Obituaries of Charles B. Stewart

The Standard, Clarksville, Red County, Texas
August 7, 1885
Page 2, cols 4 & 5
From the Vertical Files of
Montgomery County Memorial Library

A Noble Texas Veteran Gone

There are some men who cannot well be spared and whose friends feel loth to give them up. There is a stereotyped grief which fames out at the announcement of every death of a person prominent officially or socially, which is only a respectful formula; but there is quite a different feeling brought out by death of others, whose departure leaves real grief, because in all the surrounding there is no man to step in and fill the place. The old veterans of Texas, the men who were in at the birth; who gave their loftiest impulses devotedly to the cause of Texas independence, are fast disappearing. Many nominal veterans still take places in the annual meetings but they are mostly those who came in after ’37, when the danger of conquest was over, and no doubt remained that Texas could maintain its national integrity. Among the old guard were some choice spiritsmen of superior intelligence, and the manner which is born of high intelligence, and association with persons of culture. Of these were Houston, Austin, Rusk, Lamar, the Whartons, Peter W. Grayson, Collinsworth, Archer, Burnet, Sidney Johnston, Pinckney Henderson, Hemphill, Judge Webb, Lipscomb, Jack, Potter, Rhoads Fisher, Judge Love, Levi Jones, Samuel M. Williams, Chalmers, Ben Franklin, and perhaps others whom we cannot call up immediately; and then there was another class, not scholarly, but of fine intelligence, some reading, great determination, purity, and simplicity of manners, whom to know was surely to like, and retain a regard for; men of nerve, patriotism, honor and positive character and entire reliability. Perhaps at the time we speak of when the young nation was going through the throes of its birth, the veteran just gone twas too young to have been classed with the first, yet helped that degree of intelligence which pointed him out, delegate as he was, as the desirable man for Secretary of the convention, and one to assist in the framing of the instrument, which declared the independence of Texas. Whatever may have been his intellectual grade then, the germ must have existed which induced the devotion of his later life to study. Of a good family in Carolina, with associations with the Hamiltons, the Prioleans, the Bees, the Haynes, and the Hunts of Charleston, he left South Carolina in 1830 and made his way to Texas. A veteran ladyfriend and one with whom we claim acquaintance, came over in the same schooner with him from New Orleans, and describes him with the same attributes – those which he maintained to his death, nervous, impulsive, outspoken, and high strung – he was a determined foe,  and the warmest of friends. Knowing all the prominent men of ’35 and ’36, he had his estimate of each, and freely expressed it. It did not in every instance agree with the popular estimate. We think he never came to the veterans meetings or endeavored to make himself prominent. Perhaps one reason was his unfortunate deafness, which compelled him to use an ear trumpet. During the war of the confederacy, he was warmly for the south, and after the termination of the conflict, when several of his neighbors and himself were arrested, on an unwarrantable charge of interference with an election, and dragged off to Galveston for trial, he employed counsel for all, and provided for expenses. He loved Texas and the South, and hated all shams. Originally a druggist, and not really a physician, though he bore the title, he had like many old Texans, drifted into Land accumulation, and at the [time of] his death had considerable property. His residence on a high prairie elevation near Montgomery, was spacious, much like an old Texas home of 1840 to ’50 with all surroundings of comfort but no display. He had a good library, and devoted much time to study, day and night, especially to speculative subjects. Adjacent to his house, a small farm was laid off into several lots, in which he experimented in agriculture, to determine products suited to his locality, and the best modes of culture, to give the benefit of his neighbors. After we saw him last in ’83 he made a trip to Eureka, upon our suggestion to try the effect of the water upon his deafness, but did not remain long enough to make any proper test. We imagine that this was partially the result of the isolation that surrounds a deaf man, among strangers, and causes home and book to be congenial. He appreciated however, highly, all intelligent association, if he could feel that he did not weary by the disability of his deafness; and appreciated very highly the attentions of some Clarksville ladies, and the hotel keeper at Eureka, to whom we gave him letters. He was the very warmest of friends and that is why we really grieve for his death.

We first met him at the Avenue hotel in Austin, where we both stopped, at Coke’s first inauguration as Governor. He was a member of the House of Representatives from Montgomery. Next we met him at Montgomery. in ’83 , and saw him each day for a week. His death leaves only two of the signers of the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Texas and one of the remaining is an old and feeble man. These are the last of a very gallant band, many of whom have illustrated their value as soldiers in war, and citizens in peace and whose like will hardly appear again upon the scenes of action. We feel that we cannot permit this one to pass away, without laying a wreath, simple but evergreen, upon his bier. We see that this fellow citizens paid due honor to his remains.

He leaves one son, who is a popular county official, a widowed daughter, and one unmarried daughter. This is the dispatch on which we base our tribute of respect:

A telegram from Montgomery, Texas, of the 28^th ins., announces the death of another old Texas veteran. The dispatch says:

“Hon. C. B. Stewart died at this residence here at 2 o’clock this morning. He was eighty-one years old. He came to Texas in 1830. He was a member of the administrative council in 1834, was a signer of the Texas declaration of independence, and was the last, but one, living. He was one of a committee of twenty-one appointed to draft a constitution for the republic; was a member of the first Constitutional Convention after annexation; was the first secretary of state under Governor Smith; was a member of the legislature in 1850 and 1851 and in 1874 and 1875. He was one of the best informed men of the State, and his well-practiced mind was active to the last. Our State has lost one of its most useful and honored citizens. He lived an active life and leaves a fine estate. His many acts of charity and benevolence were done in such a quiet way that they were not known until told by the recipients. He was a man of strong likes and dislikes, and would do anything for his friends. He will be buried at 9 a.m. tomorrow by the Masons.”

Obituary from The Galveston Daily News,
Wednesday, July 29, 1885
From the Vertical Files of
Montgomery County Memorial Library

Obituary
Hon. C. B. Stewart
(Special to the News.)

Montgomery, July 28. Hon. C. B. Stewart died at his residence here at 2 o’clock this morning. He passed away without a struggle. He was 81 years old. He came to Texas in 1830. He was a member of the administrative council in 1834, was a signer of the Texas declaration of independence, and was the last, but one, living. He was one of a committee of twenty-one appointed to draft a constitution for the republic; was a member of the first Constitutional Convention after annexation; was the first secretary of state under Governor Smith; was a member of the legislature in 1850 and 1851 and in 1874 and 1875. He was one of the best informed men of the State, and his well-practiced mind was active to the last. Our State has lost one of its most useful and honored citizens. He lived an active life and leaves a fine estate. His many acts of charity and benevolence were done in such a quiet way that they were not known until told by the recipients. He was a man of strong likes and dislikes, and would do anything for his friends. He will be buried at 9 a.m. tomorrow by the Masons.