According to the Shelby County Death Register he was a merchant and cause of death was consumption. His first wife was Mary J. Lamb. They had thre daughters; Mollie was born about 1851, Eva about 1855 and Jeannie 1857. His wife Mary died in 1857. When the Civil War broke out he joined the Confederate Army as a Private but rose to become an adjutant-general on the staff of Nathan Bedford Forrest. After the war he married for the second time, Laura Martin. Their children were: Neda who was born about 1866 and Presley who was born about 1868.
Memphis Daily Appeal
May 20 1875
Major J.P. Strange
-----
Funeral of the Gallant Soldier-An Escort of His Comrades Under the Old Chief, General N.B. Forrest--Last Sad Rites
-----
Resolutions by the Committee Appointed by the Confederate Soldiers' Meeting and Unanimously Adopted-Condolences to the Stricken Family-Etc.
---
The last sad tribute was yesterday paid to the gallant Adjutant General J.P. Strange, whose death is so generally deplored by the citizens of Memphis, among whom he was so truly esteemed and respected because of his moral worth, purity of heart, and high integrity of character. Pursuant to a call from the members of Forrest's cavalry, and in accordance with the programme previously agreed upon, a large number of ex-Confederate soldiers and friends of the deceased met together on Second street, opposite Court square, for the purpose of attending the funeral in a body. A band of music stationed at the above-named place struck up an air, and it was not long before the street thronged with those who were to engage in the sad duty of following the remains of a loved friend and a gallant soldier to the grave. Prominent among the many present was General N.B. Forrest, mounted upon a white horse, and surrounded by those who, with Major Strange, had been active officers during the late civil war. When the army surrendered, ten years ago, the same men who were yesterday grouped together might have been seen for the last time as Confederate soldiers. Since the the death angel, silently and unseen, has waived his hand over the brow of more than one manly form which the bullets and the steel had failed to fell in the shock of battle. But the death of no man carried more sorrow or touched more painfully the heart of General Forrest and his officers and the members of his command than did that of Major Strange. Brave, generous and true in every duty of life, whether as soldier or citizen, delicate, refined and devoted in every sentiment that gave beauty to manly conduct and grace to human friendship, the trusted man who served with such gallant distinction as adjutant-general of Forrest's staff, is mourned with no feigned sorrow to-day, as he was loved and esteemed with no trivial admiration in the past. By three o'clock the hearse in which the coffin, with the pulseless body, was to be placed arrived at the place of assemblage, and the line of procession was then formed in the following order:
General N.B. Forrest and Colonel M.C. Gallaway on horses.
Hearse.
General john C. Fizer, Major G.V. Rambaut, Colonel W.F. Taylor, Major E.A. Spotswood, Major Goodnman and A.B. Vaccaro on horses.
Band of Music.
Confederates and Friends of the Deceased on Foot.
Mounted Confederates and Friends.
Carriages Containing Friends of the Deceased.
The funeral train moved slowly down Main Street, and as it was passing along many a heart felt the sweet, sad strains of music that make known the character of the occasion. Upon arriving at the residence of the family, on Vance street, the funeral services were conducted by Rev. Dr. Stainback, of the Court street Cumberland Presbyterian church. The services were simple, impressive and beautiful, and every one there was made to feel yet more deeply how dear had been the friend for whom they mourned. At the conclusion of the services the coffin was placed in the hearse, which then proceeded with the cortege to Elmwood cemetery. Here the coffin was lifted out of the hearse by the pall-bearers, General N.B. Forrest, Major G.V. Rambaut, Colonel W.F. Taylor, General J.C. Fizer, Colonel M.C. Gallaway, John T. Hillsman, A.B. Vaccaro, and Major E.A. Spotswood. The coffin was lowered into the grave, the earth soon closed upon it, and sadly the crowd of mourning friends left the place, for the gallant Major Strange was now resting under the sod.
Resolutions.
