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The lapse of time and the dissipation of
the prejudices that swayed men's judgment
for a number of years after the close of
the War of the Rebellion have caused us
to view in a new light the sacrifices of
the men who wore the Confederate uniform,
and we have come to admire their devotion
to the principles for which they fought.
The bitter feelings for which they
fought. The bitter feelings engendered by
that fierce internecine strife two score
years ago have passed; we are now a
united nation and proud of the flag which
commands respect the the world over. We
have learned to love those true gentlemen
of the South who represent all that is
noble and inspiring in man, and have come
to appreciate the unselfish motives which
prompted the men who, accepting the out
come as final, bowed gracefully to
defeat., and strove to unite the former
opposing elements. Such a man was Col.
Andrew J. Kellar, now a resident of Hot
Springs, S. D. After giving four years of
early youth to the Confederate service,
he returned home imbued with the desire
of uniting North and South. |
His soldierly
heart was won by Grant's magnanimity at the
surrender of the Confederate armies; his
admiration was open and enthusiastic. He
welcomed northern men and capital to the South
when it was not the popular thing to do. His
stand antagonized the secession politicians who
opposed his efforts with all the bitterness of
the period. His fighting however, had ended
with Lee's surrender. Col. Kellar is a native
of Tennessee, and a scion of heroes of
Revolutionary days.
His paternal
grandfather was born in France, came to this
country in the early days. fought as a
volunteer soldier in the Revolutionary War, was
captured by the British near Newport, R. I.,
and was sent to England a prisoner, where he
remained until peace was made between the
United States, England and France. He returned
to this country from France in 1800 and settled
in Maryland, and was a soldier in the War of
1812, serving in the army that defended
Maryland, and was a soldier in the War of 1812,
serving in the army that defended Baltimore
against the British. Col. Kellar's
material grandfather was an Irishman and served
as a corporal in the First Kentucky riflemen
under Gen. Jackson, in the war with England in
1812-1815.
He came to the
United States from Ireland in 1796, under
charge of the father of Gov. Wise, of Virginia,
and was a member of the Society of United
Irishmen. He died after the battle of New
Orleans while on his way to his home in
Kentucky.
The subject of this
sketch is a son of George Philip Kellar and
Sarah Conley Kellar, and was born in 1838. When
fourteen years of age he entered the state
university at Columbus, Tenn., remaining in
this institution for two years. Afterwards he
pursued his studies in New Orleans with
Professors Lanier and Dimitry. He began the
study of law under the direction of Mr. Miles
Taylor, a distinguished member of the bar of
New Orleans, and who was then a member of the
lower house of congress. Later he went to
Somerville, Tenn., and prepared himself for
admission to the bar in the office of Gem.
Thomas Rives. He was admitted to practice law
in the circuit court in 1859, and admitted to
the bar of the supreme court of Tennessee in
1860.
The following year, on
the outbreak of the war, he enlisted in the
Confederate army at Memphis, Tenn., and was
mustered in as captain of Company D, Fourth
Tennessee Regiment of Infantry. In July, 1862,
he was commissioned lieutenant colonel of the
same regiment, and in July of the following
year colonel. He was paroled May 1, 1865. The
regiment served in Cheatham's division in the
army commanded by Generals Albert Sidney
Johnson, Beauregard, Bragg, Hood and Joseph E.
Johnson. After the war he returned home and
resumed the practice of his profession. He took
a prominent part in political affairs, ever
having the highest interests of his country at
heart. This spirit dominated him to the
exclusion of personal ambition. In the stormy
days at Washington, in the contest of Tilden
against Hayes, he was a quiet factor in
"stilling the ugly temper of the nation"; but
he accepted no favors for his conscientious
work. It was done for the republic, not for
himself. Not without laudable ambition, he yet
declined honors lest his motives be
misunderstood. He had an intimate acquaintance
with distinguished men and was a personal
friend of Andrew Johnson, Hayes and Garfield.
An incident at a dinner at Delmontico's, where
Whitelaw Reid, Blaine and other distinguished
men were guests, shows the impression Col.
Kellar made on older men. When the feast ended
and the was discussing the situation of the
day, Blaine laid his hand kindly on Col.
Kellar's shoulder and exclaimed: "You are a
very audacious young man." That Col. Kellar's
able, unselfish course made him honored by his
peers is evidenced by the following extract
from the Memphis Scimiter, of January 8, 1889,
when his friends in Kentucky and Tennessee
wanted him in Harrison's cabinet:
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"More than any other man in the South,
perhaps, did he contribute to that
pacification of our section with Hayes
administration which enabled it to secure
the victory that the South achieved over
the carpet-bag government. Of Col.
Kellar's equipment for any service under
the new administration, which he would
accept, none can doubt. He is a very able
man, whether at the bar, in the military
field, in the editorial room or in
business life, with all of which he has
enlarged and successful experience. He
could have has anything for the asking
under Hayes, but he was not in politics
for revenue, nor for the other delights
of official power and place. He
held a very unique post in the work he
had undertaken, and felt, no doubt, that
he would forfeit what influence he hoped
to exert on either side if there should
be a suspicion that he was engaged in the
advocacy of his schemes of pacification
for the selfish ends to be attained by
accepting office, and so he declined." |
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Col. Kellar came to South
Dakota from Kentucky in 1893 and located at Hot
Springs, where he is engaged in the practice of
law. In politics, he was a Douglas Union
Democrat in 1860, voted for Grant in 1868, for
Greeley in 1872, Peter Cooper in 1876, Garfield
in 1880, Blaine in 1884, Harrison in 1888 and
1892, Bryan in 1896 and 1900. The only office
held by Col. Kellar was that of member of the
state senate of South Dakota, elected on the
Silver Republican ticket in 1896. He served as
chairman of the judiciary committee. In 1874,
he was an earnest supporter of Andrew Johnson
for the United States senate and contributed in
no small degree to the latter's success in
securing his election. In 1877, he was tendered
the governorship of Washington Territory, by
President Hayes, which he declined.
November 28, 1865, he was
married to Miss Margaret Agnes Chambers, of
Mississippi, a cousin of Hon. Hugh Lawson
White. She is descended from the Revolutionary
generals, William Davidson and Griffith
Rutherford. Five children were born: Chambers,
who graduated with first honors from Vanderbilt
university, and is now a leading attorney of
Deadwood, S. D.; Andrew Conley, connected with
a Sioux City commission house; Werdna,
graduated with first honors in music at
Hellmuth college, Canada; Philip Rutherford,
admitted to the bar of South Dakota by the
supreme court of the state, but preferring
literature and journalism to the law, is now in
Chicago, engaged in newspaper work.
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