1903
Captain
Hugh M. Middleton
1903
SUDDEN
DEATH OF WELL KNOWN CITIZEN
Was
a Confederate Veteran, a Former Member of the County Court and
a
Prominent Democrat - Fell Dead While Seated in a Chair at his home
on
McCallie Avenue
About 1:30 o'clock yesterday afternoon, while seated in the dining room
of his residence, No. 101 McCallie avenue, Esquire Hugh M. MIDDLETON was taken
ill of heart trouble and in less than five minutes, and before medical aid,
which had been hurriedly summoned, could arrive, he was dead.
For several months he has been complaining of heart trouble and he seemed
to have a kind of premonition as what was in store for him, as he often remarked
that he believed he would die of heart failure and that the time of his death
was not far off. Yesterday he
seemed in excellent health and the fatal attack came while he was talking to his
wife and E. O. WELLS, his son-in-law. While
he was speaking, he fell from his seat as though in a faint and in the arms of
Mr. WELLS he was carried to his bedroom. A
physician was sent for, but when Dr. NOLEN arrived life had been extinct for
several minutes.
The deceased leaves a wife and four children, two boys and two daughters.
They are Harry and Charles MIDDLETON of Pittsburg, PA., Miss Margaret
MIDDLETON of New York and Mrs. E. O. Wells of this city.
SKETCH
OF THE DECEASED.
Capt. Hugh M. MIDDLETON was born Aug. 20, 1835, near Cunningham, in
Forsythe Co., GA. He moved with his
parents Capt. and Mrs. John MIDDLETON of Chattanooga county near Summerville, in
the same state, in the year 1838. His
father died there in the same year, leaving his widow, Matilda MIDDLETON, and
five sons, Albert, Andrew J., John, Hugh M., and William P. MIDDLETON.
Albert MIDDLETON died in Mexico in the year 1847, being at that time a
member of Capt. William FULTON'S company of cavalry.
William P. MIDDLETON died near Centreville, Va., in December, 1861, a
member of Company B, Ninth Georgia volunteer infantry, C. S. A.
Andrew J. MIDDLETON died in April, 1897, in Gordan county, ten miles
north of Calhoun, Ga. John
MIDDLETON died at an early age, about 1840, at that time being seven years old.
Hugh M. MIDDLETON married Miss Mary A. CARTER at Summerville, Ga., in
June, 1860. In the early months of
the year 1862 he helped to organize Company H. Thirty-ninth Georgia infantry,
and was elected third lieutenant. In the regular order of promotion he was made captain of the
company in the early part of 1864 while the Confederate army was in winter
quarters at Dalton, Ga.
IN
THE WAR
On Feb. 21, 1864, he received a furlough to visit his home and walked
from Dalton to Summerville, a distance of forty miles, making the trip in one
day. On Feb, 22 he was captured by
a detachment from the Fifteenth Pennsylvania United States troops at
Summerville, and was carried to Chattanooga, and then to Nashville, and finally
landed at Fort Delaware about March 30. He
remained there until Kirby SMITH surrendered the trans-Mississippi department,
and was then paroled on July 25, 1865. He
then returned to Summerville and sold out his
possessions
there and moved to Elizabethtown, Ky., with his wife and daughter Ella.
They lived there for twenty-five years and in 1890 moved to Chattanooga.
IN
BATTLES AROUND CHATTANOOGA
Capt. MIDDLETON was under fire with his company at Bridgeport Ala., in
May, 1862, and afterwards at Baker's Creek or Champion Hill, Miss., in May,
1863. He was in Vicksburg when that
city was besieged by the union forces. Capt.
MIDDLETON was also in the battle of
Mission ridge and the operations around Chattanooga.
At the time of his death Capt. MIDDLETON was a member of the Master
Masons lodge, Hardin Lodge, No. 249, Knights of Honor, and N. B. FORREST camp.
For some years he was a member of the county court, having been elected
as successor of the late J. A. HOLTZCLAW, immediately after the latter's demise.
Since living in Chattanooga Mr. MIDDLETON has taken much interest in
politics and was one of the best known democrats in the county.
Mr. MIDDLETON'S term expired
about
three years ago and he has not taken an active part in politics since that time.
FUNERAL
SERVICES
The funeral services will be held from the First Presbyterian church this
afternoon at 4 o'clock. Dr. J. W.
BACHMAN will conduct the services. Interment
at the Citizens' cemetery.
The pall-bearers from N. B. FORREST camp will be Esquire J. W. LEIGH,
Capt. J. F. SHIPP, Maj. M. H. CLIFT, W. A. TERRELL, C. W. TERRELL, J. W.
WILLINGHAM, W. B. FORD, and Capt. Milton RUSSELL.
The pall-bearers from Temple Lodge, 430, F. and A. M., will be Francis
MARTIN, D. H. BLOOM, D. F. BECKMAN, T. W. FRITTS,
A. N. SLOAN, J. C. PARKS, F. A. RYDER, and D. A. GRAVES.
The members of the N. B. FORREST camp will meet at the hall at
3:30
p.m., for the purpose of attending the funeral.
The funeral services over the remains of Capt. H. M. Middleton occurred
yesterday afternoon at 4 o'clock at the First Presbyterian church, the interment
following at the Citizen's cemetery.
Despite the downpour of rain that had continued all day a large number of
people assembled to show their last mark of respect to the deceased.
N. B. Forest camp was present in a body seated in the rear of the church.
As the funeral cortege entered, the members of the camp arose and
followed the remains of their comrade, occupying seats reserved for them in the
center of the house.
The choir was composed of Mesdames Chunn, Morris Temple, M. B. Ochs and
Sam Davis, Messrs. Chunn, Stillman, Henderson, and Webb. They rendered
"Asleep in Jesus", "It is Not Death to Die", and "How
Firm a Fountain". Dr. J. W. Bachman, who was endeared to Capt. Middleton as
pastor, neighbor and comrade in Forrest camp, conducted the impressive services.
He spoke from the text, "Boast not thyself of tomorrow," and
drew from the sudden death of the one lying before
him
thoughts upon which he recommended all present to meditate.
He spoke with loving sympathy to the bereaved and dwelt upon the
character of the deceased as one worthy of emulation.
As soldier, he said his record was faithful and true, and the same was
true of him as husband, father, church-member, friend, and citizen.
The remarks addressed to his comrades were especially touching, and there
were few dry eyes among those who looked upon this faithful band of heroes
gathered
to honor another of their members who had responded to the last roll call.
There were pall-bearers from N. B. Forrest camp and from the Masonic camp
to which Capt. Middleton belonged. They
were:
Esquire Leigh, Capt. Shipp, Maj. Clift, W. A. Terrell, J. W. Willingham,
W. B. Ford, and Capt. Russell, from the camp; Messrs. Francis Martin, D. H.
Bloom, Beckham, T. W. Fritts, A. N. Sloan, J. C. Parks, F. A. Ryder, and D. A.
Graves from Temple lodge, 430, F. and A.
Submitted by Donna B. Fitzgerald
dbfitz2@comcast.net