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Surnames: Carnahan, Dawson, Peterson, Hess
Classification: Obituary
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This is Gen. James Richards Carnahan (1840-1905) - son of Rev. James Aikman Carnahan
(1802-1879) and Martha Ann Dawson
md Susah Elizabeth Peterson
* 1905 - July 24 - News article - The Fort Wayne News - Fort Wayne, Wayne Co., Indiana:
General Carnahan Improved
Indianapolis, Ind.; July 24
General James R. Carnahan, whose serious illness had been concealed from the public was
said last night to be some better and hopes are entertained for his recovery. He is
comander-in-chief of the Uniform Rank Knights of Pythias. A report reached here last
night that he has withdrawn as a candidate for commander-in-chief of the Grand Army but
his associates do not believe he has.
* 1905 - Aug. 2 - News article - The Fort Wayne News - Fort Wayne, Wayne Co., Indiana:
General Carnahan Sinking
Indianapolis, Ind., Aug. 2 - General James R. Carnahan, commander of the Uniform Rank
Knights of Pythias, and recently spoken of for national commander of the G.A.R., was
reported sinking rapidly this afternoon. At noon his physicians stated that his death was
but a matter of a few hours.
* 1905 - Aug. 3 - News article - The Fort Wayne News - Fort Wayne, Wayne Co., Indiana:
General James R. Carnahan lived a life of a patriot ahd high minded citizen. He fought for
his country with valor and was later an exemplar of civic virtues.
Obit - Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette - Fort Wayne, Allen Co., Indiana - Friday, 4 Aug
1904:
General Carnahan Dead
He Was The Founder Of Pythian Military Rank
He Was Prominent In The Grand Army And A Progressive And Useful Career Is Ended
Indianapolis, Aug. 3 - James R. Carnahan died at 6:35 a.m. today at his home, No. 8 West
Drive, Woodruff Place, of paralysis of the stomach, with complications, amont which was
uraemic poisoning. His health began to fail about the middle of last January and he was
not able to attend to business after May 26. For the last four weeks he has been confined
to his room. All his family were at his bedside, his daughter, Mrs. Hess of Fort Collins,
having reached here at 3 a.m. today, while he was yet conscious.
The funeral will be held from the family home, 8 West Drive, Woodruff Place, at 2 p.m.
Saturday. It will be conducted by the uniform rank, K. of P. of this city and state, and
many members of the order from other states are expected to be present. The body will be
on view to friends from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday.
Was Born In Dayton, Ind.
James Richards Carnahan, past grand chancellor of Indiana, and major general of the
uniform rank, Knights of Pythias of the World, was born in Dayton, Tippecanoe county, this
state, Nov. 18, 1841.
He was of Scotich-Irish descent and came from soldier stock, a great-grandfather, and two
great-grand uncles having served in the revolutionary war. The father of General Carnahan
was a native of Kentucky, a graduate of the theological seminary at Auburn, N.Y., who went
to Lafayette in 1827, and was pastor of one Presbyterian church for fifty years.
Determined to have an education, young Carnahan entered Wabash college, at Crawfordsville,
with $5 as the sum total of his earthly possessions. He sawed wood, swept the halls,
worked in gardens, kept a set of books for a business house, and thus worked his way until
the breaking out of the civil war, when in April, 1861, at the first call for troops, he
enlisted as a private in Wallace's Zouaves, the Eleventh Indiana Volunteer Infantry
Regiment.
Drilled By Lew Wallace
For two years prior to the war he had been a member of a military company under the
command of Captain afterward Major Lew Wallace, and had profited by the through drill and
discipline then obtained. From the Eleventh Indiana Regiment he went into the
Eighty-sixth Indiana in which he was a member until the close of the war. He filled
various official positions in his company and regiment and in the last year of the war was
a staff officer. At the close of the war a commission in the regular army was tendered
him, which owing to the opposition of relatives and friends, he did not accept.
In the autumn of 1865, he re-entered Wabash college, at which he was graduated in June,
1865. He entered the law office of Ray, Gordon, & March in Indianapolis, in the
autumn of 1866 and was graduated by the Indianapolis Law School. He was admitted to
practice in the superior court of the state in 1867; established himself in Lafayette, and
in October, 1867, was elected prosecutor of Tippecanoe county, a position he filled until
1873. In October, 1874, he was elected and commissioned judge of the Tippecanoe criminal
circuit court.
Became A Knight of Pythias in '74
His history as a Knight of Pythias began in the winder of 1874, at which time he became a
member of Lafayette lodge No. 51, in which he retained his membership until his death. He
entered the grand lodge of Indiana after passing through all the chairs of Lafayette
lodge, and was elected grand chancellor of Indiana in January, 1880.
He was looked on as the founder of the uniform rank of the order. In the winder of
1876-1877, he organized what was then known as the Lafayette K. of P. drill corps. In
January, 1881, he was appointed adjutant general of Indiana by Governor Porter and
organized the militia of the state.
In 1884, under his direction, separate regimental encampments of the Indiana militia were
held at Richmond and Peru. Without any aid from the state by way of appropriation, he
obtained for Indiana a thorough and available body of organized militia, put troops into
camp three years in succession for a week at a time, and sustained them by private
contributions induced by the military spirit he had aroused in the people of the state.
Grand Jurisdictions Organized
At the session of the supreme lodge K. of P. of 1882, he was placed on the committee on
uniform rank and drafted the additions to the general laws whereby regimental
organizations of the order were made in grand jurisdictions having certain number of
subordinate divisions. This committee was made a standing committee, and its labor
resulted in completely reorganizing the uniform rank as it then existed. A book of
tactics was prepared by him and Lieut. W. R. Hamilton, of the United States Army, General
Carnahan writing most of the tactics and superintending the publication of the book. This
work was given to the supreme lodge. The first edition of the tactics wasx completed in
July, 1883.
