Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 4.djvu/598

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

is one of great importance in the oil field, and has a branch ofBce in the city of New- York.

The part taken by Colonel Harwood in ])olitical affairs was one of far-reaching in- fluence. About a quarter of a century ago he took the first step in this direction, and from then until his death he was always a factor to be reckoned with. Becoming the Democratic candidate for the house of dele- gates, he w^as elected by a large vote and served two terms. Retiring for a time from active participation in public life, he was reelected in 1909. and again in 191 1, and in 1913 was elected to the state senate. While there he served as a member of the board of fire commissioners. He was a candidate for Congress from the third district when failing health obliged him to abandon the idea of running for this office. Governors Charles T. O'Ferrall and Andrew Jackson .Montague appointed him as chief-of-staff, with the rank of colonel.

The connection of Colonel Harwood with organizations of varied character was a large one, and was in part as follows : Presi- dent of the Richmond Association of Credit Men; chairman of the finance committee of the Prison Association of Virginia ; chair- man of the national legislative committee of the Travelers' Protective Association ; life member of the board of trustees of the Medical College of Virginia ; chairman of the finance committee of the First Baptist Church of Richmond ; treasurer of the Sun- day school of that congregation ; member of the Phi Kappa Alpha fraternity ; direc- tor of the Stonewall Jackson Monument Corporation ; and prominent in the order of Free and Accepted Masons.

Colonel Harwood married. December 11, 1883, Lottie, daughter of William H. and Marietta J. Tyler, and granddaughter of John and Emily Tyler, and of Benjamin and Charlotte Dennis. Mrs. Harwood is a con- nection of the famous Tyler family of Vir- ginia, which furnished one of the presidents, John Tyler, of Virginia. Colonel and Mrs. Harwood had children : John S., Jr., who was engaged in business with his father, and two. now deceased.

The death of Colonel Harwood was not entirely unexpected as he had been in ill health for about a year. Upon the advice of his physicians he was removed from his beautiful home at No. 2000 Monument ave-

nue, and conveyed to the sanitorium. yet all efforts were unavailing, and the end came while his wife and son were with him. He is also survived by a brother, R. Henry Harwood, and a sister, ]Mrs. Charles Lee Culpepper, of Richmond, Virginia. As soon as the news became known. Governor Mann directed Colonel John W. Richardson, regis- ter of the land office, to have the state flag placed at half mast on the capitol, and to have it remain so until after the funeral had taken place. The high esteem in which Colonel Harwood was held was attested by the numerous meetings held to express the condolence of the various societies wath which he had been connected. The limits of this article will not permit extended men- tion of all, but copies of two are appended. From the Richmond Association of Credit Men we have :

RESOLUTIONS OF RESPECT.

September 23, 1913. At a Meeting of the Executive Committee of this Association, held to-day, it was

Resolved, That in the death of Colonel John S. Harwood, President of this Association, the organ- ization has lost a faithful and loyal officer, devoted to the interests of its members, the City and State a useful and patriotic citizen, and the people of Richmond a generous friend and an able represen- tative.

That a copy of this Resolution be published in the Richmond and Petersburg papers and that a copy be sent to Mrs. Harwood with the assurance of the sincere sympathy of our members for her and lier family in their great affliction.

Walter A. Williams, Vice-President. Jo. Lane Stern, Secretary.

At a Meeting of the Jackson Monument Corpora- tion, at Lee Camp Hall, on Thursday, September 25, the following Resolution was adopted:

With profound regret this Association has heard of the death of one of its members. Colonel John S. Harwood. Responding promptly to our call, Colo- nel Harwood became a member of our Board and with intelligence and zeal has shared our counsels and our efforts. His removal by death is a loss which we deplore and the want of his cordial coop- eration in our work we lament.

James Powell Smith, President.

Richard Warner Peatross. Of Virginia birth and parentage and a resident of the city of Danville since the year 1867, Judge Peatross traces on both sides to Welsh and Scotch forbears. His paternal grandfather. Robert Peatross, born in Wales, came to Virginia when a young man, located in Car- oline county, that state, prior to the year 1800, became a farmer and landowner, mar-