Milford chronicle., 1923-02-09
GEN. A. 7. A. TORBERTS
MEMORIAL BY "GATH"
PUT in STATE ARCHIVES
Historical Society Publishes Life His
tory Of Famous Delaware General
Who Died In Shipwreck.


tory Of Famous Delaware General
Who Died In Shipwreck.
General Alfred T. A. Torbert Memorial
BY George Alfred Townsend Q8SO;
Published by the Historical Society O
Delaware For the State Archives Com.
mission Q922); The Star Publishing
Company
Of thrice-fold historic interest tC
Delawareans is the General Alfred T.
A. Torbert Memorial, by the late
George Alfred Townsend, as taken
from the Army and Navy Journal OF
November 13, 1880, and now published
by the Historical Society of Delaware
for the State Archives Commission.
Thrice-fold, because it recounts, pri-
marily, the eventful history of an en-
inent and widely-known native of
Delaware, who achieved high fame and
station in the armies of the United
States and its diplomatic service; sec
Ondarily, it is written by a famous
Delaware author, now himself gone to
the last sad abode; and thirdly, those
noted Delawareans as well as nation
al figures who gathered about the
grave of General Torbert in the Meth
odist cemetery at Milford on that Sep
tember day in 1880, have many of
them also left their place among the
living, "and have gone to make their
beds with him"
Delaware and the whole of the
United States was shocked in early
September, 1880, to learn that Cen
eral Torbert, then in the diplomatic
had been drowned when the
steamer "Vera Cruz" which was car
rying him, with other passengers on
a mission to Mexico, was wrecked off |
the coast of Florida. General Tor
bert's body had been cast on the Flor |
ida coast, and was picked up the fol- |
lowing day.
His body was laid in a grave shad-
ed by palmettos, but was subsequently
and brought to New York,
where it arrived September %.
A funeral procession and services
we're held in New York City on Sep
ember 20, after the body had laid in
jtate in the City Hall. Then it was
AIKEN through Broadway to the Cort-
and st. Ferry, and sent to Philadel-
hia, where a second procession was
eld.
The special train the next day arriv-
d in Wilmington at o'clock, and five
ars were added for the Wilmington
lOurners. Capt. Buckmaster, with 46 :
len of the American Rifles; J. Nc I
lowell, with AZ men of Thomas A.
myth Post; Captain Curtis, with SO >
len of the du POnt Guards; and DR.. 4,
P. Wales, heading As men of du =
ont Post, formed the Wilmington N
elegation. At Dover they were join a
by Company D, under Capt. Ken l.
ey, and at Milford, the Torbert -
yards, 35 strong, commanded by DR.. 3
escorted the cortege.
The pallbearers were Senator Sauls-
Try, Governor Hall, Judges Wales
Id Wooten, Col. Henry A. du Pont o.
ID Manlove Hayes. The speakers in n
1ded Hon. Willard Salisbury, al
airman; Major-Gen. Daniel e. Sick IL
), Gen. Robert F. Stockton, John w. D
1uston, Ben. E. Bird Grubb, James SC
Lofand, George P. Fisher, Col. A. al
uden Snowden and George v. Mas di
The biographical sketch of General co
rbert by George Alfred Townsend, te
Is in detail of the life history of Ze
S remarkable Delawarean. He was 80
IN in Georgetown, July 1, 1888. Ap- an
lnted to West Point by Senator SC
Orge Read Riddle, he was gradu- sp
ID well up in the list Of subsequent ha
famous commanders on both sides gi7
ring the war. ini
after service in the army, he was me
pointed, at the opening of the Civil fec
r, to muster in recruits in New ini
sey, and was named as Colonel of arr
First New Jersey Regiment. S
n 1862 he was made Brigadier Cen err
l. He fought in the infantry at all Ia
major battles, and was at last I
to the cavalry, where he ems
division. He served bril- ms
lily under Sheridan in the Shenan- F
h Valley, and came out of the war ooH
vet Major General in the U. s. tea
ny. L
the war, Gen. Torbert tea
cred the diplomatic service, and TOO,
posts at Paris, Havana, San Sal c
or, and other points. He married cat
year after the war Miss Mary E. tea1 ~
ry, of Milford, Del. Milford became u
home thereafter. chez
bis hrief s,,ro,,,or,, mn, 10 b,,+ 81
! 10 - t0A ouitiillS'iJ ~ CeH uo DuI teaC
I JusLlce TO the material collected W
1is volume for deposit in the State teaC
hives. 1t is to be hoped that the obeI al
rds of other famous Delawareans R,
likewise from time to time, be son,
ed in accessible form for the ben +odd ds
of future generations.-Sunday W
teac
FL