The following are the resolutions adopted by the meeting of his comrades in arms in view of the death of Major J. P. Strange:
In presenting to this meeting resolutions commemorative of the worth and excellence of Major John Presley Strange, your committee feel a melancholy satisfaction in recounting incidents in his career which indicate the many good and ennobling qualities that enriched his life. Though the duty devolving upon us, to follow him to his final resting place on earth is a sad and melancholy one, it is with the satisfaction which fills the breast of every true man that we point to the bright and shining example of the past life of our dead comrade. John P. Strange was born in Fluvanna County, Virginia, in 1821, and while yet a boy followed his father's footsteps to the valley of the Mississippi. Through assiduous attention to business, and an aptitude for mercantile life, he early became one of the most popular young merchants in the west, and in the year 1855, he, together with the lamented John K. Speed, established one of the largest and most successful mercantile houses in this city. Prior to this, however, Major Strange was married in Petersburg, Virginia, to Miss Lamb, who after bearing him two children died. When the civil war of 1861 ensued, Major Strange abandoned a large and very lucrative business and entered the service of the Confederate States as a private in one of the companies which, at a later period, formed a part of the cavalry regiment so well known as "Forrest's old regiment." When this regiment was organized, the modest and delicately-framed merchant was appointed sergeant-major, and from that time to the close of the war Major Strange was actively engaged in positions of honor. He soon became adjutant of his regiment, and, because of his gallant bearing as a soldier on the battle-field of Murfreesboro, on the twenty-first of July, 1862, he was promoted to the rank of major and assigned to duty on the staff of General Forrest as assistant adjutant-general. He remained in this position until the close of the war, supporting his chief in battle with a steady hand and in camp with a judgment born to the vicissitudes of war. major Strange, though delicate in frame and retiring in his manners, possessed beneath a modest demeanor the true courage of a soldier, which never falters in the hour of danger, and yet never tramples upon a fallen foe. Chivalrous in spirit, he would bare his breast to the leaden hail of war's dread tempests, yet, when the heated hour was over, and stillness enwrapped the field of carnage, he would bend over the victims of war with a womanly tenderness that has brought a tear to the bronzed and manly cheek of many a wounded comrade. No man in the army corps to which he was attached was more respected for his gallantry and chivalrous bearing than he, and none more beloved for his goodness of heart and unselfish generosity. While the war existed he was emphatically a soldier; and when the struggle was over he accepted his parole, and in good faith retired to private life, never again to take up the sword of warfare upon earth. If his conduct in war endeared his comrades to him, his elevated walk and conduct as a citizen in private life has commanded the respect and won the affections of all whose fortune it was to know him well. Soon after his return to Memphis, after the close of the war, Major Strange was married to Miss Laura Martin, a daughter of Judge Martin, of Columbia, Tennessee, who with her two children survive him. Therefore, as a tribute to the memory of our former comrade, who died on the seventeenth of May, 1875, with a soldiers fortitude, we submit the following;
Resolved, that we, the surviving members of "Forrest's cavalry corps," with pride recall the many deeds of valor and heroism accomplished by our lamented comrade, Major John P. Strange, while a soldier, and it is with equal pride and satisfaction we point to his private life and history which is pure and unsullied.
Resolved, that in his death society has lost one of its brightest ornaments, we a comrade who was dear to our hearts, and his home circle its brightest idol.
Resolved, that we extend to his stricken and heartbroken family our warmest sympathy and condolence in their bereavement.
Resolved, that the newspapers of this city be requested to publish this preamble and resolutions, and that the secretary of the meeting be requested to furnish a copy of the same to the family of the deceased.
T.H. Logwood
E.S. Hammond
D.E. Myers
Committee
Clarksville Weekly Chronicle
May 22 1875
Major John Pressley Strange, for many years a leading merchant of Memphis, and during the war adjutant general on the staff of Lieut. Gen. Forrest, died in that city, on the 17th inst., of consumption, aged fifty three years.
Memphis Daily Appeal
May 20 1875
Major J.P. Strange
-----
Funeral of the Gallant Soldier-An Escort of His Comrades Under the Old Chief, General N.B. Forrest--Last Sad Rites
-----
Resolutions by the Committee Appointed by the Confederate Soldiers' Meeting and Unanimously Adopted-Condolences to the Stricken Family-Etc.