At the session of the supreme lodge of 1884, he was selected and commissioned as the first
major general and placed in command of the uniform rank, Knights of Pythias of the World,
a position he held continuously until his death. The rank now has a member ship of
50,000. The organization by reason of its efficiency in drill and discipline has been
recognized by the war department as next to the militia the greatest adjunct to the
military forces of the government.
Prominent in the G. A. R.
He was a member of the Robert Anderson, post 369, G.A.R., this city. He became identified
with the grand army in 1866. His comrades of the grand army in a circular setting forth
his services as a soldier and his qualifications for the office of commander-in-chief,
gave an interesting history of the man and the battles in which he took part. His most
important service was during the campaign prior to and including the battle of Nashville.
He was aide-de-camp on the staff of Major General T. J. Wood, commanding the Fourth army
corps, and received high compliments from his commanding general, and from Major General
George H. Thomas, commanding the army of the Cumberland, for faithful and efficient
service. Following the battle of Nashville, he participated in a campaign in east
Tennessee, and, on the termination of hostilities, returned to Nashville and took part in
the final grand review of the troops of the army of the Cumberland. During his army
service, he participate!
d in thiety-three general engagements.
Illness Barred Candidacy
He was a past department commander of the grand army of the state, and but for his
illness, which caused the withdrawal of his name as a candidate, would probably have been
elected commander-inchief of the Grand Army of the Republic at its approaching encampment.
Last year he was appointed by President Roosevelt one of the visiting committee to West
Point Military academy, and delivered an address before the graduates of that school of
the class of 1904.
He was one of the men that originated the plan for establishing the state soldiers home at
Lafayette, and was a member of the board and its president until his successor was
appointed by Governor Durbin. He was, at the time of his death, one of the trustes of the
Indianapolis Technical Institute. His work as a member of the Indiana Chickamauga
battlefield commission, of which he was secretary and compiled the report, was recognized
as a lablr of the most painstaking care. He was appointed to the board by Governor
Matthews.
General Carnahan was a member of the Second Presbyterian Church; a member of the Mystic
Tie Lodge F. & A.M.; and a thirth-two degree member of the Ancient Accepted Scottish
Rite.
Known As Master Of Detail
He was recognized as most zealous, faithful and efficient in everything he undertook,
being a master of detail with a clear head and always working with a definite purpose in
view. He was esteemed in every relation in life, and in the Pythian brotherhood was
doubtless its best known and most influential member.
He leaves a widow and three daughters: Mrs. H. G. Ashbrook of Cleveland, Ohio; Mrs.
Michael Steele Bright, of Superior, Wis.,; and Mrs. Ralph Hess, of Fort Collins, Colo.
General Carnahan's Funeral
Of the two Pythian services for the dead which will be read at the grave Saturday
afternoon, one, the burial service of the uniform rank was written by General Carnahan.
The funeral cortege will, it is expected, be one of the most imposing seen in Indianapolis
in recent years. All companied of the Indiana brigade, U.R.K.of P. have been ordered to
participate in the services, and companies from Ohio, Illinois, and Kentucky are
expected.
By its secretary and President W. H. Dryden and A. A. Hasket, members of the Association
of the Supervisors of the Battle of Old Stone River, have been requested to attend the
funeral in a body. The Masons will also attend.
* 1905 - Aug. 9 - News article - Fort Wayne Weekly Sentinel - Fort Wayne, Wayne Co.,
Indiana:
Funeral of Gen. Carnahan
Indianapolis, Aug. 5 - The funeral of James R. Carnahan, major general of the uniform
rank, Knights of Pythias, took place this afternoon. The opening services at the family
home were conducted by the Rev. Owen Davies Odell, of the Second Presbyterian Church. The
music was furnished by the choir of that church.
Twelve companies of the uniform rank, Indiana Brigade, formed at Ohio and Pennsylvania
streets and marched to Woodruff place. The body was on view this morning.
After the service at the home the uniform rank took charge of the funeral.
The marchers formed at the gate of the cemetery and escorted the body to the grave where
the funeral services of the subordinate lodges and that of the uniform rank were read.
Taps was sounded by members of the Anderson post, Grand Army of the Republic.
The numerous floral offerings sent to the family home came from many friends in this city
and from many different parts of the state and neighboring states.
* 1905 - Aug. 9 - News article - Fort Wayne News - Fort Wayne, Wayne Co., Indiana:
Slapped Son-in-Law
The Will of General Carnahan Exposes His Daughter's Triflling Husband
Indianapolis, Ind., Aug. 9
In his will, filed for probate yesterday, General James R. Carnahan leaves to his
granddaughter Elizabeth Z. Leathers, a note for $755, executed by her father and charges
the administrator of the estate with the collection of the note "by suit or
otherwise," and the payment of the money to the child. The note was executed June
17, 1903, and was payable in eighteen months. Judge James M. Leathers, father of the
child, and his wife, a daughter of General Carnahan, were divorced several months ago.
General Carnahan also left a $7,500 note and a $1,000 note to another grandchild, Michael
C. Bright. He also left this grandchild his old army sword as well as a diamond G.A.R.
badge, which was left to him by the Indiana G.A.R.
To his daughter, Nellie A. Hess, he leaves a bond of $1,000.
The rest of his property he leaves to his widow.
The will requests that any notes due General Carnahan from his brother, Joseph L.
Carnahan, at the time of his death may be returned to the brother at Kansas City and that
the brother shall not be required to pay them. The Union Trust company is made
administrator. The will was executed December 1, 1901.