historic Thirty-sixth
Iongress. AS special commissioner
Hnder President Piercs. at the age Of
i~enty-eisht. he had forced Greece TO
tslease Jonas King, the celebrated
Missionary, from prison. and refund to
Tim $4,000.
AS means of livelihood. General
tryor returned TO the newspaper pro-
t,ssion. Before the war he had become
inc Of the leading Journalists in Rich
hc received the largeS: salary paid to
Rny staff editor at his period-s5, 900
nl gold.
Glad in clothes paid for by money
.wels he went TO New York. He be-
4me associated with the New York
Maily News. But he was forced TO
T. ounds Of the war were still too fresh
81, permit Confederate general to
= iold public opinion in Northern
EF.D FOE OF BATTLE FIELDS
GAVE HIM APPOINTMENT
Meanwhile, he studied law and was
omitted to the bar. His fortunes be-
an TO improve. Through the influence
his old foe on the battle fields, Cen
judge of the Court OF Common Pleas
y Governor Hill. He later became a
istice Of the New York Supreme Court.
the first day Of 1899. at seventy
WARS OF age. he retired from public
which had covered exactly a half
Il The venerable Journalist soldier
21irst" at the age of eighty five years
5IIas a distinguished figure During
Wis last days he spoke often about the
Tar.
ne State" he said short time before
8is death. But in generations to
bme people will think of those differ
hoes less and less. The words North
hid South are simply geographical eX-
ressions now and have no political
cnidcanCe whatever. You need no;