USA > Virginia > City of Lynchburg > City of Lynchburg > Historic and heroic Lynchburg > Part 5
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When his remains were brought to Lynchburg, the whole population turned out to attend his burial, which took place from St. Paul's Episcopal Church of which he was a member. Amid the tolling of bells and the mourning of the entire community he was laid to rest in the old Presbyterian Cemetery, and his memory is held in honor today by every citizen of his native city, as well as among the survivors of his comrades in whose behalf I now present this portrait.
VIII.
GENERAL JAMES DEARING
SPEECH OF FRED. HARPER, ESQ., ON PRESENTA- TION OF PORTRAIT OF GENERAL JAMES DEARING TO CAMPBELL COUNTY MARCH 13, 1933
May It Please the Court:
It is to be regretted that this particular service might not be assumed by one better qualified for its adequate performance; one whose knowledge of the period and figures involved is more ex- tensive and more accurate; whose contemporaneous contacts and associations would furnish a desirable personal viewpoint; and whose literary and oratorical equipment could better meet the just demands of the occasion.
But if the results of an intensive, but a necessarily hasty, study of available data may be offered in place of that wider and sounder knowledge; if a sincere and unbounded admiration for the gallant hero whose memory is to be thus honored may be accepted in substitute for a more intimately personal approach; and if a deep pride in the assignment may be frankly confessed and tendered in lieu of higher qualifications; then the service may be undertaken with less misgiving. At least, because of my affectionate regard for those now most nearly concerned, by whom the invitation was so graciously extended, and because the subject of this tribute was so beloved and esteemed by another who has been similarly honored here, and from whom I imbibed much of the information I do possess, and even more of the admiration which I feel, the task is approached con amore.
If some great sculptor, of creative genius, in the days of its glorious struggle, had been commissioned to present to the world, in enduring bronze, a figure which would embody the high ideals, the dauntless courage, and the chivalrous virtues of the militant Con- federacy, he would have moulded the masculine form of a youthful officer, of stalwart proportions but of physical beauty. In the
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pose and bearing would have been depicted the unconquerable spirit within. Upon the countenance would have been seen the calm and clear eyed gaze of one conscious of his own rectitude and confident of the justice of his cause. Mounted upon a noble, curvetting steed, the whole figure, from plumed crown to spur tipped heel, would have bespoken his own gallantry and chivalry and that which was so distinctly characteristic of his people for whom he fought.
And for a perfect model, one that only needed to be faithfully portrayed, the artist might well have chosen Brigadier General James Dearing; for in him was combined the grace and beauty, the dashing courage and military flaire, the cleanness of soul and loftiness of ideals, the unfaltering devotion and unswerving loyalty, that made him a Southern Beau Ideal.
"They that on glorious ancestors enlarge Produce their debt, and not their discharge."
But where that inherited noblesse oblige has been splendidly observed, even unto the last great sacrifice of life itself, a dis- tinguished ancestry may be vouched with pride, in acknowledgment of its transmission of that native equipment of blood and breeding, which has so flowered into noble achievement.
Charles Lynch, of Irish extraction and a youthful immigrant to Virginia, became a member of the Colonial House of Burgesses, representing that jurisdiction which embraced what is now Camp- bell County. He contributed to that liberty loving body, assembled at Williamsburg, the ability and character and sturdy common sense of one of Virginia's foremost pioneer citizens. And from its associations he drew much which deepened and strengthened his own patriotic loyalty and love for his new country.
These qualities he transmitted to his son, Charles Lynch, who became a Colonel of infantry in the Army commanded by General Greene, and who served with distinction in the important campaigns upon which it was engaged throughout our Revolutionary War.
It was this same Colonel Charles Lynch who, with equal dis- tinction, performed an equally important service during that forma- tive period. As chosen Judge of an improvised local Court, with- out strict legal authority, but with every compliance with proper
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principles of criminal jurisprudence, he did much to protect and preserve the lives and property of our citizens from real lawlessness and crime. It is unfortunate that "Lynch Law," with such an origin, has acquired so sinister, and so different, a meaning as used today.
