USA > Texas > Indian wars and pioneers of Texas, Vol. I > Part 28
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"In your issue of the 7th inst., under the heading 'Some Persons of Prominence,' you kindly give space to eulogizing Dr. Macgill and family, formerly of Hagerstown, Md., and later of Richmond, Va., but more especially of Mrs. Helen E. Swan, from the announcement of her death, which occurred on the 22d of September last, at the home of her brother-in-law, Dr. S. A. Drewry in Richmond.
" Among other things, you give prominence to their many intellectual, physical and social graces, together with their political prominence. * * * Now it may be that you 'reckoned better than you knew' and that you did not know that there were some ex-Confederates who were con- tlant readers of your valuable paper and in
your immediate vicinity who have special cause to honor and remember this illustrious and patriotic family. I allude particularly to Capt. John (' Piney,') Oden, Company, K., Tenth Alabama Regiment, Confederate Volunteers, who was severely and, at the time, thought by his comrades to be mortally wounded, on Wednesday, September 17th, 1862, at Sharpsburg, receiving a wound fourteen inches long, reaching the whole length of the thigh, from which he has been a permanent cripple and great sufferer ever since. Besides he received at the same time a painful wound in the left side from a piece of bomb-shell. *
* * He lay upon the battle-field in that helpless condition for twenty-six hours. When all other efforts for removal failed, he made some Masonic characters upon a piece of paper and requested that they be carried to the general in command of the Federal army, he being then within the Federal lines. Very soon six men came for him with an improvised litter, an old army blanket. They made a slip gap in the fence, near which he lay, and ran across the hill to a field hospital with him upon the litter, which was more than once punctured with balls from his friends' guns, tuey not understanding what was going on. He was finally removed to the Hagerstown, Md., courthouse, which had been converted into a Federal hospital. * * * Here he first met and learned to love and honor the name of Macgill and the members of the family, for the daughters that were then at home came to the hospital and inquired especially if there were any Confederate soldiers among the wounded there. Capt. Oden being pointed out, they began immediately to beseeeh, in view of his condition, that he be paroled and they be allowed to carry him to their private dwelling, which request, at their earnest and importunate solicitation, was granted. *
** * For six months the members of the family, including Dr. Chas. Macgill, Jr., who was then at home, contin- ued their ministrations. * *
* At one time the femoral artery sloughed in two and Capt. Oden's life was despaired of, but every physical, and even spiritual, aid was rendered him. Finally he rallied and recovered, and lived many years thereafter to call them blessed. Capt. Oden often said that he was especially indebted to Miss Mollie Macgill, now Mrs. Rosenberg, of Galveston, and named a daughter Mollie Macgill Oden in honor and grate- ful remembrance of her. The intimaey and friend- ship between the Macgill and Oden families has been kept up ever since the war by correspondence and interchange of visits. * *
Capt. Oden died in Odena, Talledega County, Ala., May 23, 1895. All this particularity of detail
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has been entered into to show that all that could be said in praise of the Macgill family is well deserved and that indeed, thousands of ex-Confederates have cause to remember them kindly, generally, and some especially.
Through an interview published in the Macon, Ga., Daily Telegraph, of June 24th, 1894, Mr. Chester Pearce, a leading eitizen and politician of Georgia, adds his quota of grateful recollections to that of Capt. Oden. Mr. Pearce took part in the battle of Sharpsburg as a soldier in the Eighteenth Georgia, Hood's Texas Brigade; was shot entirely through the body with a minnie ball ; laid on the field many hours, and was finally carried to Hagerstown, Md., nine miles distant, where he . was placed in the hospital at the courthouse. Here the doctors declined to dress his wound, saying that it was useless as death would soon come to relieve hiim of his suffering. For two days lie lingered in this miserable condition with- out nourishment, no one even showing him the kindness to bathe his face and hands. Then a committee of ladies visited the hospital, among them the daughters of Dr. Macgill.
