Memorial records, Society of colonial wars in the state of California. 1903

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And when the stream
Which overflowed the soul was passed away,
A consciousness remained that it had left,
Deposited upon the silent shore
Of memory, images and precious thoughts
That shall not die, and cannot be destroyed.

*ix LOVING MEMORY OF THOSE WHOSE FACES SHALL NO MORE
*-* BE SEEN AT OUR REUNIONS, CD« $0CiCtV Of €0l01lial UlflTS

in the State of California has caused to be recorded in

ITS ARCHIVES OUR TRIBUTE TO THE WORTH OF THOSE WHO
HAVE LEFT US, AND OUR TESTIMONY TO THEIR EXALTED
INDIVIDUALITY AND EMINENT ABILITY.

NOT ONE OF THEM BUT HAD BEEN GREATLY DISTINGUISHED
IN HIS PROFESSION, AND THESE EXPRESSIONS OF OUR HIGH
APPRECIATION OF THEIR MERITS, ARE BUT ADDITIONAL
DECLARATIONS TO THEIR WORTH, PERPETUATED IN THE RECORDS
OF THE JURISPRUDENCE, OF THE CHURCH, AND OF THE ARMY OF
OUR COUNTRY.

THEIR LIVES HAVE BEEN FACTORS FOR GOOD, AND THEIR
EXAMPLE AN INCENTIVE FOR OUR EMULATION.

So, when the Angel of the darker drink
At last shall find you by the river-brink,

And, offering his Cup, invite your soul
Forth to your Lips to quaff — you shall not shrink.

^$(ie&Hd*v Co>o (***<

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Governor.

Los Angeles, May 14, 1903.

&

-(for some we loved, the loveliest and the test
"* That from his Uintage rolling Cime hat prest,
Rave drunk their Cup a Round or two before,
And one by one crept silently to rest.

JUnd we, that now make merry In the Room
They left, and Summer dresses in new bloom,

Ourselves must we beneath the Couch of earth
Descend— ourselves to maRc a Couch- for whom?

And fear not lest existence closing your

B ccount, and mine, should know the like no more ;

Che eternal Saki from that Bowl has pour'd
millions of Bubbles like us, and will pour.

Che moving Tinger writes? and, having writ,
moves on; nor all your Piety nor Wit

Shall lure it back to cancel half a Cine,
nor all your Cears wash out a word of it.

(

Born in Lynchburg, Virginia, September 30, 1862
Died at Pasadena, California, May 14, 1896

Having in the Providence of God been removed from us by
death, May 14th. 1896, we, his fellow members of the Society of
Colonial Wars in the State of California, resolve to place on record
the following tribute to his memory:

As one of the Charter members of this Society and its first
Secretary, Air. Latham is held in grateful remembrance in view of
his enthusiastic co-operation and his efficiency and fidelity in the
performance of all official duties.

As an American citizen we admire him for his loyalty to our
institutions, his noble ideas of citizenship, and zealous advocacy of
principles and measures essential to the welfare of the Republic

He was a talented and conscientious lawyer, a valued officer
in the Church of his choice, and an ardent promoter of schemes of
philanthropy.

In social circles he was highly prized as a young man of broad
culture, kindly heart, cheerful disposition and attractive manners.
Honorable, upright and pure, sympathetic and true, with adamantine
purpose for the right, he moved among us a Christian gentleman of
rare gifts and sterling character— a noble exponent of qualities that
shone so conspicuously in our Colonial ancestors, to whose heroic
virtues and memorable deeds we owe so much of that which is best
in these days of National greatness.

That a copy of the above resolutions be forwarded to the
widowed mother and surviving brother of our beloved friend and
fellow-member, Mr. Latham, with expressions of heartfelt sympathy
in their affliction.

Qttfreb See (gnmx, ©• ©.

