Southampton County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Edwards, Luther R., 1918 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ COLONEL LUTHER RICE EDWARDS Colonel Luther Rice Edwards is dead, and while for some time his health has been rapidly failing, his hosts of friends in Southampton, Isle of Wight, Nansemond and indeed of the entire State where he was known, felt an acute sting of sorrow in their hearts when the sad news went forth that at six o'clock Friday morning, September 27, this beloved son of Southampton, chivalrous gentleman, and gallant veteran of two wars, had "passed over the river to rest under the shade of the trees." Born at his late home, July 19, 1839, he was the son of Jordan and Mrs. Susan Clanton Edwards. In 1861 he was a student at the University of Virginia and when Virginia entered the war he immediately volunteered his services in her defense. He joined as a private in Company A, 13th Va. Cavalry, of which the lamented Joseph E. Gillette was Captain. He participated in about forty battles, was wounded three times, Gettysburg, Spotsylvania C.H. and Brandy Station and by conspicuous gallantry on the field was soon promoted to a first lieutenancy. He was at Appomattox when Gen. Lee surrendered, but he together with a number of others got through the lines of the Northern army and was on his way to North Carolina to join Gen Johnston when the latter surrendered. At the organization of Franklin's first military company he was unanimously elected its Captain, and although some years above military age, when this company offered its services to the government in the Spanish-American trouble, he immediately volunteered, and served through this war, spending nearly a year in Cuba. Company I, which he commanded was a unit of the old Fourth Virginia Regiment, later on the 71st, and he was soon promoted to Major, and then Lieut-Colonel, serving in this capacity until the regiment returned home. Colonel Edwards has been honored several times by his native county. A lifelong Democrat, he was the nominee of the Conservative party to represent Southampton in the Underwood Constitutional Convention in 1869. He represented the county in the General Assembly in the session of 1875-76 and was several times elected a Magistrate. In 1895 he was elected Treasurer of Southampton County and served continuously in this position until his death, excepting the time he was serving his country in the Spanish-American war. Colonel Edwards was twice married. His first wife was Miss Virginia Bourke of Portsmouth, who died a number of years ago, leaving a son, Mr. Claude J. Edwards and a daughter, Miss Blanche Edwards, both of this place. His second wife, who survives him with a son, Captain Franklin Edwards of the Twenty Ninth Division of the United States Army, and now at the front in France, was Miss Anna Lankford, daughter of the late Menalcus Lankford of this county. He also leaves two grand children, Luther Rice and Gordon Edwards, a number of nieces and nephews, among whom are Mrs. A.L. Gardner, Mrs. Pattie Story, Mrs. J.C. Parker, and Mrs. George Beaman of this place; Mr. J.J. Beaman of Richmond; Mrs. Gavin Rawls of Carrsville; Dr. J.A. Norfleet of Norfolk; Dr. R.G. Norfleet of Pedro Miguel, Canal Zone, Mr. H.L. Norfleet of Havana, Cuba, and Mrs. J.D. Hart of Oxford, N.C. The funeral was held from the Franklin Baptist Church, of which the deceased was a zealous member, Saturday afternoon at four o'clock, and the large auditorium was filled to overflowing by perhaps its largest assemblage, many coming from a distance to pay their last tribute to their old friend and comrade, and among whom were members of Urquhart-Gillette Camp of Confederate Veterans, of which the deceased was a member since its organization, and also member of the Beaver Dam Camp. Colonel Edwards was buried in his old Confederate uniform and the casket was draped with a beautifully embroidered Confederate flag, the "Stars and Bars" he loved so well, the handiwork and contribution of members of Agnes Lee Chapter United Daughters of the Confederacy of Franklin. The funeral was conducted by the pastor, Rev. J.L. McCutcheon, assisted by Rev. C.H. Rowland of the Christian Church and Rev. R.M. Chandler of the Methodist Church. During the service the choir sang among other selections, Colonel Edwards favorite hymn, "I Am Thine, O Lord". The remains were placed in the family lot in Poplar Spring Cemetery, the following being the pallbearers, active: Dr. W.H. Arthur, J.H. Norfleet, Albert Beaman, Walter F. Story, Gen. C.C. Vaughan, Jr., W.H. Norfleet, G.H. Parker, Edgar T. FitzGerald; honorary: All members of Urquhart-Gillette Camp of Confederate Veterans and any other Confederate Veterans who were present, all members of Jefferson Davis Camp of Sons of Confederate Veterans and all other Sons of Confederate Veterans who were present, J.L. Camp, P.D. Camp, R.A. Pretlow, M.H. Moore, H.B. McLemore, E. Frank Story, W.J. Sebrell, G.O. Sledge, F.P. Pulley, D.A. Holland, J.T. Butler, W.T. Pace, L.R. Jones, R.H.B. Cobb, J.R. Knight, Jesse Edwards, T.O. Barrett, S.R. Nicholson, J. Emmette Moyler, W.H. Jenkins, J.B. Vaughan, A.L. Gardner, W.O. Bristow and W.H. Lankford. Col. Luther Rice EDWARDS, Treasurer of Southampton Co., former Delegate, veteran of the Civil War and the Spanish-American War, b. 19 Jul 1839, Southampton Co., d. 27 Sep 1918, interred in Poplar Spring Cemetery (Section 1, Plot 4*), Franklin, 28 Sep 1918, "The Tidewater News" (Franklin, VA), Oct. 4, 1918, p. 1 *Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project, Poplar Spring list: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/poplar1.txt His widow's obit ("Tidewater News," Oct. 28, 1949, p. 4) is posted at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/e363a2ob.txt Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Mrs. Bruce Saunders (bs4403@verizon.net), and re-formatted by File Manager. file at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/e363l4ob.txt