---
The last sad tribute was yesterday paid to the gallant Adjutant General J.P. Strange, whose death is so generally deplored by the citizens of Memphis, among whom he was so truly esteemed and respected because of his moral worth, purity of heart, and high integrity of character. Pursuant to a call from the members of Forrest's cavalry, and in accordance with the programme previously agreed upon, a large number of ex-Confederate soldiers and friends of the deceased met together on Second street, opposite Court square, for the purpose of attending the funeral in a body. A band of music stationed at the above-named place struck up an air, and it was not long before the street thronged with those who were to engage in the sad duty of following the remains of a loved friend and a gallant soldier to the grave. Prominent among the many present was General N.B. Forrest, mounted upon a white horse, and surrounded by those who, with Major Strange, had been active officers during the late civil war. When the army surrendered, ten years ago, the same men who were yesterday grouped together might have been seen for the last time as Confederate soldiers. Since the the death angel, silently and unseen, has waived his hand over the brow of more than one manly form which the bullets and the steel had failed to fell in the shock of battle. But the death of no man carried more sorrow or touched more painfully the heart of General Forrest and his officers and the members of his command than did that of Major Strange. Brave, generous and true in every duty of life, whether as soldier or citizen, delicate, refined and devoted in every sentiment that gave beauty to manly conduct and grace to human friendship, the trusted man who served with such gallant distinction as adjutant-general of Forrest's staff, is mourned with no feigned sorrow to-day, as he was loved and esteemed with no trivial admiration in the past. By three o'clock the hearse in which the coffin, with the pulseless body, was to be placed arrived at the place of assemblage, and the line of procession was then formed in the following order:
General N.B. Forrest and Colonel M.C. Gallaway on horses.
Hearse.
General john C. Fizer, Major G.V. Rambaut, Colonel W.F. Taylor, Major E.A. Spotswood, Major Goodnman and A.B. Vaccaro on horses.
Band of Music.
Confederates and Friends of the Deceased on Foot.
Mounted Confederates and Friends.
Carriages Containing Friends of the Deceased.
The funeral train moved slowly down Main Street, and as it was passing along many a heart felt the sweet, sad strains of music that make known the character of the occasion. Upon arriving at the residence of the family, on Vance street, the funeral services were conducted by Rev. Dr. Stainback, of the Court street Cumberland Presbyterian church. The services were simple, impressive and beautiful, and every one there was made to feel yet more deeply how dear had been the friend for whom they mourned. At the conclusion of the services the coffin was placed in the hearse, which then proceeded with the cortege to Elmwood cemetery. Here the coffin was lifted out of the hearse by the pall-bearers, General N.B. Forrest, Major G.V. Rambaut, Colonel W.F. Taylor, General J.C. Fizer, Colonel M.C. Gallaway, John T. Hillsman, A.B. Vaccaro, and Major E.A. Spotswood. The coffin was lowered into the grave, the earth soon closed upon it, and sadly the crowd of mourning friends left the place, for the gallant Major Strange was now resting under the sod.
Resolutions.
The following are the resolutions adopted by the meeting of his comrades in arms in view of the death of Major J. P. Strange:
In presenting to this meeting resolutions commemorative of the worth and excellence of Major John Presley Strange, your committee feel a melancholy satisfaction in recounting incidents in his career which indicate the many good and ennobling qualities that enriched his life. Though the duty devolving upon us, to follow him to his final resting place on earth is a sad and melancholy one, it is with the satisfaction which fills the breast of every true man that we point to the bright and shining example of the past life of our dead comrade. John P. Strange was born in Fluvanna County, Virginia, in 1821, and while yet a boy followed his father's footsteps to the valley of the Mississippi. Through assiduous attention to business, and an aptitude for mercantile life, he early became one of the most popular young merchants in the west, and in the year 1855, he, together with the lamented John K. Speed, established one of the largest and most successful mercantile houses in this city. Prior to this, however, Major Strange was married in Petersburg, Virginia, to Miss Lamb, who after bearing him two children died. When the civil war of 1861 ensued, Major Strange abandoned a large and very lucrative business and entered the service of the Confederate States as a private in one of the companies which, at a later period, formed a part of the cavalry regiment so well known as "Forrest's old regiment." When this regiment was organized, the modest and delicately-framed merchant was appointed sergeant-major, and from that time to the close of the war Major Strange was actively engaged in positions of honor. He soon became adjutant of his regiment, and, because of his gallant bearing as a soldier on the battle-field of Murfreesboro, on the twenty-first of July, 1862, he was promoted to the rank of major and assigned to duty on the staff of General Forrest as assistant adjutant-general. He remained in this position until the close of the war, supporting his chief in battle with a steady hand and in camp with a judgment born