Gen. William Hugh Young, obituary, 1901

Date: 29 Nov 1901 [unknown]
Location: San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas
Surname/tag: Young

DEATH OF GEN. WM. H. YOUNG

Veteran Soldier Passed Away Thursday Morning, Aged 64 Years.

Made a Brilliant Record in the War Between the States, Rising from a Captain to a Brigadier-Generalship. Biographical Sketch.

After but a brief illness, General William Hugh Young, one of San Antonio's pioneer residents, passed away at his home 1024 Main avenue, Thursday morning, aged 64 years. His demise came as a shock to his fellow citizens, for while it was known that he had been ill for the last few weeks, his condition did not warrant alarm. He was stricken Thursday morning at about 9 o'clock, while his family was at breakfast. Three-quarters of an hour later, he calmly went to sleep, his wife, his physicians, and some friends at the bedside. General Young remained conscious to the end and spoke at intervals to his wife. Ten minutes after he suffered the stroke, the family physician, Dr. Frank Paschal, arrived at the Young residence, but he could do nothing for the distinguished patient. General Young's breathing in the last minutes was somewhat labored. He appeared to realize that the end was near and resigned to God's will. The arrangements for burial had not been completed Thursday evening, the family awaiting advices from a son, Dr. H. H. Young, of the John Hopkins University at Baltimore. General Young is survived in this city by his widow and a brother, N. A. Young. He also has relatives in Virginia and Tennessee.

General Young had been slightly indisposed during the summer, but not until three weeks ago was he confined to his home. His wife, who had been in the East for the summer, returned home two weeks ago. On Wednesday he was feeling quite well and walked about considerably in his home, retiring early that evening. Thursday morning he complained of feeling somewhat fatigued and not quite so good as on the preceding day, but it was not thought that he would so suddenly become ill. Mrs. Young and other members of the household repaired to breakfast, the general remaining in his room. While seated at the table they were summoned to his room. It was immediately see that his heart was troubling him and Dr. Paschal was immediately sent for.

The remains were later prepared for burial and dressed in the uniform of the Confederate army, which General Young loved so dearly. Interment will likely be in the Confederate cemetery. The pallbearers will be comrades in arms of the deceased and members of Albert Sidney Johnston Camp United Confederate Veterans. the services will be conducted by Dean Richardson of St. Mark's Episcopal Church

General Young's residence in San Antonio is well-known to almost everyone. He was a conspicuous figure in any gathering by reason of commanding presence and fine facial features. By profession he was an attorney, but devoted his time chiefly to the land business, and was thus engaged at the time of death, being a member of the firm of W. H. & N. A. Young. In all matters pertaining to the welfare of San Antonio and its citizens he was a prime factor. To any festival he gladly gave his services. General Young had never sought or held any political office, but was a consistent member of the Episcopal church and has for the last quarter of a century officiated as superintendent of St. Mark's Sunday school. He was also a director in the Alamo Monumental Association. About six years ago, he served one term as commander in chief of the Texas Division, United Confederate Veterans. In politics, he was a Democrat and in many of the State conventions, since the restoration of civil rights, he served as a delegate. In everything he was a firm but courteous Christian gentleman.

BIOGRAPHICAL.

William Hugh Young was born in Boonville, Mo., Jan. 1, 1838. He was a direct descendant of the first English emigrants into Old West Augusta county, in the valley of Virginia. His father was Hugh F. Young, who in early life was sheriff of Rockbridge county Va., later settling as a merchant at Yazoo City, Miss., but after marriage removed to Boonville, Mo., where he remained until 1841, when he came to Clarksville, Tex., and in the year 1853[?] settled at Sherman. During the war he was appointed a brigadier general of a reserve brigade of State troops, and after the war he headed[?] to this city. His son, W. H. Young, until he was 12 years old, attended the school at Clarksville, Tex., when he entered in an academy at Nashville, Tenn., and afterward passed two years at McKenzie College at his home and completed his education at the University of Virginia in 1861 and but for the war would have gone through the law course there.

In April of that year, however, he entered the provisional military school at the University and in September returned home, and was elected captain of an infantry company, 100 strong, and joined the regiment, of which S. B. Maxey was colonel, who was ordered to join General Albert Sidney Johnston at Corinth, Miss. Captain Young drew his maiden sword on the field of Shiloh, soon after which he was elected colonel of the regiment, Colonel Maxey having been raised to a brigadier generalship. He led his regiment in all engagements around Corinth before its evacuation by Beauregard, and afterwards at Perryville and Murfreesboro. In the latter engagement, two horses were killed under him and he was wounded in the shoulder. He was next ordered to Mississippi and participated in all the engagements around Jackson after the fall of Vicksburg. He was next in the battle of Chickamauga, where he was shot through the left breast. His next service was in the Atlanta campaign, from Caseville to Atlanta. In the battles around Atlanta, Gen. Matthew H. Ector, to whose brigade Colonel Young belonged, lost a leg, and on Aug. 15, 1864, Colonel Young was promoted and became its commander, commanding it in the subsequent engagements around and during the evacuation of Atlanta.

In General Hood's subsequent march north, French's division, to which General Young's brigade belonged, was detached to storm Altoona Heights, which proved to be one of the most sanguinary struggles of the war. In it his horse was shot from under him and the bones of his left ankle shot in twain. In an endeavor to reach the rear he was captured by the enemy's cavalry, and for four months laid in Federal hospitals in Marietta, Atlanta, Chattanooga and Nashville, until February, 1865, he was removed to Johnson's Island, and there imprisoned until his final release on July 25 of that year, being then only in his twenty-eighth year, with a record worthy of the bravest veteran of mature years. General Young came to San Antonio at the close of the war and studied law with the late S. G. Newton. On Nov. 3, 1869, at Port Republic, Va., he married Fannie M. Kemper, a daughter of Dr. George W. Kemper, Jr.