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112  Democrat at the time of his death, gives the outline of his life:

Early Thursday morning, November 20, relatives in this city were informed by cable of the death on the preceding day of Col. Charles McClure, at Fort William H. Seward, near Haines, Alaska.

On Saturday previous they had been informed by wire that Col. McClure had undergone a very serious operation for an illness that began November second, and that there were but slight hopes for his recovery. On Sunday morning a reassuring message was received and in the absence of information to the contrary during the succeeding days, his relatives and friends here had hoped that the crisis had passed. Accordingly, the death message came as a great shock.

Charles McClure was born on a farm three and one-half miles south-east of Carlinville, on September 28, 1856. He attended the district school and later was a student at Blackburn College. Subsequently he won in a competitive examination and became a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point. From that institution he graduated in June, 1879. By choice and by education he was a soldier. He had an exalted idea of his profession and quickly demonstrated his soldierly efficiency. He gave his country the very best of his ability, and in whatever capacity he served, from Second Lieutenant to Colonel, he did his best. Early in his military careescareer [sic] he studied law, and was admitted to the bar in Illinois in August, 1885. The government, at various times and in various Ways, availed itself of his broad legal knowledge.

Col. McClure was united in marriage in this city on October 3, 1882, with Miss Mae Walker, daughter of former Senator and Mrs. C. A. Walker. One child was born of this union, Charles W. McClure, now a first lieutenant in the regular army and with his company doing service on the Mexican border.