" These daughters of Dr. Macgill," says the interviewer, " ministering angels indeed, gave guarantee bond for the return of the young sol- dier, should he recover, and took him to their elegant and palatial home. Here for the first time he received medical attention, Dr. Chas. Macgill, Jr., taking him in charge and dressing his wounds. Miss Mollie Macgill, a beautiful young lady, became his nurse. In two months' time he was sufficiently recovered to go to Balti- more, the military post. llere Mr. James Carroll, a friend of Southern soldiers, gave guarantee bond for his safe-keeping and he was finally exchanged. He rejoined the Confederate army, took part in the murderous charge of Round Top - at the battle of Gettysburg; later was again captured by the Fed- erals and was sent by them to Fort Delaware ; made his escape, but was retaken and carried to Fort Henry, where he was thrown into a dungeon with the vilest of criminals and remained untilexchanged. He then again hurried to the front and fought in
the lines until he surrendered with the other soldiers of Gen. Lee's army at Appomatox. * *
* In the course of years, Miss Mollie Macgill, who had so tenderly nursed back to life the boy-soldier, married a Mr. Rosenberg, a wealthy banker of Gal- veston, Texas. There she met Mr. and Mrs. Dan Henderson, of Camilla, Ga., and told them the story of the young soldier she had nursed, and re- quested them to discover his whereabouts, if possible.
"Not long sinee Mr. Henderson read in the Macon Telegraph, that a Chester Pearce was a can- didate for the legislature from Houston County. Mrs. Rosenberg wrote to the candidate to know if he could be the Chester Pearce whom she had known in Maryland, sending her kindest regards, and this was the letter that brought forth the ' war record' of Chester Pearce, -- this was the letter of which he so fondly spoke and that elicited from bim expressions of grateful remembrance, worthy of the man and the kind friends who rescued him from an untimely grave."
In peace and war, -through all the vicissi- tudes of time and circumstance, the Macgills have been the same true, generous and chivalric race. Mrs. Rosenberg's life has been spent in an earnest, Christian effort to do all the good within her power and to render all about her happy. She has been a member of the Episcopal Church since she was sixteen years of age. After her husband' death, when it became known that his remains were to find sepulture out of the State, she was petitioned by thousands of people to allow them to be interred in one of the public squares of Galveston. She, however, carried out the wish expressed by him in his lifetime and consigned them to earth in Loudon park cemetery in Baltimore, Md., where his first wife is buried and a costly monument now marks the spot. Mrs. Rosenberg is a lady of rare brill- ianey and strength of mind. Her husband was deeply attached to her. She was in full sympathy with all his acts of beneficence and in every way aided him to the full extent of her power in all his undertakings. No lady in Galveston is more gen- erally admired and beloved.
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INDIAN WARS AND PIONEERS OF TEXAS.
149
JOHN SEALY,
GALVESTON.
The late lamented John Sealy, during many years a member of the famous banking house of Ball, Hutchings & Company, of Galveston, Texas, and an active promoter of the best interests of that city, was born in the great Wyoming Valley at Kingston, Luzerne County, Pa., October 18, 1822, and when fourteen years of age entered a country store as a clerk under an agreement to work for board and clothes until twenty-one years of age and then receive as further payment $100.00and an extra suit of clothing. When he had reached eight- een years of age bis employer, although continu- ing merchandising, engaged in developing coal mines in addition thereto, and soon found that the young employee was competent to look after these outside interests and placed him in charge of them as general manager, which position he continued to fill, under the terms of agreement originally entered into as to remuneration for personal ser- vices, until he had attained his majority. He was then retained on a salary until twenty-four years of age, when he determined to cast his fortunes with the people of the State of Texas. He arrived in Galveston in 1846 with about seven hundred and fifty dollars, saved from his earnings, and suc- ceeded in securing employment as salesmen in the house of Henry Hubbell & Co., who were at that time considered the leading dry goods merchants in the city. He continued in this position for about a year and during that time became ac- quainted with, and an intimate friend of Mr. J. H. Hutchings, bookkeeper for the firm. Mr. Hutchings had also saved from his salary about seven hundred and fifty dollars. The two young men decided to combine their means and go into business upon their own account and with their joint capital of fifteen hundred dollars succeeded in purchasing from Hubbell & Company, who had the greatest confidence in their integrity and capacity, a stock of goods, valued at several thou- sand dollars, which they took to the town of Sabine Pass, Texas, where they opened a store in 1847, under the firm name of Hutchings & Sealy. They soon won the confidence of the business community and built up a fine trade, which they rapidly ex- tended until they ranked as the leading merchants of the section. They remained in business at Sabine Pass, until 1854, when, having accumulated out $50,000.00, they deemed it advisable to
close out there and change their base of operations to some larger place. Accordingly they wound up their affairs at Sabine Pass, took a few months much needed rest, and moved to Galveston, where they formed a copartnership with Mr. George Ball, under the firm name of Ball, Hutchings & Company, and embarked in the general dry goods and commission business. The commission busi- ness was sold out in 1860 and the dry goods busi- ness in 1865, when the firm went regularly into the banking business. Two years later Mr. George Sealy was admitted to the copartnership, which continued with this personnel until the death of the subject of this sketch, Mr. John Sealy, August 29th, 1884. Mr. John Sealy's widow, Mrs. Rebecca Sealy, has been allowed to retain the partnership interest of her late husband in the business up to the present time, 1896.
