Mecklenburg County NcArchives Obituaries.....Alexander, Syndneham B. June 14, 1921
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Danielle Mozingo danisue1970@yahoo.com September 30, 2010, 11:58 pm

Charlotte Observer, June 15, 1921
S.B. ALEXANDER DIED YESTERDAY
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Former Congressman Passes After Long Illness.
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One of Leading Citizens Many Years - Funeral Services at 11 This Morning.
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Captain Syndnham B. Alexander, Sr. Who died at his home 400 West Trade street, 
yesterday morning at 3 25 o'clock, will be buried this morning following the 
funeral services which will be conducted at 11 o'clock at the home by Rev. 
Albert Sidney Johnson, pastor of the First Presbyterian church and Rev. E.A. 
Osborne, chaplain of Mecklenburg camp United Confederal Veterans, assisted by 
Rev. R.H. Morrison, a cousin.

Captain Alexander was one of the leading men of the city, having served on 
various local bodies and as state senator and representative of his district in 
Congress.  He was also a leader of the movement of the American Cotton 
associateion 12 years ago which undertook to put in the hands of the farmer the 
control of his crop.  In many other ways he served his city, county and 
country.  He was one of the oldest survivors of the civil war living in the 
city, having been in his eightieth year.

Paralysis and heart trouble had made him practically an invalid for the past 
six years, though at times he talked and was able to appear on the streets in 
his automobile.  The imprint which he made on Charlotte and on the state will 
not soon be forgotten.  He was the father of the first good roads law which 
brought Mecklenburg into the public notice for many years, with her system of 
macadamized roads.

The active pallbearers at the funeral today will be W.A. Graham Jr., Joe G. 
Davidson, Bedford Brown, Hall Irwin, Alston Morrison, Major W.R. Robertson, 
Brevard McDowell and E.R. Preston.

Honorary pallbearers will be W.D. Alexander, Archibald Graham, Dr. Alexander 
Grahm, Charles McDonald, of Concord, Shakespeare Harris of Cabarrus county, 
Col. A.L. Smith, Dr. M.A. Bland, Captain W.B. Taylor, W.W. Ward, Albert McCoy, 
W.W. Rankin, J.S. Shafer.

Captain Alexander was born at Rosedale Mecklenburg county, December 8, 1840, at 
the family home of the Alexanders ten miles from this city.  He was a 
descendant of John McKnitt Alexander, signer of the Mecklenburg Declaration of 
Independence, and was the youngest son of Dr. Moses Winsolw Alexander, <and 
mother> daughter of General Joseph Graham and a sister of Governor William Aa. 
Graham.

After attending school at "Alexandriana" near his home, and Rocky River academy 
in Cabarrus county and the Wadesboro institute he went to the University of 
North Carolina in 1856 graduating four years later and entering the Confederate 
service as a private in the Hornets Nest riflemen.  His company was mustered in 
as company B, 1st North Carolina afterwards gaining the title of "Bethel" 
regiment and in March, 1862, was made 1st lieutenant in company K 42nd North 
Carolina regiment shortly after being made captain because of his bravery and 
ability as a soldier and fighter.

He was made inspector general on the staff of General Hoke, remaining in active 
service till the time of the surrender in 1865.  His devotion to the local camp 
of Confederate veterans was well recognized and every soldier in that war was 
to him a hero and a brave man to be recognized.

In politics Captain Alexander was a democrat and a strong upholder of southern 
principles.  After leaving the service at the close of the war he entered 
public life, where he steadily advanced from one post of honor to another using 
his strong mind and able powers to aid in the upbuilding of the devasted land 
for which he had fought four years.  His vision was not narrow but his 
principles were rockbed and he never sacrificed one idea of right for the most 
tempting opening that might offer itself in compromise of his fixed belief in 
justice and rectitude.  Mecklenburg sent him to Raleigh as her senator five 
times the years of his work there beginning in 1878, 1882, 1884, 1886 and in 
1900.  He declining to make the race in 1888.  It was in 1878 that he was 
active in putting through the Mecklenburg road law, which gave the county 
precedence in good roads for many years thereafter.  There was opposition to 
the county road law for several years because of the tax feature but this was 
overcome after a section of macadam road had been constructed, and his repeated 
re-election to the state senate after 1878 was largely due to the success of 
the road venture in the county.

Captain Alexander was nominated candidate for lieutenant governor by the state 
convention of 1886 but declined.  He was one of those who brought about the 
establishment of the old North Carolina Agricultural college, now the 
Agricultural and Engineering college.  He was a trustee on the first board of 
the older institution.

In 1900 he was elected to Congress from his district which then extended to the 
Atlantic, serving two terms.  He was a member of the committee on agriculture 
at Washington, and was president of the North Carolina railway for some years.

Captain Alexander represented his state on a commission to fix the boundary 
line between this state and South Carolina, but the committee never had 
opportunity to act as the South Carolina legislature failed to give its 
approval to the movement.

Captain Alexander was married in 1872 to Miss Emma Nicholson, daughter of 
Thomas W. Nicholson, of Halifax county.  Six children were born to them, these 
being S.B. Alexander Jr., of the firm of Alexander & Garsed, Thomas W. 
Alexander, member of the Charlotte bar, Dr. Emory Alexander surgeon of 
Philadelphia, who headed a hospital unit to France in the world war, and 
received the rank of colonel, Miss Julia Alexander who was the second woman in 
the state to be licensed to practice law, and who is now practicing in this 
city, Miss Violet Alexander, of this city president of the ladies' auxiliary of 
the Hornets Nest post, American legion, and one daughter who died some years 
ago, Miss Pattie Thorne Alexander.  Six grandchildren, Mary Prevard, daughter 
of Mr. and Mrs. S.B. Alexander Jr, Thomas W. Jr, Frank Spruill, Alice Winston 
and Sydenham Benoni, sons and daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Alexander and 
Harriet Beaver, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Emory Alexander, of Philadelphia, also 
survive.

Several years after the death of his first wife, Captain Alexander married Miss 
Louise Perry, of Franklin county, who died a few years later.

Members of Mecklenburg camp, United Confederate veterans and several 
organizations of the D.A.R. and others will attend the funeral services in a 
body.  Provision has been made for the Confederate veterans to meet at the 
armory whence they will be taken to the funeral and cemetery in automobiles.



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