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Chase County Kansas Obituaries
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Chadwick, Benjamin H.
Notwithstanding it was an inclement day, Sunday the 27th of February 1916, a large number of people gathered at the late home of Captain Chadwick in Clements to pay their respects to his memory. Clements had been his home many years and his friends were numerous. He left two requests, one was that the Hon. Thos. H. Grisham of Cottonwood Falls should deliver an address standing beside his remains and the other that the Masonic fraternity should take charge of his funeral.
We cannot give all of Mr. Grisham�s address, but the following is a part of what he said, �I have known Benjamin Hiram Chadwick for many years. There was another Hiram of whom all masons know, who was faithful to his trust.
Captain Chadwick was a faithful friend.
He was born in Maine in 1831.
The unwearied sun had passed over his head more than thirty thousand times. He had been a busy man all his life. A sailor in the merchant marine before the civil war he became a Naval officer in the United States navy during the war. He was with the fleet when it ran the batteries at New Orleans. He was with Admiral Farragut at Mobile.
He was on the Monitor Weehawken when she went to the bottom of the sea at Charleston, South Carolina, and after floating in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean for four hours was rescued and taken on board the Flagship of Admiral Rogers. For his gallant conduct on the occasion he received honorable mention from Gideon Wells who was then, secretary of the Navy.
He remained in the Navy some years after the close of our Civil War. After which he was hotel keeper in Phiadelphia. He tired of the great city and came to Kansas. He found an asylum at Clements, and there he spent his days. If he had lived fifteen years longer he would have stood upon the apex of a century.
Mr. Grisham could hardly find a place to stop, and continued with a flood of memories. The contrast that he drew between the grave on Nebo that was hollowed out by spirits blest and the one at Clements now being filled with beautiful snow from heaven was considered fine. And again when he turned toward the remains and spoke of the hope of the Christian and exclaimed that the torch of hope was aflame around the remains of this old hero of many battles, it was plain to be seen that the audiance approved.
Captain Chadwick had a life membership in Masonic Lodge Number 308 in Philadelphia. After the address Advance Lodge Number 114 of Florence, Kansas, took charge, and after the usual ceremonies wended their way in a snow storm to the Clements cemetery and there concluded the Masonic rites. The last word was spoken and what remains on, earth of Benjamin Hiram Chadwick was deposited in the earth after being wrapped in the American flag and left beneath a carpet of snow.
Chase County Leader News, Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, Feb. 29, 1916.
by your Chase County Host, Lorna Marvin.
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