The Reverend Alfred Lee Brewer, D.D., was born in Norwich,
Connecticut, on June 4. 1831, the son of Lyman Brewer and Harriel
Tyler Brewer, and thus connected with some of the most noted
families of the State,— the Leffingwells, Winslows, Tracys, an 1
Bushnells. As a boy he attended Christ Church Hall, Pomfret, Con-
necticut, of which the Rev. Roswell Park, D.D., afterwards the
founder of Racine College, was the Rector. Dr. Brewer entered
Trinity College, Hartford, in 1850, and was graduated at the head
of his class in 1853, being a member of Trinity Chapter of Phi Beta
Kappa. From his Alma Mater he received the degree of Master
of Arts in course, and in 1891 the degree of Doctor in Divinity. He
was graduated from the General Theological Seminary, New York,
and made a Deacon by Bishop Williams in 1853. One year later, he
was ordained Priest by the same Bishop. He was for one year
assistant in the Church of the Epiphany, New York, under the
rectorship of the Rev. Lot Jones, and for nearly two years he
assisted the Rev. Joseph Brewster, then Rector of Christ Church,
New Haven. His first rectorship was that of Grace Church, Tantic,
Connecticut, in 1859, whence he was called to the charge of the
Mariner's Church, Detroit, Michigan, in I860, which he accepted.
Here he was associated with the Rev. William E. Armitage,
afterwards Bishop of Wisconsin; and the Rev Benj. H. Paddock,
afterwards Bishop of Massachusetts, who were then the Rectors of
the adjoining Parishes. Here also, in Detroit, he married, on July
29, 1862. Miss Frances Chittenden Hale, daughter of Hon. William
Hale, a lawyer and Judge of eminence, who served his State in
Congress and for one term was Attorney General of Michigan.. In
1864 they came to California, and settled in San Mateo.

Dr. Brewer made this the center of his missionary labors,
establishing churches at Redwood City and Belmont. He devoted
a part of his time to classes at Laurel Hall, a school for girls, at one
time one of the leading schools of the State, and of its pupils, for
nearly twenty years, he had the pastoral care. In the following year.
1865, Dr. Brewer started his school for boys, known as St. Matthew's
School, which steadily grew in numbers and reputation, till it was
the best known of any on the Coast, a prominence it has always
maintained, more than seventeen hundred young men having been
under its fostering care.

The beautiful ivy covered stone Church in San Mateo was built
under Dr. Brewer's personal supervision, and for twenty-five years
his voice soiuided forth the Gospel of love and mercy.

He was known and loved by all in the community, of every name.
While devoted to his parish and school, he and his wife had for many
years planned a Church home for orphans, and this plan resulted in
the founding of the Bishop Armitage Orphanage for Boys, and later,
in that of the Maria Kip Orphanage for Girls. These received his
unremitting efforts till the latter was removed to San Francisco,
which left the Armitage mainly his care. The prosperous condition
of St. Matthew's School, which enabled him, a few years ago, to
build on extensive grounds at its new location, gave him renewed
courage and enthusiasm, qualities which had ever characterized him,
even in those early years when the difficulties surmounted were great
and numerous.

He was ever a constant preacher, going wherever he was needed.
He was an instructor in the Church Divinity School, and Chaplain
of the Armitage Orphanage. In attending to the latter duties he
contracted the cold which resulted in his death at St. Matthew's
School, on Thursday, February 16th, 1899, in his sixty-eighth year.

Every great undertaking of his had received God's blessing and
reached success. Few men have this satisfaction and few so well
deserve it.

Truly, his was a finished life, and calmly and peacefully he sur-
rendered it, surrounded by those who were the dearest to him, and
in the home of his love, which echoed with the music of the noble
Pacific, so far removed from the scenes of his childhood.

The loss of such a man, Christian, scholar, philanthropist,
patriot, gentleman, cannot but be felt, no matter how broad his State,
or pent-up his Utica, and we, of the Society of Colonial "Wars in the
State of California, place this Memorial upon our records as a lasting
testimonial to the worth of one who has gone from us, whose life
was stainless and who will be cherished in our memories as well-
beloved.

The Secretary is directed to include this Memorial in the record
of the Fifth General Court of this Society, and transmit a copy
thereof to the Rev. William Augustus Brewer of San Mateo.

Cjjarfea Bee CoWna

Captain Twenty-Third Infantry, United States Arroy

Born at Newport, Kentucky, July 24, 1859

Died at the Island of Cebu, September 7, 1899

Captain Charles Lee Collins, son of the late Colonel Henry B.
Collins, who served throughout the Civil War, in the Cavalry arm of
the Union Army, was appointed a cadet to the Military Academy at
West Point in 1878, by President Hayes. Graduating in June, 1882,
he was commissioned Second Lieutenant of Infantry, from which
time he was in active service in the army upon the frontier and on
staff details up to his death, when he had been promoted to the rank
of Captain.

Early in the winter of 189S, while stationed at Whipple Bar-
racks, Arizona, as Adjutant of the Eleventh Infantry, he was ordered
to do duty as military attache of the United States Legation at
Caracas, Venezuela, where he remained for over a year. His uni-
form courtesy and the unhesitating compliance with the request of
the President of Venezuela for suggestions looking toward a greater
efficiency of the military forces of the State, were recognized by
decorating him with the famous "Order of the Liberator," (Busto
de Bolivar.)

