Nathan Snow Blount
1832 - 1880
Following is an obituary of Major Nathan Snow Blount, b.
l832, SC, son of John Churchill Golding Reading Blount. Nathan was captain
of Company E, 7th Fla. Infantry, CSA, during the Civil War and later served
as Major, commanding the regiment.
Tampa, FL, Sunland Tribune, Oct. 28, l880---
Bartow, Fla., Oct. 22d, l880
Editor Tribune:--Though deeply pained, yet a sense of duty demands that I
furnish to the public the necessary information regarding the death of Maj.
N. S. Blount in order that the public mind may be
disabused of the false reports that are already in circulation regarding his
character and the manner of his death.
It will be remembered that about the lst. of last May he received a kick
from a horse, which came very near proving fatal at the time, and which
produced a wound on his liver from which he never recovered, and from which,
about one month ago he took a relapse. Since which time he has been
gradually declining, his mind also being and becoming more and more
impaired. Though as he seldom ever spoke, and sought seclusion from
visitors, this was hard to detect, and even his family could not realize it
until after his death. For about two weeks before his death he was confined
to his home and almost entirely to his bed, and it was evident that he must
die soon and prayed to die very often in an audible tone, and seemed to be
suffering great mental anguish about his business affairs, though nothing
could be found out to justify it. He could not take any medicine and
suffered a great deal physically, which all together seemed to be more than
he could bear. He wrote eight pages of legal cap (very closely) directed to
his wife and signed his name to it in most affectionate and touching manner
just before he died, relative to his unfinished business , and blaming
himself very much for things that did not amount to much, and seemed more
and more to imagine some great evil and would threaten sometimes to die.
On the 20th. inst., he walked out into the yard and strolled about for a few
minutes looking at the orange trees and appeared in a pleasing humor. Was
watched for a while by his family, when a few minutes afterwards a pistol
shot was heard about 200 yards from the house which struck the whole family
with terror, all starting in different directions to hunt for him. In about
two minutes the second shot was fired, and in two more, the third, which
last was located pretty well and a search and calls were made but to no
effect, when in a short time Mr. Hagan Hart and myself were riding by, and
were hailed by the family. We getting off our horses and taking a very rapid
search found him in about l5 minutes in a thick hammock [a hammock is a
thickly covered area of trees, bushes and other foliage] about 200 yards
off.--Oh! what a sight, one bullet hole through his left breast just two
inches above the nipple which bullet was taken about 3 or 4 inches out of
the dirt; one through his left forehead just above his eye about l l/2
inches; one that had passed through his scalp on top of his head and had not
entered his skull; his clothes on fire and all burned off his left breast
and side; his pistol in his right hand and lying on his breast, and he in a
gore of blood. But I did not allow his family to go near him until an
inquest was held, and he washed and dressed which was about two hours later.
He was buried in a splendid manner with the usual ceremonies by Rev. R.
C. Jordan.
His affairs are left so they may be easily settled up and enough left for
his family to live comfortably upon.
Yours Truly,
Ben. F. Blount.
[Ben F. Blount was his nephew. An impressive monument marks Major Blount's
grave in Oak Hill Cemetery, Bartow, FL.]
Transcribed by Kyle S. VanLandingham
Detail of the gravestone of
Nathan Snow Blount
Oak Hill Cemetery
Bartow Florida