Washoe County NV Archives Obituaries.....Bishop, Alva C. April 25, 1888
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/nv/nvfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Kathy Grace http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00011.html#0002598 December 3, 2010, 5:45 pm

Reno Evening Gazette May 4, 1888
Rest At Last

History of a Brilliant Career

The Well-Spent Life of the Late Dr. A. C. Bishop – A Tribute to His Memory
The funeral of Dr. Alva C. Bishop, whose death occurred at Butte, Montana, on
April 25th, from the effects of a fall received while practicing in a gymnasium,
took place yesterday afternoon from Trinity church, and was largely attended by
mourning friends and comrades from Virginia City, Carson and Reno.  It was
conducted under the auspices of the Grand Army of the Republic, of which
organization deceased was an honored member, and the services at the church and
cemetery were the most impressive character, the Rev. Wm. Lucas, assisted by
Rev. Geo. R. Davis of Carson, officiating.

A special car containing about forty of the most prominent men in the State,
arrived from Carson and Virginia City at noon to attend the funeral.  Among them
were Governor C. C. Stevenson, State Treasurer Tuffy, Controller Hallock, Deputy
Secretary of State P. B. Ellis, Hons. Frank McCullough and H. F. Bartlue, Judges
Leonard, Belknap and Hawley, of the Supreme Court, State Printer Harlow; also
Ormsby Lodge, No. 4, A.O.U.W., Custer Post, G. A. R., the members of which
followed the remains to the grave.

Among the relatives of the deceased present at the funeral were his wife, two
daughters and son; a brother, Hon. W. W. Bishop and wife of San Francisco;
another brother, Dr. S. Bishop and family of Reno; two nephews, Dr. O. F. Lee of
Marysville, California, and Dr. S. L. Lee, with his family, of Carson City.
The residence of Dr. S. Bishop, whence the procession started, was draped in the
mourning, including the equestrian steel engraving on General John A. Logan,
which stood on the piano at the head of the coffin, the face of the
distinguished General seeming to look down upon the dead who once was his
subordinate officer on the field of battle.  As evidence of the esteem in which
the family held General Logan, Dr. S. Bishop, just before the funeral cortege
started, in his sorrow, referring to the General and his brother, said: “These
are my dead.”

The hearse was drawn by four black horses.
The following gentlemen acted as pall-bearers: General N. P. Jacques, Dr. Thoma,
Warden Frank J. McCullough and Judge Bigelow, representing the G. A. R.; Hon. C.
S. Young, Hon. J. F. Hallock, Hon. J. E. Jones and W. O. H. Martin.
The funeral cortege was one of the largest that has been seen in Reno for years,
the great number present eloquently but silently attesting the great respect and
esteem in which the deceased was held by friends and acquaintaince.
Trinity Church was rendered beautiful by the many floral tributes of friends and
the singing of the choir was very impressive, and many were affected to tears
during the rendition of “Nearer My God to Thee.”

The coffin was covered with flowers, lilies, bouquets, sickles, stars, shields,
wreaths, anchors, etc.  James Murray of Butte, an intimate friend of the
deceased, ordered from Helena $150 worth of flowers; these accompanied the body
through to Reno.  Flowers also were sent by numerous friends from San Francisco.
The Bishop family, including the deceased, has been most prominent in the early
and later history of Nevada and an extended notice of the family and the
deceased will be of interest to the public.  The brothers of the deceased, Hon.
W. W. Bishop, formerly of Eureka, has been a prominent lawyer and politician and
not infrequently has his name been mentioned in connection with Congress and the
United States Senate, and Dr. S. Bishop is Superintendent of the State Insane
Asylum, which position he has held for several years.  F. A. Bishop, who was
killed at San Bernardino about five years ago by a horse falling upon him, came
into this valley in 1848 with Kit Carson, and pioneered it here for many years.
 The only other immediate members of the family, the sisters, Mrs. Judge Davis
of Illinois and Mrs. B. F. Lee of Fayette county, Illinois, were never residents
of this State.  The husband of the latter, Mrs. B. F. Lee, visited here a few
months ago.  His nephews, who were as close to him as a brother, are Dr. O. F.
Lee of Marysville and Dr. S. L. Lee of Carson City.  There is one marked
characteristic of this family, so generally known throughout the State, and that
is the strong attachments they have for one another. There is among them,
socially, politically and otherwise, an unbroken bond of union and such devotion
to one another as is seldom seen in families.