In the spring of 1899 he was ordered home and assigned to var-
ious duties pertaining to the organization of the Volunteer forces,
until the latter part of July, when he sailed with his wife from San
Francisco for the Philippine Islands on the Transport "Ohio," in
command of a detachment of troops.

He was taken ill soon after his arrival at the Islands, and his
physical condition had become so exhausted that he could not ra'ly
from the effects of a surgical operation made at Cebu.

His desolate widow, Emma Byrd Beach Collins did not long
survive the shock of her great loss, and, returning to San Francisco,
she died at the Presidio, on October 22, 1899.

Captain Collins, in right of his father, was a Companion of the
.Military Order of the Loyal Legion, and by representation, a mem-
ber of the Pennsylvania Society of the War of 1812. He was one of

the incorporators, and first Secretary of the California Society of
Sons of the Revolution, and he was elected to membership in this
Society on November 4, 1897. The profound sympatahy of the
members of the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of California
is extended to his relatives and friends, and to the family of his
young widow who so soon joined him; and in affectionate testimonial
to the worth of one of our associates, and in commemoration of the
loss to this Society of a zealous member, a patriotic soldier, and a
companion whose life was gentle, it is ordered that this Memorial
be spread at large upon our records, and a copy thereof transmitted
to his relatives.

V?iW*m ($n*(5on£ &b*tx&m

Colonel of the United States Army

Born In Potsdarrj, New York, May 15, 1839

Died In Mlddletown, New York, January I, 1900

Graduating from the United States Military Academy at West
Point in May, 1861, Colonel Elderkin entered the Army as Second
Lieutenant of the Second Regiment of Artillery, and was immedi-
ately ordered to join his command upon the commencement of hos-
tilities in the War of the Rebellion. Participating in the Battle of
Bull Rim, July 21, 1861, as an officer of Rickett's Battery, and in
many campaigns, his service was active and continuous in the field,
except for a short time when he was detailed as Assistant Professor
of Mathematics, and Instructor of Artillery Tactics, at West Point.
In 1864 he was promoted from the Line to he Captain, and Commis-
sary of Subsistence, in which branch of the Staff Service of the
Army he served until he was retired, in March, 1898, with the rank
of Colonel.

His tours of service covered almost every command in the Army
and almost every State and Territory of the Union.

During most of the period when the Headquarters of the De-
partment of Arizona were located at Los Angeles, Colonel Elderkin
was in charge of the Subsistence branch of the Servic, and he re-
mained at this Station after Headquarters were removed to Denver,
until 1896, when he was ordered to Chicago.

Colonel Elderkin was a member of the Order of the Loyal
Legion and of the Military Science Institution.

He was one of the incorporators and the first Vice-President of
the Society of Sons of the Revolution in the State of California.

When a charter was granted to the California Society of Col-
onial Wars by the General Society, he was elected its Lieutenant-
Governor.

The California Society of Colonial Wars herewith places on
record its tribute to the memory of the late Colonel William Anthony
Elderkin. As a charter member and a prominent officer of the
Society, he is held in kindly remembrance.

His name is honored among us as that of one who, by long con-
tinued and faithful service for his country, brought honor to himself
and benefit to the Republic.

Moreover, he endeared himself to us all by his amiable character
and g-enial companionship. We sincerely mourn the loss that has
come to this Society through the decease of this devoted patriot, this
loyal friend and Christian gentleman, and his memory will be fondly
cherished.

To Mrs. Elderkin and her daughters in their great bereavement,
we would express our heartfelt sympathy, and the Secretary is
hereby instructed to forward to them a copy of this memorial.

Born In Detroit, Michigan, April 10, 1824
Died at San Jose, California, November I, 1901

Of him we may say with confidence, Death does not end it all.
For himself he has erected a monument more durable than brass, and
loftier than the royal heights of the pyramids. His life has heen an
exemplification of the willing sacrifices made for independence for
personal convictions, for freedom from tyrannical oppression, and
an establishment of a government founded upon the eternal prin-
ciples of justice, characteristic of his great ancestors, John Alden,
a signer of the Mayflower Compact ; William Bradford, a Governor
of the Pilgrim Republic, and William Pynchoon. who governed
Connecticut, the land that has been the shining exemplar of the
public school system of our country.

The education of his early youth was pursued in the private
academies of Detroit, Kinderhook, New York, and Kenyon College,
Ohio. Adopting the profession of jurisprudence, he was admitted
to the Bar of New York in July, 1847. Soon after he came to Cali-
fornia, attached to the Mexican Boundary Commission. He settled
at Sutterville, in the Sacramento District, from which he was elected
a member of the first California Legislature, which met in San Jose
in December, 1849, and two years later he was made Adjutant Gen-
eral of the State.