to the vicissitudes of war. major Strange, though delicate in frame and retiring in his manners, possessed beneath a modest demeanor the true courage of a soldier, which never falters in the hour of danger, and yet never tramples upon a fallen foe. Chivalrous in spirit, he would bare his breast to the leaden hail of war's dread tempests, yet, when the heated hour was over, and stillness enwrapped the field of carnage, he would bend over the victims of war with a womanly tenderness that has brought a tear to the bronzed and manly cheek of many a wounded comrade. No man in the army corps to which he was attached was more respected for his gallantry and chivalrous bearing than he, and none more beloved for his goodness of heart and unselfish generosity. While the war existed he was emphatically a soldier; and when the struggle was over he accepted his parole, and in good faith retired to private life, never again to take up the sword of warfare upon earth. If his conduct in war endeared his comrades to him, his elevated walk and conduct as a citizen in private life has commanded the respect and won the affections of all whose fortune it was to know him well. Soon after his return to Memphis, after the close of the war, Major Strange was married to Miss Laura Martin, a daughter of Judge Martin, of Columbia, Tennessee, who with her two children survive him. Therefore, as a tribute to the memory of our former comrade, who died on the seventeenth of May, 1875, with a soldiers fortitude, we submit the following;
Resolved, that we, the surviving members of "Forrest's cavalry corps," with pride recall the many deeds of valor and heroism accomplished by our lamented comrade, Major John P. Strange, while a soldier, and it is with equal pride and satisfaction we point to his private life and history which is pure and unsullied.
Resolved, that in his death society has lost one of its brightest ornaments, we a comrade who was dear to our hearts, and his home circle its brightest idol.
Resolved, that we extend to his stricken and heartbroken family our warmest sympathy and condolence in their bereavement.
Resolved, that the newspapers of this city be requested to publish this preamble and resolutions, and that the secretary of the meeting be requested to furnish a copy of the same to the family of the deceased.
T.H. Logwood
E.S. Hammond
D.E. Myers
Committee
Clarksville Weekly Chronicle
May 22 1875
Major John Pressley Strange, for many years a leading merchant of Memphis, and during the war adjutant general on the staff of Lieut. Gen. Forrest, died in that city, on the 17th inst., of consumption, aged fifty three years.
According to the Shelby County Death Register he was a merchant and cause of death was consumption. His first wife was Mary J. Lamb. They had thre daughters; Mollie was born about 1851, Eva about 1855 and Jeannie 1857. His wife Mary died in 1857. When the Civil War broke out he joined the Confederate Army as a Private but rose to become an adjutant-general on the staff of Nathan Bedford Forrest. After the war he married for the second time, Laura Martin. Their children were: Neda who was born about 1866 and Presley who was born about 1868.
Memphis Daily Appeal
May 20 1875
Major J.P. Strange
-----
Funeral of the Gallant Soldier-An Escort of His Comrades Under the Old Chief, General N.B. Forrest--Last Sad Rites
-----
Resolutions by the Committee Appointed by the Confederate Soldiers' Meeting and Unanimously Adopted-Condolences to the Stricken Family-Etc.
---
The last sad tribute was yesterday paid to the gallant Adjutant General J.P. Strange, whose death is so generally deplored by the citizens of Memphis, among whom he was so truly esteemed and respected because of his moral worth, purity of heart, and high integrity of character. Pursuant to a call from the members of Forrest's cavalry, and in accordance with the programme previously agreed upon, a large number of ex-Confederate soldiers and friends of the deceased met together on Second street, opposite Court square, for the purpose of attending the funeral in a body. A band of music stationed at the above-named place struck up an air, and it was not long before the street thronged with those who were to engage in the sad duty of following the remains of a loved friend and a gallant soldier to the grave. Prominent among the many present was General N.B. Forrest, mounted upon a white horse, and surrounded by those who, with Major Strange, had been active officers during the late civil war. When the army surrendered, ten years ago, the same men who were yesterday grouped together might have been seen for the last time as Confederate soldiers. Since the the death angel, silently and unseen, has waived his hand over the brow of more than one manly form which the bullets and the steel had failed to fell in the shock of battle. But the death of no man carried more sorrow or touched more painfully the heart of General Forrest and his officers and the members of his command than did that of Major Strange. Brave, generous and true in every duty of life, whether as soldier or citizen, delicate, refined and devoted in every sentiment that gave beauty to manly conduct and grace to human friendship, the trusted man who served with such gallant distinction as adjutant-general of Forrest's staff, is mourned with no feigned sorrow to-day, as he was loved and esteemed with no trivial admiration in the past. By three o'clock the hearse in which the coffin, with the pulseless body, was to be placed arrived at the place of assemblage, and the line of procession was then formed in the following order:
General N.B. Forrest and Colonel M.C. Gallaway on horses.