On the paternal side, another great-grandfather, James Dearing, was also a distinguished officer in the Revolutionary Army, serving under the immediate command of the immortal Washington himself.
In direct descent from these maternal and paternal forebears, in undefiled streams, through successive channels which kept them clean and pure, flowed the bloods which eventually commingled in the veins of James Dearing. It was a heritage more to be cherished, and by him accounted of higher value, than all the broad acres which had nourished it for generations.
James Dearing was the son of James Griffin Dearing and his wife, Mary Ann Lynch Dearing, and was born in Campbell County, on April 25, 1840, at the family homestead bearing the euphonious name of "Otterburne."
His father died when he was but seven years of age; and there- after he was reared in the home of Charles H. Lynch, his great uncle, at "Lynch's Creek," a location now known as "Edgewood," just beyond the present limits of the City of Lynchburg.
Even in his childhood, young Dearing showed such predilection for things military that he was frequently referred to in the family as "the little soldier."
His academic education was received in part at the Reid School in Lynchburg, to and from which he was accustomed to ride on horseback. He was a natural rider, even as a boy, and he became a superb horseman. He loved the feel of a good mount between his knees. And he delighted to perform equestrian feats of such skill and daring as to arouse the admiration and envy of his less venturesome and less accomplished companions.
After finishing at the Reid School, he attended Hanover Academy near Richmond. Here, as everywhere during his life, he impressed his associates by the charm of his personality and the keenness of his mind. "Jimmie" Dearing was ever a favorite, in any company.
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When he was eighteen years of age, an opportunity was pre- sented which enabled him to achieve a cherished ambition. Hon. Thomas S. Bocock, a member of Congress from this District, tendered him the appointment as cadet to the U. S. Military Academy at West Point. The offer was accepted with eager en- thusiasm; and in 1858, the young soldier entered upon his chosen career, destined to be a glorious one, though, unhappily, all too brief.
At West Point he soon made himself an outstanding figure in his class, and he won the affectionate admiration and esteem of the entire corps.
Full of buoyant life, with youth's avidity for its normal pleasures, he was a leader in the social activities of his group. Playing his own accompaniment upon the banjo, he often sang the old songs which were known and loved by all. And he was the first to introduce to his comrades there the soul stirring "Dixie," which many of them were to hear, again and again, on other occasions, amid less peaceful surroundings.
General Morris Shaff, one time a member of the staff of General Grant, was in the same class with young Dearing. In his book, "The Spirit of Old West Point," he makes affectionate reference to him in these words:
"The mention of his name will recall to everyone who was at West Point with him . . . his tall figure, his naturally hearty greeting, and his naturally happy face. Moreover to those who were his close friends,-I am sure everyone was who was in Company D with him- there will come into their vision groups of cadets in gray and white, now in barracks now in camp, and in their midst will be Dearing, playing on his banjo and singing 'Dixie'."
And this same officer, who ever retained his affectionate memory of his young classmate, wrote to General Dearing's daughter in 1921 :
"What a handsome and great hearted fellow he
was! Easily the natural leader of his class."
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Upon such a cadet, in such congenial surroundings, the blow of the Civil War fell with that peculiar force which those alone felt who were compelled to choose between the army in which they were already commissioned, and to which they were bound by so many ties, on the one hand, and the unformed army of their own Southland, on the other.
But young Dearing, though yet in his 'teens, following the ex- ample of the illustrious Lee, did not hesitate. When his native Virginia took her place beside her sister states under the new flung "Stars and Bars," he promptly tendered his resignation from the Academy, and turned southward, to offer his sword to his own people, to share their fortunes and to abide their fate.
He made his way, not without difficulty and by a circuitous route, to Richmond. Having preference for the artillery branch of the service, he was commissioned as Second Lieutenant and assigned to the Washington Artillery, a battalion organized in New Orleans. This was done at the request of Lieutenant-Colonel Walton, com- manding the battalion, upon the suggestion of Lieutenant Rosser, who had been with Dearing at West Point.
After the battles of Bull Run and Manassas, in 1861, in which this splendid unit had been engaged, though not heavily, Dearing was assigned to Rosser's Battery of the Battalion, the latter having been made a captain.
