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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 28th 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.”
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