Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 88, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 January 1920 — COL. HAMMOND OBSEQUIES [ARTICLE]

COL. HAMMOND OBSEQUIES

Remains of Former Soldier and Jurist Are Laid to Rest. The funeral of Col. E. P. Hammond, who died at his home In Lafayette Tuesday morning, was held at the home at 11 o’clock Thursday and, the body brought to Reneselaer on the afternoon Louisville-Chicago train and taken from the station to the court house where the body lay in state for one how and was viewed by hundreds of old .friends and acquaintances of the deceased. The remains were then laid away In the family plot In Weston cemetery. The following Interesting sketch of Col. Hajmmond’s life is taken from a Lafayette paper, where he had made his home for the past thirty years, after leaving Rensselaer : In the death of Col. Edwin Pollok Hammond, Which occurred at 9 :.l 8 o’clock Tuesday morning at his home, 1102 South street, one of the eminent soldiers, lawyers and jurists of this community has gone to the great beyond. Col. Hammond had been in poor health for many weeks and his condition had grown weaker day oy day, so that bls many friends throughout this city, county and state have long been apprehensive. His death, however, was none the less a severe shock to his admiring fellow citizens. Col. Hammond was born November J 6, 1835, at Brookville, Ind.,

and in 1849 he accompanied his family to Columbus. In 1854 he iwent to Indianapolis where he was engaged for about a year as a clerk in a wholesale dry goods store and he then entered upon the study of law in the office of his brother, afterwards governor of the state, Abraham A Hammond, and Hon. Thomas H. Nelson of Terre Haute. In 1857 he was graduated from the law department of Ashbury university Greencastle, with the degree of B. L. In 1892 Judge Hammond was the recipient of the honorary degree of LL. D. from Wabash college. He located for the practice of his profession at Rensselaer, Ind.,

in 1856 and soon acquired a considerable practice. Judge Hammond was thus engaged when Fort Sumter was fired upon in April, 1861, and fired by the patriotic enthusiasm of the hour, with other young men of Jasper county, he left his business and enlisted for three months’ service under Captain (afterwards general) Robert H. Milroy, in Company G, Ninth Indiana volunteer infantry. He was commissioned first lieutenant of his company and served with the regiment during the three months’ campaign in western Virginia, engaging at Phillipi, Carrick’s ford and Laurel Hill. Returning to his home at the expiration of. his term of service, he resumed the practice of law. Col. Hammond was elected to October, 1861, without opposition, to fill a vacancy as representative from the counties of Jasper, Newton and Pulaski. He then realized that the war was a serious affair of long duration and that 'his place was in the army. Consequently to August, 1862, he assisted in organizing Comipany A, Eighty-seventh Indiana volunteer infantry and went out as captain of that company. He was promoted to major of his regiment on March 22, 1862, and became a lieutenant-colonel in November of the samb year. At the close of the war, on the recommendation of his brigade, he was brevetted colonel of U. S. volunteers "for gallant and meritorous service during the war,” as recited in his commission. Col. Hammond was in command of 'his regiment during the last year of the war, embracing the Atlanta campaign, the “march to the sea” and the campaign through the Carolinas leading up to Johnston’s surrender. Hie was musterea out with his regiment at Washington, D. C., June 11, 1865, and then returned to Indianapolis Where he was finally discharged from the service and received the thanks of Indiana’s famous war governor, Morton. During his term of service with the Eighty-seventh regiment 'he was constantly'at t'he front, except for short absence on recruiting service in the winter of 1863-’64 and participated in many of the most important campaigns and battles of

0 Avar Among these were the following: Gen. Buell’s campaign In Kentucky, his command forming part of the Third brigade, Third division, Fourteenth army corps; engagement at Springfield, October 1, followed on the eighth by the battle of Perryville; skirmish at Chapel Hill; the campaign against Tullahoma; the battle at Hoover’s Gap; movement against Chattanooga and the bloody fight of Chickamauga, September 1920, 1863; Missionary Ridge, where the Eighty-seventh was In the front line of its brigade during the assault, afterwards Joining in the pursuit of the enemy to Ringgold. Colonel Hammond was hit by a spent ball at the battle of Chickamauga and his regiment lost there forty killed, 142 wounded and eight missing, or over one-half of Its number engaged. In 1864 the regiment was In the expedition against Dalton and skirmished at,, Buzzard’s Roost. On May .7 It joined Sherman’s army In its famous campaign against Atlanta, also taking part In the pursuit of Hood through northern Georgia, marching as far as Gaylesville, Ala. The regiment then returned to Atlanta and engaged to the Savanmah campaign and the “march to the sea,” engaging at Saundersville Waynesboro and siege of Savannah/ Next followed the campaign through the Carolinas, and after the surrender of Johnston, the regiment marched to Richmond and thence to Washington., D. C., where Col Hammond and his command participated in the grand review of the war-torn veterans. Upon severing bis connection with the army, Col. Hammond returned once more to Rensselaer, where he again resumed his interrupted law practice and was soon in possession of a successful legal business. Despite his republican afflliatlons.he received at the hands of Governor Thomas A. Hendricks to March, 1873, the appointment as judge of the Thirtieth judicial circuit. He

