GENERAL JOSEPH KARGÉ


    Our whole town has been shocked the past week on hearing of the sudden demise of Professor Joseph Kargé in the streets of New York on Tuesday afternoon.
     Professor Kargé was popular with the students and with the townspeople. On several occasions he has delivered lectures to our citizens and in places abroad. For a term he served the Borough as one of its Councilmen. He was a communicant of the First Presbyterian Church. He had a home of his own here, also one at Bay Head. His funeral took place from his residence yesterday at 1 o'clock, and he was interred in our cemetery. Dean Murray and Rev. H. G. Hinsdale, his pastor, conducted the services. The circumstances of his decease and an outline of his life were given in the New York Tribune of Wednesday morning, which account we herewith append --
     "Among the passengers who boarded the Pennsylvania ferryboat that left Jersey City for New York at 3:30 Tuesday afternoon was an erect, well-built man, whose commanding presence and soldierly bearing instinctively attracted the attention of the other passengers. He was Joseph Kargé, professor of Continental languages and literature at Princeton College. By his side as he walked to the upper cabin were Professor Hermann C. O. Huss, his assistant, and Henry B. Fine, professor of mathematics at the same college. Professor Kargé was apparently in the best possible health, although it was known that he had lately been troubled with attacks of heart failure. The Christmas holidays had given him a few days' vacation, and he was about to spend it in New York, partly with his son, Ladislas Kargé, who has a law office at No. 239 Broadway, and partly with Henry F. Taber, of No. 42 East Twelfth street.
     All through the journey to New York he had been in good spirits, laughing and chatting with even more than his usual animation. With Mr. Fine and Mr. Huss on either side of him, Mr. Kargé walked to the fore part of the cabin and took a seat by the window. Just as the steam whistle sounded for the start Professor Fine, who had been looking out of the window at the river, heard a short cry, and turning quickly around saw that Professor Kargé had fallen over in the seat. In the same instant several passengers rushed over to him. Mr. Huss and Mr. Fine loosened his shirt collar, bathed his face with water, and used all means to restore him, but when the boat touched the New York slip Professor Kargé was unconscious. Then he was carried to a hack, which was driven at great speed to the Astor House. Dr. Farrington, the hotel physician, ran downstairs to the hack. Professor Kargé was dead.
     At the suggestion of Dr. Farrington, the body was taken to Naughton's undertaking rooms, No. 35 Mott street, and word of the death was sent to Ladislas Kargé, who took charge of the body. Deputy Coroner Conway gave the usual permit, and early in the evening the body was sent to Princeton.
     Professor Kargé led an eventful life. He was born near the city of Posen, in the Grand Duchy of that name, a Polish dependency of Prussia, on July 3, 1823. His father, an accomplished soldier, had served as a colonel of cavalry under Napoleon. At an early age Professor Kargé entered the gymnasium at Posen, preparatory to beginning his university studies. In 1842 he entered the University of Breslau, where he was distinguished for his attainments in both languages and history. In 1845 he went to Paris, and attended a full course of lectures on Slavic literature in the College de France. He went to Berlin in the following year, and there further prosecuted his studies, discharging at the same time his military obligations to the State. Being an enthusiastic Republican, he engaged in the movement in 1848 which had for its object the independence of Poland.

For his participation in that movement he was condemned to death by the Prussian authorities. He succeeded in escaping from the country, and, after seeking refuge in France and England, he finally embarked for the United States, landing in New York city in 1851.
     From that time until the breaking out of the War of the Rebellion he was engaged in teaching, and was at the head of a classical school in that city when President Lincoln's proclamation of April 15, 1861, called into service 75,000 men. He offered his services to the National Government, and in February 1862, he received a commission as Lieutenant-Colonel of the 1st Regiment of New Jersey Cavalry. As early as August 1862, he was already discharging the duties of colonel. While covering the retreat in August, 1862, of the Army of Virginia under General Pope from the Rapidan to the Rappahannock he was wounded near Rappahannock Bridge. In less than four weeks, however, he was again with his command, although his wound had not yet healed. On December 13, 1892, he took part in the battle of Fredericksburg ; but his disabilities were such that on December 22 of that year he was compelled to resign from his command. In the spring of 1863 he received authority from the War Department to raise the 2d Regiment of New Jersey Cavalry.
     In June, however, Governor Parker, in response to an appeal from Mr. Stanton, Secretary of War, and Governor Curtin, of Pennsylvania, for a force to aid in repelling the army of General Lee, called upon the militia of New Jersey to furnish a division consisting of ten regiments of infantry and two regiments of cavalry, to serve in Pennsylvania for thirty days. General Kargé was made chief of cavalry with the rank of colonel, and took steps on June 18, 1863, to raise the necessary troops. On July 4, however, the emergency for which they were intended had passed, the Battle of Gettysburg had been fought, and Lee's army was retreating toward Virginia. In the month of October, 1863, the 2d Regiment of New Jersey Cavalry proceeded from Trenton to Washington, and on November 9 left Washington for Eastport, Miss., having been assigned to the Sixteenth Army Corps, Army of the Tennessee. In April 1864, the General commanded the Fourth Brigade, Cavalry Division, in that army. He was in constant service in the field until the close of the war, operating in conjunction with General Sherman in his march from Chattanooga to Atlanta. On March 13, 1865, General Kargé was nominated by President Lincoln Brigadier-General by brevet for gallant and meritorious services during the war. His nomination was confirmed by the Senate April 9, 1865. He was mustered out of the service of the United States in November, 1865.
     General Kargé was considered one of the most skilful cavalrymen in the war. General Bayard, before he fell at Fredericksburg, called him one of the ablest cavalry officers in the service. In 1867 he accepted a commission in the Regular Army, and for several years commanded two important military reservations in Navada [sic] then occupied by hostile Indians.
     In 1870 the War Department gave him a short leave of absence. The Chair of Continental Languages and Literature at Princeton College was offered to him at that time and was accepted. This position he continued to hold up to the time of his death. In private life Professor Kargé was a most delightful companion. He was married in 1851, and his widow and two sons survive him.

 

 

 

Princeton Press, Sat., Dec 31, 1892

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