Winnie Davis Camp No. 108 UCV Records from Membership Register   Elijah Fisk Yeager Waxahachie Enterprise May 16, 1890 At 9:15 Saturday morning, May 10, Mr. E. F. Yeager breathed his last at his home on College Street, surrounded by his family and kindred.  For about three months he had been confined to his bed and anxious friends have watched the ever changing phases of his illness.  As the end drew nigh, his faith in Christ became stronger and deeper and his death cast a shadow of sorrow over the city and country.  His last struggle was short - a feeble effort to cough and all was over. He possessed a full supply of southern chivalry.  He loved his country and braved the dangers of battle tin defense of southern rights and when the stars and bars was furled in defeat he loved that banner still.  It was not in his nature to forget the cause that lay so near the southern heart and he delighted to do honor to the memory of Jefferson Davis.  However, no man was more loyal than he in upholding the principles underlying the United States government. As an editor, he studied carefully every question of public interest and formed his conclusions deliberately - his terseness of expression and elegance of diction placed him in the front rank of Texas editors. As a teacher he was conscientious and thorough and has left [an] influence for good that will live for years to come.  As a lawyer he was careful, studious and sincere, and as a citizen he was foremost in every enterprise that was to the advantage of his community.  As a representative of Ellis County in the 19th legislature, he proved his fidelity to his constituents by his active, energetic work in their behalf.  As a husband and father he was kind and considerate, and as a christian he was consistent in all his words and works. After an impressive funeral service at the Methodist church,  conducted by Rev. J. S. Davis at 3 o'clock Sunday evening, the remains were taken in charge by the Odd Fellows and conveyed to the city cemetery.  Thus has passed away one of our noblest citizens - a man respected for his honesty, integrity and firmness and loved for his many virtues. Biographical Sketch Mr. Elijah Fisk Yeager, was born in Washington County, Tennessee Dec. 26, 1844.  He came of good parentage, his father being one of the most prominent citizens of his section. Under the influence of strict parental training, he grew up to be a splendid type of southern youth. Although but in his 17th year when the crisis came, he shouldered his knapsack, box and gun and with his young southern blood mounting to his temples and a mother's benediction, he marched on to join the battle of his countrymen in defense of his native land.  He joined the 29th Tennessee regiment and with the army of Tennessee went from Tupelo, Miss. through Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina into eastern North Carolina, where he participated in the last battle fought by Gen. Joseph E. Johnson and his remnant of troops - at Bentonville March 19, 1965. He fought in the famous battles of Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge. He always had a very warm heart for "Jeff" Davis and in 1885 visited him at his home in Beauvoir, Mississippi. During his military career he underwent all the privations and hardships incident to a struggle against odds.  His war life has been partially published in previous numbers of the Enterprise in a series of letters written from camps along the line of march. describing war scenes which would be calculated to intimidate the less brave, but at no time does he betray the [illegible]. After the battle of Bentonville the army marched through Raleigh and turned westward toward Greensboro, N.C., where they bivouacked a few days and surrendered to Gen. Sherman April [illegible] reached his home [illegible] mother on May 11, 1865. He was educated as Tusculoma college, Tenn. and came with his father's family to Texas in 1870 and settled at Alvarado, Johnson County, where the Yeager residence stood until it was torn down to give place to a more modern structure.   Yeager came to Waxahachie and occupied the chair of Professor of Languages in Marvin College and was married to a sister of Judge Anson Rainey.  He afterwards resided again at Alvarado, teaching in the Masonic Institute, and a year at Veal's  Station, Parker county.  We next find him engaged in the practice of law in which profession he showed rare ability, and practiced in Ellis county until 1880, when he purchased (from Mr. B. F. Carpenter) the Waxahachie Enterprise, to which he devoted the last nine years of his life.  As a newspaper man he stood at the top and his popularity with the press of the country attests the great esteem in which he was held by the fraternity. He was a prominent member of the Texas Press Association, as member of the executive committee, and last fall went as a delegate from Texas to the National Press Association at Detroit, Mich. He leaves a a wife and six children well provided for besides the record of a noble life to support them in their sorrow.  The country will miss him, the newspaper fraternity will miss him, the community will miss him; but oh, the deep grief that hangs over his own household!  Although we know that words of condolence are but empty mockery spoken into the ear of a grief stricken widow, we can but voice the feelings of all our people in saying that thousands of heads are bowed in sorrow and thousands of hearts are made to bleed in sympathy for the sorrowing family. Citizens Mass Meeting Pursuant to a call by Mayor Rhodes, a large number of citizens met at the courthouse Saturday evening to pay tribute to the memory of Hon. E. F. Yeager.  Hon. W. H. Getzendaner , chair, stated the object of the meeting.  The chair appointed G. W. Vaughn, J. W. Ferris, E. A. DuBose, A. M. Dechman, J. W. Clark, E. O. Huckabee, J. S. Hardy and T. J. Middleton a committee to draft suitable resolutions on the death of Hon. E. F. Yeager.   Copyright © 2002-2016, Ellis County TXGenWeb. All Rights Reserved. This page was last modified: Thursday, 01-Jul-2021 13:19:32 MDT