Hearse.
General john C. Fizer, Major G.V. Rambaut, Colonel W.F. Taylor, Major E.A. Spotswood, Major Goodnman and A.B. Vaccaro on horses.
Band of Music.
Confederates and Friends of the Deceased on Foot.
Mounted Confederates and Friends.
Carriages Containing Friends of the Deceased.
The funeral train moved slowly down Main Street, and as it was passing along many a heart felt the sweet, sad strains of music that make known the character of the occasion. Upon arriving at the residence of the family, on Vance street, the funeral services were conducted by Rev. Dr. Stainback, of the Court street Cumberland Presbyterian church. The services were simple, impressive and beautiful, and every one there was made to feel yet more deeply how dear had been the friend for whom they mourned. At the conclusion of the services the coffin was placed in the hearse, which then proceeded with the cortege to Elmwood cemetery. Here the coffin was lifted out of the hearse by the pall-bearers, General N.B. Forrest, Major G.V. Rambaut, Colonel W.F. Taylor, General J.C. Fizer, Colonel M.C. Gallaway, John T. Hillsman, A.B. Vaccaro, and Major E.A. Spotswood. The coffin was lowered into the grave, the earth soon closed upon it, and sadly the crowd of mourning friends left the place, for the gallant Major Strange was now resting under the sod.
Resolutions.
The following are the resolutions adopted by the meeting of his comrades in arms in view of the death of Major J. P. Strange:
In presenting to this meeting resolutions commemorative of the worth and excellence of Major John Presley Strange, your committee feel a melancholy satisfaction in recounting incidents in his career which indicate the many good and ennobling qualities that enriched his life. Though the duty devolving upon us, to follow him to his final resting place on earth is a sad and melancholy one, it is with the satisfaction which fills the breast of every true man that we point to the bright and shining example of the past life of our dead comrade. John P. Strange was born in Fluvanna County, Virginia, in 1821, and while yet a boy followed his father's footsteps to the valley of the Mississippi. Through assiduous attention to business, and an aptitude for mercantile life, he early became one of the most popular young merchants in the west, and in the year 1855, he, together with the lamented John K. Speed, established one of the largest and most successful mercantile houses in this city. Prior to this, however, Major Strange was married in Petersburg, Virginia, to Miss Lamb, who after bearing him two children died. When the civil war of 1861 ensued, Major Strange abandoned a large and very lucrative business and entered the service of the Confederate States as a private in one of the companies which, at a later period, formed a part of the cavalry regiment so well known as "Forrest's old regiment." When this regiment was organized, the modest and delicately-framed merchant was appointed sergeant-major, and from that time to the close of the war Major Strange was actively engaged in positions of honor. He soon became adjutant of his regiment, and, because of his gallant bearing as a soldier on the battle-field of Murfreesboro, on the twenty-first of July, 1862, he was promoted to the rank of major and assigned to duty on the staff of General Forrest as assistant adjutant-general. He remained in this position until the close of the war, supporting his chief in battle with a steady hand and in camp with a judgment born to the vicissitudes of war. major Strange, though delicate in frame and retiring in his manners, possessed beneath a modest demeanor the true courage of a soldier, which never falters in the hour of danger, and yet never tramples upon a fallen foe. Chivalrous in spirit, he would bare his breast to the leaden hail of war's dread tempests, yet, when the heated hour was over, and stillness enwrapped the field of carnage, he would bend over the victims of war with a womanly tenderness that has brought a tear to the bronzed and manly cheek of many a wounded comrade. No man in the army corps to which he was attached was more respected for his gallantry and chivalrous bearing than he, and none more beloved for his goodness of heart and unselfish generosity. While the war existed he was emphatically a soldier; and when the struggle was over he accepted his parole, and in good faith retired to private life, never again to take up the sword of warfare upon earth. If his conduct in war endeared his comrades to him, his elevated walk and conduct as a citizen in private life has commanded the respect and won the affections of all whose fortune it was to know him well. Soon after his return to Memphis, after the close of the war, Major Strange was married to Miss Laura Martin, a daughter of Judge Martin, of Columbia, Tennessee, who with her two children survive him. Therefore, as a tribute to the memory of our former comrade, who died on the seventeenth of May, 1875, with a soldiers fortitude, we submit the following;
Resolved, that we, the surviving members of "Forrest's cavalry corps," with pride recall the many deeds of valor and heroism accomplished by our lamented comrade, Major John P. Strange, while a soldier, and it is with equal pride and satisfaction we point to his private life and history which is pure and unsullied.