Rosser has said of him that, by virtue of his personal charm, skill and accomplishments, he soon became: "The most popular young officer in the army."
In the fall of 1861 the Battery was engaged, as part of the forces under General J. E. B. Stuart, in many raids and fights around Munson's Hill and Lewinville, in the reports of which Lieutenant Dearing was stated to have been "conspicuous in ex- hibiting superb courage and military skill and ability."
In the spring of 1862, Captain H. Grey Latham having resigned, Dearing was unanimously elected as Captain of Latham's Battery, which was organized at Lynchburg and which was made up of many of his boyhood friends and companions.
He soon rose to the rank of Major and had a battalion of four batteries under him, including Latham's Battery. And he dis- tinguished himself for the dash and skill which he displayed in
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numerous engagements, including the great Battle of Gettysburg, where his battalion was furiously engaged in the artillery duel which marked the third day's fighting.
In the winter of 1863-64, General Pickett, with the remnant of his famous Division, was assigned to service in eastern North Caro- lina, with headquarters at Petersburg, Va. He was badly in need of cavalry. Collecting such a force of mounted men as were avail- able, he placed them under the command of Major Dearing, and he requested that Dearing be ordered to this command, with temporary rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He was given this assign- ment; but General Lee suggested his command of the artillery to be used in the expedition against New Berne.
While thus in touch with headquarters at Petersburg, young Dearing diverted from military duties long enough to woo and win the hand of Miss Roxana Birchett, of that city, to whom he was married and to which union there was born a daughter, now Mrs. Frank P. Christian, of Lynchburg, happily present here today.
During the campaign in Carolina several fortified posts near Plymouth became the immediate objectives for capture. Al- though these were defended by superior numbers, Colonel Dearing determined to attempt this by assault. On the fourteenth day of March, 1864, as he was leading his cavalry into this movement, he noted his old battalion, including Latham's Battery, then under Captain J. W. Dickerson, of Lynchburg, in position near at hand.
Inspired by the spirit of dashing and daring courage, which was his most conspicuous attribute, he wrote a new page in military history and introduced a new feature in the art of war. He com- manded his old battalion of artillery to charge with his cavalry.
Following their intrepid leader, the gallant gunners limbered and unlimbered, fired and charged, fired and charged again and again, taking their cannon and caissons along as so much light cavalry equipment. The novelty of such a charge, and the im- petuosity of its execution, had much to do with the brilliant success which the movement achieved in the capture of all the objectives.
Later General Forrest and perhaps others, adopted this same expedient, but to Colonel Dearing must be awarded the distinction of being the first officer ever to use artillery as an integral part of a dashing cavalry charge.
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For his distinguished service on this occasion he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General of Cavalry. He was yet but a youth, being only twenty-three years of age. It is the understanding of the family that this promotion was announced on the field. If so, he was the youngest officer to attain this rank, in either army. The actual commission was issued on April 29, 1864; but even with this date as a basis, there were only two others to share this distinction with him.
However young in years, he was a seasoned veteran in experi- ence, and his demonstrated skill, his capacity for leadership, and his subsequent service, justified this promotion. Shortly thereafter he was placed in charge of the horse artillery of the Army of Northern Virginia.
When Brigadier-General Rosser, who had for some time been in command of the famous "Laurel Brigade" of Cavalry, was pro- moted to the rank of Major General, he and General Lee corres- ponded as to the most suitable officer to succeed to that command.
General Lee wrote:
"There is a very gallant and meritorious young Brigadier - General of Cavalry, who has an irregular command, which is not such as he should have, and I think it would be best to transfer him to your old brigade. ... I know you will like him, for he is liked by everybody and is one of the most promising young officers of the Army."
He was referring to James Dearing; and to the delight of General Rosser, his old friend, the young Brigader became the commander of the great cavalry brigade, organized by the lamented Ashby, and called by Rosser "the finest brigade of cavalry that ever marched or fought under the Starry Cross." This means that it was the finest that ever marched under any banner in all history.