He was chosen Judge of the Seventh Judicial District in 1852,
and in 1858 he was re-elected, but he resigned the office in 1862, and
for three years he was a leading practitioner in Nevada. He re-
turned to California in 1865, and in 1867 he was elected Judge of
San Francisco for a term of four years. In 1869 he was elected Dis-
trict Judge of San Francisco, for six years, but. in 1873 his eminent
abilities placed him upon the Bench of the Supreme Court of Cali-
fornia, where he continued until his resignation in the year 1888,
when he again took up active practice in San Francisco. Soon after,
he accepted the position of Senior Professor in the Hastings College
of Law, and the University of Michigan honored herself by conferr-
ing upon him the Degree of Doctor of Laws. He has been President
of the Pioneer Society and of the California Society Sons of the

American Revolution, and the confidence and good will of his fellow
citizens have placed him in many other positions of trust and
responsibility.

His written opinions as Justice of the Supreme Court of Califor-
nia, during the many years of his service, while a member of that
exalted tribunal, are classed as profound expositions of the law of
the State. He

" Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been
So clear in his great office, that his virtues
Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued,"

for justice, freedom and toleration among the people of the land he
loved so well.

The Society of Colonial Wars in the State of California, at this,
its Seventh General Court, held in the City of Los Angeles, records
this tribute to the memory of a member whose face will never again
be seen at our meetings, and whose voice will no more be heard in
the conventions of the Council.

Our profound sympathy is extended to the afflicted family of
our departed associate, and we direct that this Memorial be spread at
large upon our records, and a copy thereof be transmitted to his
widow, sons and daughters.

Office of tbe Governor.

Los Angeles, March 10, 1903.

Dear Sir :

As many inquiries have been made concerning the statement of the
Governor in our Register for 1903, concerning the proposed publication by
this Society, it has been thought proper, again, to present the matter fully,
more especially for the information of the later members.

At a Special Court of this Society, wherein the matter was fully
discussed, the following resolutions were unanimously adopted, viz:
" RESOLVED : That all of the members of this Society
be and they are hereby requested to deliver to the
Registrar their autobiographies embracing the princi-
pal events of their live?, and such other occurrences in
their experiences as they may desire to have perpetu-
ated, for the use of the Society, or the information of
their children, and that said autobiographies be spread
at large upon the records of the Registrar.
"RESOLVED : That the same be printed in suitable
shape under the direction of the Historian when the
amount of money in the Treasury shall warrant such
an expense.
" The members are further requested to forward to the
Registrar their photographs in cabinet size. Said
photographs shall be preserved in suitable albums
among the records and archives of the Society."

The plan set forth in the foregoing resolutions, of having the personal
history of the members perpetuated upon our Records, has met with the
general approval of the gentlemen of this Society.

It is intended that these biographies shall cover only the personal ex-
periences of our members, and not embrace any facts concerning their
ancestors, as provision is made, under Article XXI of the By-Laws, for an
Ancestral Record.

It is earnestly hoped that you will prepare and forward to the Registrar,
without delay, the history of your life containing the most marked events,
such as date and place of birth ; where educated ; what College degrees or
other honors have been conferred upon you ; your profession or avocation ;
offices held ; maiden name of wife ; place and date of marriage ; names and
dates of birth of children, etc., etc.

The publication under consideration, if issued, will contain these bio-
graphies with the half-tone portraits of members, in the same manner as
printed in our Register for 1900, with an historical account of the services
of Ancestors.

Other matters of interest concerning the General Society, and our
California Society will be included, and we shall be glad to insert such
Ancesteral portraits as may be furnished by members.

Nearly all our income is required for the rent of a society room and the
payment of current expenses, the Treasurer's account presented at the
Eighth General Court, on December 22, 1902, showing a balance on hand
of only $95.66.

The publication as proposed will cost about five hundred dollars and
this expense must be paid by individual subscriptions. An edition will be
printed large enough so that members can have without charge as many
copies as they desire for their children and friends. Like all our publica-
tions it will be sent to all the State Societies of Colonial Wars and to
certain libraries.

No money will be required from subscribers until the work is ready for
the press, but it will not be commenced unless there be responses sufficient
to warrant the labor.

Of course it is to be understood that the work of compilation and
editing will be gratuitous, and that members must furnish their individual
half-tone portraits.

Will you fill up the enclosed blank with such an amount as you care
to subscribe and return it to me at your earliest convinience.

Yours very sincerely,

HOLDRIDGE O. COLLINS,

Governor.

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