Resolved, that in his death society has lost one of its brightest ornaments, we a comrade who was dear to our hearts, and his home circle its brightest idol.
Resolved, that we extend to his stricken and heartbroken family our warmest sympathy and condolence in their bereavement.
Resolved, that the newspapers of this city be requested to publish this preamble and resolutions, and that the secretary of the meeting be requested to furnish a copy of the same to the family of the deceased.
T.H. Logwood
E.S. Hammond
D.E. Myers
Committee
Clarksville Weekly Chronicle
May 22 1875
Major John Pressley Strange, for many years a leading merchant of Memphis, and during the war adjutant general on the staff of Lieut. Gen. Forrest, died in that city, on the 17th inst., of consumption, aged fifty three years.
Memphis Daily Appeal
May 20 1875
Major J.P. Strange
-----
Funeral of the Gallant Soldier-An Escort of His Comrades Under the Old Chief, General N.B. Forrest--Last Sad Rites
-----
Resolutions by the Committee Appointed by the Confederate Soldiers' Meeting and Unanimously Adopted-Condolences to the Stricken Family-Etc.
---
The last sad tribute was yesterday paid to the gallant Adjutant General J.P. Strange, whose death is so generally deplored by the citizens of Memphis, among whom he was so truly esteemed and respected because of his moral worth, purity of heart, and high integrity of character. Pursuant to a call from the members of Forrest's cavalry, and in accordance with the programme previously agreed upon, a large number of ex-Confederate soldiers and friends of the deceased met together on Second street, opposite Court square, for the purpose of attending the funeral in a body. A band of music stationed at the above-named place struck up an air, and it was not long before the street thronged with those who were to engage in the sad duty of following the remains of a loved friend and a gallant soldier to the grave. Prominent among the many present was General N.B. Forrest, mounted upon a white horse, and surrounded by those who, with Major Strange, had been active officers during the late civil war. When the army surrendered, ten years ago, the same men who were yesterday grouped together might have been seen for the last time as Confederate soldiers. Since the the death angel, silently and unseen, has waived his hand over the brow of more than one manly form which the bullets and the steel had failed to fell in the shock of battle. But the death of no man carried more sorrow or touched more painfully the heart of General Forrest and his officers and the members of his command than did that of Major Strange. Brave, generous and true in every duty of life, whether as soldier or citizen, delicate, refined and devoted in every sentiment that gave beauty to manly conduct and grace to human friendship, the trusted man who served with such gallant distinction as adjutant-general of Forrest's staff, is mourned with no feigned sorrow to-day, as he was loved and esteemed with no trivial admiration in the past. By three o'clock the hearse in which the coffin, with the pulseless body, was to be placed arrived at the place of assemblage, and the line of procession was then formed in the following order:
General N.B. Forrest and Colonel M.C. Gallaway on horses.
Hearse.
General john C. Fizer, Major G.V. Rambaut, Colonel W.F. Taylor, Major E.A. Spotswood, Major Goodnman and A.B. Vaccaro on horses.
Band of Music.
Confederates and Friends of the Deceased on Foot.
Mounted Confederates and Friends.
Carriages Containing Friends of the Deceased.
The funeral train moved slowly down Main Street, and as it was passing along many a heart felt the sweet, sad strains of music that make known the character of the occasion. Upon arriving at the residence of the family, on Vance street, the funeral services were conducted by Rev. Dr. Stainback, of the Court street Cumberland Presbyterian church. The services were simple, impressive and beautiful, and every one there was made to feel yet more deeply how dear had been the friend for whom they mourned. At the conclusion of the services the coffin was placed in the hearse, which then proceeded with the cortege to Elmwood cemetery. Here the coffin was lifted out of the hearse by the pall-bearers, General N.B. Forrest, Major G.V. Rambaut, Colonel W.F. Taylor, General J.C. Fizer, Colonel M.C. Gallaway, John T. Hillsman, A.B. Vaccaro, and Major E.A. Spotswood. The coffin was lowered into the grave, the earth soon closed upon it, and sadly the crowd of mourning friends left the place, for the gallant Major Strange was now resting under the sod.