Winning fresh laurels for his command and for himself, he led them with conspicuous ability in numerous fights which attended the declining star of the Confederacy. Assisting in covering the retreat of Lee, time and again he turned upon the pursuing enemy, and taught them that the southern soldiers were still fighting.
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On April 6, 1865, when Federal troops were attempting the capture and destruction of High Bridge, an essential railroad trestle near Farmville, General Dearing bore the brunt of its pro- tection. A furious hand to hand engagement occurred. In the midst of the melee, while in the act of firing his pistol, with arm extended, he was seriously wounded by an accidental shot from one of his own men.
At that time he carried in his pocket, with what pride may well be imagined, a letter from General Lee, in which his beloved Chieftain had notified him that the papers for his promotion to the rank of Major-General were then in the hands of the Secretary of War; graciously adding :
"A promotion already too long delayed by reason of my inability to fill your present command of the Laurel Brigade."
And he was not yet twenty-five years of age!
General Dearing, desperately wounded, was hurriedly moved to the Ladies' Relief Hospital in Lynchburg, where despite all available skill, his sorrowing family and friends could only watch with agonized hearts, as the inevitable end drew nearer and nearer.
Lee had surrendered. The Confederacy was doomed. And Lynchburg, a long sought prize, was about to fall into the hands of the enemy.
As Federal troops approached to invest the City, General Mc- Kenzie, the commanding officer, Dearing's classmate at West Point, heard of his old friend's condition. With chivalrous con- sideration, he sent a courier to request that General Dearing be not moved, giving assurance that he would not be required to take the prescribed oath, nor permitted to be othewise disturbed or embarrassed.
Shortly thereafter General Mckenzie called in person at the Hospital. Entering the room where General Dearing was lying, he dropped upon his knees at the bedside and burst into tears-a touching tribute from a gallant soldier to a stricken enemy who was still a beloved friend.
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On April 23, 1865, General Dearing succumbed to his wound; and his clean young soul winged its way to that sphere reserved for those alone who have nobly lived and nobly died.
On April 25, 1865, his twenty-fifth birthday, the casket con- taining his remains was draped with the flag which he had so valiantly held aloft, so bravely defended and so loyally loved. Drawn by "Old Whitey," the army horse of his life long friend, Major John W. Daniel, and which had carried him, and later General Jubal A. Early, on numerous battlefields, the body was borne to the family plat at "Lynch's Creek" and reverently interred.
Subsequently it was removed to Spring Hill Cemetery, in Lynch- burg, where it now rests in its last long sleep.
It is meet and right that, among those of her sons deemed most worthy to receive the tribute of a memorial in this building, Camp- bell County should include this gallant and brilliant young soldier. And the addition of this handsome portrait too, the gallery already so auspiciously begun, is an important contribution toward the ultimate purpose of making this Temple of Justice also a hallowed patriotic shrine.
It is destined to become one, to which, through the years, our people will again and again repair, in reverence and devotion, to pay homage to the memory of those thus honored, who shall have gloriously achieved, nobly lived and splendidly served. Here such pilgrims will receive the inspiration that must come from the study of their countenances and the contemplation of their illustrious examples. And here they will be led to reconsecrate themselves to worthy emulation.
That inspiration to deeds of gallantry and chivalry, to lives of usefulness and honor, and to patriotic service, will flow no more compellingly from any face that will ever look down from these walls than from the portrait which, in loving memory, we dedicate here today; that of James Dearing, Brigadier-General, C. S. A.
IX.
MAJOR-GENERAL JAMES DEARING
REMARKS ACCEPTING HIS PORTRAIT, AS JUDGE OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF CAMPBELL COUNTY
Mr. Harper, Ladies and Gentlemen :
It is a profound pleasure and privilege to accept on behalf of the Court and people of Campbell County, this portrait of one of its most illustrious sons, which has just been presented in appro- priate and eloquent words by Mr. Harper. To him, as well as to the daughter of General Dearing, Mrs. Frank P. Christian, the donor of this splendid picture of General Dearing, and to Mrs. J. A. Mahood, the artist, who has executed it in such handsome style, we desire to acknowledge our sincere appreciation and thanks. It is gratifying indeed to have this noble addition to the portrait gallery of her distinguished sons which Campbell County, largely through the inspiration and activity of one of her most loyal citizens, Honorable Robert A. Russell, is beginning to assemble here upon the walls of this court room. Already we have six such portraits, in addition to the tablets erected to the memory of General William Campbell, after whom the county was named, and General Dearing's ancestor, Colonel Charles Lynch, dis- tinguished officer of the Revolution whose name is associated with the summary mode of execution known as "Lynch Law," although as administered by him it was a very different thing from the criminal offense associated with it now. It is regretted that no portraits of General Campbell and Colonel Lynch are now avail- able.