Mr. Sealy was married to Miss Rebecea Davis of Bedford, Pa., in 1857. Two children, John and Jane Sealy, were born of this union. The son will succeed to his father's interest and become a full partner in the firm. Mr. Sealy was identified with every important public enterprise inaugurated in Galveston during his residence in that eity and was instrumental in originating many of them.
From the beginning he had a deep and abiding faith in the continued growth and prosperity of the city of his adoption and inspired all who came in con- tact with him with like confidence. He was an officer, or director, in nearly every corporation chartered and doing business in Galveston, by reason of his well recognized financial ability and the large stock interests that he held. At the time of his death he was the wealthiest man in Galveston, owning among other property a landed estate sufficiently large to form a good sized principality. Among other gen- erous bequests in his last will and testament hc set aside a sum of money for thic erection of a char- ity hospital which has since been erected at a cost of $75,000.00 and been of great benefit to the suf- fering poor of the State, as people from all parts of Texas are admitted free of charge. He did not wait until he no longer had a use for the things of this world to put his wealth to good purpose. Ilis life was a long record of worthy deeds and silent benefactions. As between himself and others, whether friends or enemies, he kept the scales of justice evenly balanced. No man could ever say
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that he had treated him unfairly. He was incapa- ble of a little, mean or unworthy aetion.
He started in the race of life penniless and with- out friends, other than those he had won by his energy, truthfulness, faithful discharge of duty, adherence to correct principles and purity of thought, speech and living. He resisted and over- came many temptations and encountered and sur- mounted many obstacles, following always with undeviating fidelity the lode-star of duty. His career in all essential respeets was identical with that of his brother, Mr. George Sealy, a biography of whom appears elsewhere in this volume. The following is from the Galveston News of Sunday, August 31, 1884 :-
" To say that the news of the death of Mr. John Sealy touched the whole community with a deep thrill of sorrow yesterday, but poorly conveys the idea of the sense of the community upon the sudden taking away of one of its most prominent members. The flags upon the Santa Fe general office, Custom- House, Cotton Exchange, Galveston News building, British, German, Russian, Norwegian and Austrian consular offices, engine houses, Artillery Hall, Tur- ner Hall, Beach Hotel, Mallory and Morgan offices, Hendley, Reymershoffer, Blum Block, Oppenheimer & Co.'s, Kauffman & Runge, Marwitz, and a num- ber of other buildings, not now remembered, were placed at half-mast in honor of the memory of Mr. Sealy. An hour before the time set for the funeral, clouds gathered heavily in the north, and the pros- pect of a storm prevented many from attending the funeral services, but, as it was, there were hun- dreds present. The officers and employees of the Santa Fe road formed at the general office in a body and marehed to the residence. A number of the members of Hook and Ladder Company No. 1, were also present.
"The floral tributes were numerous and beauti- ful, the casket being literally covered with choice flowers most artistieally arranged.