Resolutions.
The following are the resolutions adopted by the meeting of his comrades in arms in view of the death of Major J. P. Strange:
In presenting to this meeting resolutions commemorative of the worth and excellence of Major John Presley Strange, your committee feel a melancholy satisfaction in recounting incidents in his career which indicate the many good and ennobling qualities that enriched his life. Though the duty devolving upon us, to follow him to his final resting place on earth is a sad and melancholy one, it is with the satisfaction which fills the breast of every true man that we point to the bright and shining example of the past life of our dead comrade. John P. Strange was born in Fluvanna County, Virginia, in 1821, and while yet a boy followed his father's footsteps to the valley of the Mississippi. Through assiduous attention to business, and an aptitude for mercantile life, he early became one of the most popular young merchants in the west, and in the year 1855, he, together with the lamented John K. Speed, established one of the largest and most successful mercantile houses in this city. Prior to this, however, Major Strange was married in Petersburg, Virginia, to Miss Lamb, who after bearing him two children died. When the civil war of 1861 ensued, Major Strange abandoned a large and very lucrative business and entered the service of the Confederate States as a private in one of the companies which, at a later period, formed a part of the cavalry regiment so well known as "Forrest's old regiment." When this regiment was organized, the modest and delicately-framed merchant was appointed sergeant-major, and from that time to the close of the war Major Strange was actively engaged in positions of honor. He soon became adjutant of his regiment, and, because of his gallant bearing as a soldier on the battle-field of Murfreesboro, on the twenty-first of July, 1862, he was promoted to the rank of major and assigned to duty on the staff of General Forrest as assistant adjutant-general. He remained in this position until the close of the war, supporting his chief in battle with a steady hand and in camp with a judgment born to the vicissitudes of war. major Strange, though delicate in frame and retiring in his manners, possessed beneath a modest demeanor the true courage of a soldier, which never falters in the hour of danger, and yet never tramples upon a fallen foe. Chivalrous in spirit, he would bare his breast to the leaden hail of war's dread tempests, yet, when the heated hour was over, and stillness enwrapped the field of carnage, he would bend over the victims of war with a womanly tenderness that has brought a tear to the bronzed and manly cheek of many a wounded comrade. No man in the army corps to which he was attached was more respected for his gallantry and chivalrous bearing than he, and none more beloved for his goodness of heart and unselfish generosity. While the war existed he was emphatically a soldier; and when the struggle was over he accepted his parole, and in good faith retired to private life, never again to take up the sword of warfare upon earth. If his conduct in war endeared his comrades to him, his elevated walk and conduct as a citizen in private life has commanded the respect and won the affections of all whose fortune it was to know him well. Soon after his return to Memphis, after the close of the war, Major Strange was married to Miss Laura Martin, a daughter of Judge Martin, of Columbia, Tennessee, who with her two children survive him. Therefore, as a tribute to the memory of our former comrade, who died on the seventeenth of May, 1875, with a soldiers fortitude, we submit the following;
Resolved, that we, the surviving members of "Forrest's cavalry corps," with pride recall the many deeds of valor and heroism accomplished by our lamented comrade, Major John P. Strange, while a soldier, and it is with equal pride and satisfaction we point to his private life and history which is pure and unsullied.
Resolved, that in his death society has lost one of its brightest ornaments, we a comrade who was dear to our hearts, and his home circle its brightest idol.
Resolved, that we extend to his stricken and heartbroken family our warmest sympathy and condolence in their bereavement.
Resolved, that the newspapers of this city be requested to publish this preamble and resolutions, and that the secretary of the meeting be requested to furnish a copy of the same to the family of the deceased.
T.H. Logwood
E.S. Hammond
D.E. Myers
Committee
Clarksville Weekly Chronicle
May 22 1875
Major John Pressley Strange, for many years a leading merchant of Memphis, and during the war adjutant general on the staff of Lieut. Gen. Forrest, died in that city, on the 17th inst., of consumption, aged fifty three years.