It is especially appropriate it seems to me that this portrait of General Dearing should hang here alongside of that of Major John W. Daniel, his lifelong friend and comrade in arms, and that of General Thomas L. Rosser, under whose command he served, and who admired him greatly, saying that he was one of the most fearless, dashing and skillful officers in the army. Well
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indeed may the people of Campbell look upon this portrait here- after and derive inspiration from the noble and beautiful coun- tenance of one of the most romantic and chivalrous characters produced by the great Civil War, a character destined to shine in history along with such heroic figures as those of the gallant Turner Ashby who organized and led the famous Laurel Brigade which Dearing afterwards commanded, the immortal J. E. B. Stuart, the "flower of cavaliers," and the gallant Pelham, the famous boy artillerist (Dearing was himself a major of artillery before he became a brigadier of cavalry), all of whom laid down their lives in battle for the cause to Southern hearts so dear.
Mr. Clerk, it is the order of the Court that this portrait of General Dearing be accepted on behalf of the Court and people of Campbell County, and that it remain upon the wall of this court room as a constant reminder to all beholders of the virtues of courage, patriotism and loyalty.
X.
PRESENTING THE PORTRAIT OF REV. T. M. CARSON, D. D. CONFEDERATE BATTLE ABBEY RICHMOND, VA., DECEMBER 8, 1923
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen :
It is an honor of which I am deeply appreciative to have been selected by his children to present on their behalf this portrait of one whom in life I loved and whose memory I will never cease to revere. From the time when as an infant I received at his hands the rite of holy baptism until his body was borne to the tomb, my life was intimately connected with his, and along with many others who still live in Lynchburg, where he labored so long and so faith- fully, I will ever continue to think of him as my ideal of a Christian minister and a holy, humble and faithful servant of God.
Of his record as a soldier of the Confederacy it is more fitting that his comrades should speak, but none who ever knew him can doubt that in that cause as well as in the cause of his Divine Master, Christ, he was brave, devoted, forgetful of self, and unswerving in the performance of duty. As a man, as a citizen, as a minister of the Gospel, Dr. Carson exemplified the highest attributes of a noble nature and a lofty spirit. In Lynchburg, where the best years of his life were given to unremitting service, there is no name held in deeper reverence or more abiding affection. It is doubtful if in the history of that city any pastorate ever existed for a longer period than did that of Dr. Carson at St. Paul's Church. For well nigh a third of a century this godly man preached and labored among our people, endearing himself to all who came within the sphere of his holy influence, and "throughout all this tract of years wearing the white flower of a blameless life."
The Rev. Theodore Myers Carson, D. D., a son of the late Judge Joseph S. Carson, of Winchester, Virginia, was born April 30, 1834, and died in Lynchburg, Virginia, September 24, 1902.
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After attending the schools in his native town of Winchester, he completed his collegiate course at Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where he graduated, receiving successively the de- grees of Bachelor and Master of Arts.
Immediately after leaving college he entered the ministry, and at the outbreak of the war enlisted in the army of the Confederate States, as chaplain of the Seventh Virginia Cavalry, with the rank of captain. After serving nearly three years as such, he was trans- ferred to the Field Hospital Corps, formerly General Stonewall Jackson's command, but at that time under the command of General Gordon, and was under-chaplain of that corps.
Three days before Appomattox, at the battle of Sailor's Creek he was captured and along with many Confederate officers was con- fined first in the old Capitol Prison, in Washington, and later at Johnson's Island, where he was compelled to remain for several months after the surrender.
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