" At five o'clock, Rev. Dr. S. M. Bird, rector of Trinity Church, began the reading of the solemn and impressive serviee for the dead. Upon its con- clusion he delivered the following beautiful aud touching comment upon the good man gone : -
" ' Words of eulogy flow almost spontaneously as we stand amidst the funercal tributes to excellence and worth.
" ' We have to restrain, rather than encourage, the natural instincts of affection which inspire the coronation of a successful and generous life.
" We look into the calm, dead face of our friend and brother and read there all the story of amia- bility, frankness and honor, and as we recall the
outlines of a life so suddenly closed, memory fully anticipates the epitaph which will be carved upon his tomb. We think of him as citizen, father, friend, neiglibor, and each chapter unfolds its blending harmonies of goodness, purity and virtue. When one of the old Patrician leaders of Rome expired, it was the custom of the common grief for each associate and colleague to bring to his bier the eblematic tokens of the particular virtue which most impressed itself upon the offerer. One brought the laurels which crowned his brow with the badges of noble bearing and courtly pride ; another placed in his dead hands, the white lilies of purity, commemorating a gentle life and unself- ish patriotism ; a third plaeed upon his shield the red rose of unsullied courage and iron purpose ; and thus, part by part, his catafalque was strewn with the silent symbols of worthiness and renown. I have thought if each one of ourselves could come from our reserve and give out from the respective treasures of our knowledge the impressions made by the long and useful life of our departed friend, the homage would be large indeed, for we would not cease until we had robed his casket in a funeral mantle, graceful as ever covered that of Roman senator or conscript father. To his public spirit and organizing industry our prosperous city is indebted for large and enduring elements of its permanency and present growth. Forecasting with unerring genius the future of Galveston, he conceived and carried out many of its in- stitutions which contribute to-day to its stability and wealth. Prompt with his judgment and good will, he promoted every interest which looked to the happiness of the people and the increase of their fortunes. Generous oftentimes beyond his share, he led the way in the courses of liberality and im- provements. His business and untiring industry became a passion to him, which laid up its results in strong material success for himself and in large and generous returns for others. Wealth brings power and responsibility, and so to his native strength of purpose, we find in maturer years this new gift added to his resources - a gift used so wisely that nearly every enterprise of public or municipal interest was unprojected until his name, his judgment, and his co-operation were first as- sured. This done, his fellow-citizens and fellow- capitalists were inspired by the one needed resolu- tion which almost invariably leads up to such positive results as leave little to be desired. Responsibility. too, was fully appreciated, and so we find the strong and solid banking house, whose business he con- tribnted so much to enlarge and strengthen, became identified directly and at once with every depart-
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ment of the city's life, and widely enough in the progress of the entire State. The founder of a city, who lay's deeply those varied elements which make up the security of its wealth, the integrity of its credit and the happiness of its homes, must outrank in the hightest verdict every one of those who, with martial victories and trained warfare, destroy and pull down the habitations of man. A suecessful citizen is always a more interesting man than a conquering soldier, as the spirit of construction is always more large than the spirit which destroys. In the later days of his health and vigor many of his friends dis- covered a strong physical and personal resem- blanee to the greatest soldier of the Northern armies. The likeness was remarkable, and yet we may be pardoned in rejoicing that our departed friend and brother possessed powers of worth and appliance of virtue so different and so much more laudable, that they will endure in their fruits of increase long after the ashes of smoking towns and the ruin of a people's industries have faded from the records which they so long disfigured. The commonwealth is made up of its citizens, and its best citizens are always the basis of its strength and the welcome prophecies of its fortunes. If we pass from his life as a citizen to his life as a man of business we diseover similar distinguishing marks of excellence. One of the finest tributes I ever heard to a inan of business was awarded to Mr. Sealy by his lifelong friend and partner at the latter's house on the occasion of a brilliant marriage, and the entire worthiness of the testimony was seen in the hearty sanction of the moment, and is echoed loudly by every one brought into commer- cial relations with him. Whether as banker, rail- road manager, president of a corporation, or a private in the ranks -- the same straightforward- ness, integrity and painstaking, was the simple secret which made him everywhere trusted, and, most of all, by those whose dealings with him were intimate, mutual and constant. He enriched him- self never at the expense of others, while others were made partakers with him in all his successes and his fortunes. This is no small consideration in these days when men are 'making haste to get rich ;' when, regardless of the social compact, careless of all moral restraint, impatient at the checks of conscience and defiant against every principle of virtue, they trample down all obstacles in the way of interest, until duty, honor and truth are outraged - wrecked in the rapid eagerness to achieve results - and high names and the highest places, and highest trusts are prostituted, drag- ged down in the financial scramble to the level