The deceased was born July 18, 1839, in Fayette county, Illinois.  He came to
Nevada in 1868, locating at Wadsworth of this county, having two years before
graduated in medicine from the Eclectic College at Cincinnati, Ohio.  He loved
his profession and in 1886 completed a course at Post Graduate College, New
York.  From the practice of his profession in this county he went to Pioche,
afterwards to Eureka, and five years ago to Butte, Montana.
At Butte he had acquired a very large and remunerative practice.  On the day of
his death he was elected physician of the Montana Copper Company and the Montana
Central Railroad at a salary of $1,000 per month.

A. C. Bishop entered the army as a Corporal in April, 1861, from Vandalia,
Illinois, under Lincoln’s first call of 75,000 for three months.  In July, 1861,
he re-enlisted under the call for three years, and as Second Lieutenant of
Company H., Eighth Illinois Infantry, under command of Colonel Dick Oglesby,
afterwards Major General, United States Senator and now Governor of Illinois. 
Showing the esteem in which the Governor holds the deceased he said in a public
speech some time ago at Vandalia: “Lieutenant Bishop saved my life at the battle
of Fort Donelson and was as gallant a solider as ever put foot upon a battle
field.”  Bishop served with gallantry in the battles of Fort Henry, Donelson,
Shiloh, Grand Gulf, Raymond, Champion Hill, Black River Bridge, in the charge
upon the works of Vicksburg, on the 22d of May, 1863, at the blowing up of Fort
Hill, the Siege of Vicksburg until July 4, 1863, when it surrendered; the
battles of Jackson, Miss.; Clinton, Miss.; the Siege of Spanish Fort, Fish
Creek, the Siege and Charge of Blakely, Alabama, at chich charge he was the
first Federal soldier to mount the rebel works.  The company led by himself was
the first in the city of Mobile on the 12th day of April, 1865.  After the
battle of Shiloh he was promoted to the rank of Captain for meritorious conduct.

Like the other members of the family the deceased has been a great admirer of
General Logan. He was always fond of the fact that he served under the most
popular of American Generals, belonging as he did to the Third Division of the
Seventeenth Corps, commanded by Logan.

Among those who were associated with the deceased in the war were his two
nephews, James M. Lee and Dr. S. L. Lee.  The former lost his life in the ranks
of the 8th Illinois Infantry at the battle of Shiloh.  Dr. S. L. Lee, who was a
member of Captain Bishop’s Company, takes commendable pride in relating many
reminiscences of bravery on the part of his lamented uncle.  He says the Captain
never knew danger and always seemed to seek the place where bullets were
thickest.  But, strange to say, the four years and ten months in which he stood
in the ranks as a solider, although he was personally present while 103 of his
company at different times were killed or wounded, he never received a scratch.
 At the battle of Raymond General Logan feared he would lose his provision
train.  He galloped across the field amidst a shower of bullets from a Texas
brigadier.  As he did so Captain Bishop, in admiration of the bravery of the
fearless commander, slipped out in front of his company and saluted Logan amid
the deafening cheers of his comrades which resounded along the whole line.  It
was on this occasion that Logan had his horse shot to death under him, and when
almost despairing he yelled to the Colonel of the Eighth Illinois in these
words: “For God’s sake, Sturgis, show them the blood of the Eighth!” The Eighth
responded and the provision train was saved to the Federal troops.  On the
occasion of his visit to Reno two years ago General Logan mentioned Bishop as
one of his most gallant Captains.

In 1863 Bishop was Provost Marshal of Meden, Tennessee; in 1865 appointed Chief
of Provost Guard by General Veach; in the same year also made Provost Marshal at
Shreveport, Louisiana, by Major Herron; also held various other important
positions in his army service.

By those who know him best Dr. A. C. Bishop was known as a ripe scholar, a
genial companion, a gentleman of lofty ideas, and always commanded the
confidence and esteem of his fellows.  When his life went out on last April
25th, a brave and live man ceased to breath.  May his ashes which yesterday, by
loving hands, were laid away in the Masonic cemetery here at Reno rest in peace.
On yesterday the clods of the valley fell upon the mortal remains of the
lamented Dr. Alva C. Bishop, and sorrowing relatives and friends returned from
the cemetery with memories of his good deeds only to cheer them in their grief.
 Their sorrow will find an echo throughout Nevada’s hills wherever he was known,
and silent tears will trickle down the cheeks of hosts of hardy pioneers who
knew him, in the vigor of his manhood, as a brave soldier and kind-hearted man
filled to the brim with the milk of human kindness.  His kindly smile cheered
the afflicted, and left a universal beam of sunshine in his path, and of him it
may well be said by all who knew him.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nv/washoe/obits/bishop1189gob.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/nvfiles/

File size: 10.1 Kb