was elected to the same position in the following October and re-elected to the office in November, 1878, without opposition, all parties carrying his name upon their tickets. On May 14, 1883, he was appointed by Governor A. G. Porter, justice of the supreme court of the state, vice William A. Woods, appointed to the federal bench, and served moat acceptably until January 1, 1885. He had been a candidate for election to the supreme court during the campaign of 1884, but went down to defeat with the rest of the republican ticket in November, 1884, though he made a splendid record and led the party ticket by over five thousand votes. He then resumed his practice ~t Rensselaer and continued in the successCul prosecution of the same until November, 1890, when he was again 'honored by election to the bench of the Thirtieth judicial court. He resigned from the bench in 1892 and moved to Lafayette, which was his residence until his death. Here he resumed his practice, the firm being originally Stuart Brothers and Hammond, then Stuart, Hammond and Simms, then Stuart, Hammond and Stuart, and the present title, Stuart, Hammond and Simms. Charles Herbert Stuart, William V. Stuart, Daniel W. Simms, Allison E. Stuart and Mr. Hammond comprised the firm s personnel at the time of the latter’s death The firm served in a number of important cases, the most celebrated of Which was the Moses Fowler abduction and guardianship case, when it represented Fred S. Chase, now deceased, father of Moses Fowler Col. Hammond had never forgotten his comrades in arms and he was an enthusiastic member of the Grand Army of the Republic and of the John A. Logan Post No. 3, now affiliated with Marsh B. Taylor Post and known as Logan-Taylor Post. He also was a member of the military orders of the Loyal Legion, and the Union Veteran Legion. He had been for some time a highly useful member of the board of managers of the national home for disabled volunteer soldiers. He also was a member of the Lincoln club. Judge Hammond was held in universal esteem in this community, where he was known as a skilled and careful lawyer, an excellent citizen, a faithful Mend and a modest and courteous gentleman. Despite his advanced years, he was active until several 'months ago, when he began to show the first signs of the infirmities of age. Up to that time he spent much of his time at the law office where Ihis splendid judgment and legal knowledge served as a vast help to his co-workers. Besides his widow he is survived by three daughters, Miss Nina Ham-

Shorthorn Men to Meet. A meeting of Shorthorn breeders interested in holding a combination sale of registered cattle will be held in the county agent’s office next Saturday afternoan, January 31st, at 2 o’clock for the purpose of making such arrangements as are necessary for the event. All intending consignors are invited to be present. Buying Fertilizers Now Will Saving. Attention of Jasper county farmers is called to the desirability of placing their orders for commercial fertilizers, particularly potash, at an early date in order to forestall delay in arrivals. There Is everything to lose and nothing t > gain by delaying ordering until the last minute. The feeling of uncertainty as to future prices of products which characterized the agricultural situation a year ago has passed and it looks as if an unusually large amount of fertilizer would be used this spring, which-, co-upled with the car and labor shortage will mean slow deliveries. The man who needs fertilizer this oprtog will be doing himself a good turn by placing h'is order now. Straw on Wheat a Complete Success. Farmers who last year applied straw to their Wheat crop during tne winter months are loud in their praise of this method of crop treatment and are waiting until the weather conditions are favorable to repeat the process this year. The iwactice has two very strong points to recommend it; first it protects the wheat and increases the wheat yields, and secondly it gets the straw on to the field's before it has rotted and lost its nitrogen by decomposition and its potash by leaching. With every indication of a good price for wheat inext fall, the farmer who can pull tne wheat through the winter has a piece of property that is like money in the bank and the strawing will do aS much to pull It through In good shape as anything known. Orchard Pruning Merits Attention. Practically all the attention that the average farm orchard will get will be given the next sixty days.

Mild winter weather furnishes an ideal time to prune up the farm fruit trees and put the orchard in shape. On the farm where the owner “hasn/’t time” to care for many trees a judicious use of tha axo will add to the amount of land und-'r cultivation and rid the community of trees which do nothing but harbor insects and diseases. Present demands for fruit of all kinds warrant better care of the trees, especially since this care can be given at odd times when work is not as pushing as at certain seasons of the year.