of common fraud and unblushing crime. Here there is not a whisper of detraction or reproach. If large wealth rewarded his industry and toil, it was the normal issue of a large heart which refused all unjust and ungenerous methods. His hands are clean, even in death, because they never worked in the lower ventures of avariee and greed ; and so. too, his hands were liberal, with a liberality which was always his own and not another's. The mer- cantile spirit of the age was strong within him - too strong, for it overtaxed his time and his strength. In this mammon-loving country, I suppose his temptations were strong and keen, as only success- ful men can feel them; but always they seemed dominated by a justice and discretion which led us all to recognize his calin superiority to passing inducements and a 'conscience void of offense.' More than twelve years continuously I have been his neighbor. It is needless to say that in him I always felt that I had a neighbor ; yea, more, a friend, a counselor and confidant. His pleasing manners and cheerful bearing made him accessible to a fault. One was reassured at the outset, and invited to the freest confidence. More than once I have felt drawn to his side in my moments of doubt, and depended upon him in my moments of hesita- tion, and always I have met just what I required and in the way that I wanted it. To my church he gave a constant support, to my work an open hand, and to myself a generous and unswerving friend- ship. I may not intrude upon the inner circle of his retired home, where he has been a father, a husband, a brother - where his eoming has been always- as the coming of the genial light which falls upon the flowers, where his intercourse has been of that quiet and considerate careful- ness which made blessings fall like sunbeams upon every member of his family. Yesterday the light of his house went down in thick darkness. The shadows of eventide, coming with the elosing hours of his life, fell like a pall of niglit upon all his home. A strong brother's arm is no more within reach, and the strong voice of gentle love, his children will wonder why they can no longer hear. Home to him was his atmosphere, his paradise. Rarely could he be drawn from its charmed circle. Only affairs of urgent business and necessity could tempt him abroad. This led some to think him retiring and reserved, but his home was his own creation, and the ideal of his earthly life, made lovely by his own good heart and stamped anew every day with his genial and kindly nature. In this home the tears are falling fast, as they will flow long. In this home hearts are aching with strange and new sorrows, which come
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but once in a lifetime. And so, dear friends, we gather here to join our weeping with those who weep, to pour into these stricken souls the unction of our kindliest sympathy and to unite our praise to God, heart and spirit, over one who excelled in virtue. The morning is not far off, when all this ' thick darkness ' will disappear from this home and from all other homes of human woe and be-
reavement; the morning when Christ our Lord will open the graves of the blessed dead and reveal to us iu fuller measure the one hope which now supports us all, the almighty love of our Father, out of which all human goodness comes, the tender mercy of the Son, which to know is eternal life indeed, and the consolation of the spirit of truth which the world cannot understand.' " .
JOHN H. HUTCHINGS,
GALVESTON.
The business world has its marks no less brilliant and distinct than those which characterize the emi- nence of what are called the learned professions, made by men who have borne the banners of progress along the pathways of moral, social and material development ; men who, free from all sub- serviency to popular whims and popular delusions, bed their footprints in the practical affairs and utilities of life, and know nothing of the influences prevailing in the race for political or professional distinction. Theirs is a school of self-denial, of patience, firmness of purpose, and above all, an unswerving integrity, and the suppression of those passions which promote the ignis fotuli of ambition and fame. It is here that individual capacity and action are made the tests of true merit and true manhood ; and it is in this school that true benevo- lence, practical philanthropy, and an enlightened self-interest coincide in the various business and social relations of husband, father, neighbor and citizen. Endowed with excellence in all these rela- tions, the subject of this sketch planted his foot- steps in the pioneer paths of the commerce of a great State, and led the advance in the development of the prosperous city of his home and love.
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