Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 39.djvu/228

 216 SouTHERx Historica:. Society PAPEKb.

'went into the employ of uncles, who were extensive lumber merchants. Later he engaged in business on his own account, but when the War Between the States broke out he shouldered a musket to answer the call of his State. The war over, from 1865 to 1881, he carried on a lumber business with success. ^Meanwhile, he had been made secretary of the Mrginia His- torical Society. In 1881 he retired from business to give him- self unreservedly to genealogical study and research. Eleven volumes of the reports of the Virginia Historical Society will perpetuate his name to students of \''irginia history. In 1887 he \tas elected Secretary of the Southern Historical Society, and prepared for publication a number of its invaluable volumes of Southern history. He was also historian and registrar of the Mrginia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. He was a member of the William and Mary Chapter of Phi Beta ■ Kappa. He was a frequent contributor to the press and maga- zines, and was one of the editors of the Richmond Standard, a family paper containing departments of science, history and genealogy, occupying this position from 1879 to 1882. He also contributed to standard reference works, and prepared various statistical and historical papers for the United States govern- ment.

In the AA'ar Between the States, ]\Ir. Brock served with Com- pany F. made up of Richmond nien. which shared the fortunes of the Armv of Northern Virginia. A few survivors banded liiemselvcs together aftervrards. and ]\Ir. Brock was at one time secretary and historiographer of the organization. He was also a member of R. E. Lee Camp, Confederate A^eterans.

Succeeding the Rev. Dr. J. Wm. Jones, twenty long years the Secretary of this Society, Mr. Brock, with his wide intelli- gence, his personal ardour in the study of Confederate history and his rare experience in literary work, accomplished a work for the Society, and for history that is beyond estimate. Only because of impaired and declining health was he allowed to retire from the service he rendered us with so much fidelity and success.