Porter Seacat of the Lexington neighborhood received a telegram Saturday from the war department, stating that his son, Fred Seacat, had died in France.As near as the Post had been able to ascertain Fred Seacat was one of the last contingent of the draft and left Ashland as he lived in Clark county and was sent out from that county some time in the latter part of July or the first of August.
He died from the ravages of pneumonia the day after the transport on which he had sailed had landed in France. The date of his death the Post has been unable to substantiate.
Fred Seacat was one of the foremost young farmers of the Upper Bluff Creek country and was making a success of his farming. He was the second son of Porter Seacat, an old settler of that neighborhood, and one of the leading farmers of Clark county. Fred was of a quiet and retiring temperament, doing well that to which he set his hand and combining those characteristics that make a man who would have been of use and force in his community.
Thus has the greedy man of war taken its toll from among our best and most promising young men and without doubt his loss will be felt for many years by the community in which he made his home.
Fred Seacat was well known to many Protection people and his untimely death will be universally regretted but he was one among the innumerable ones who have given their all that the torch of Liberty and Freedom shall never die but light up all races, manner and conditions of men. No words of praise can give fitting tribute to the "boys" who have "gone west" in this terrible war and the writer when called upon to chronicle the death of one of our heroes always fells his inability to say what should be said or will give the proper concept of the sacrifice made, but of this fact evidence is clear that such sacrifice was made in the greatest cause and for the highest good to humanity that man has ever had an opportunity to sacrifice or die for and so with the life of this splendid young man, he gave it in the path in the fullness of his manhood and his strength. A host of friends, a nation of compatriots give him reverent and solemn homage, consigning the mortal body to the soil of our sister republic France, for whose defense and preservation he died, and his soul into the keeping of the God who gave it.
Thanks to Shirley Brier for finding, transcribing and contributing the above news article to this web site!
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