William Ross Wallace, one of the familiar figures of City Hall-square for the last 20 years, died on Thursday evening at his residence, No. 232 West Forty-first-street, after an illness of something more than a week. He had been a sufferer for the past three years from occasional attacks of cerebral hemorrhage and the victim of a persistent and tormenting neuralgia. The day before his malady took a decided form he was seen in his usual haunts down town, apparently in fair health. He returned home late in the afternoon only able to reply in monosyllables to questions put to him. The next morning he was worse, and a physician was called in, who promptly pronounced the case to e cerebral apoplexy and probably hopeless. He lingered a week unconscious, and finally expired on Thursday evening, after a painful effort to communicate his last wishes to his anxious family and friends. The funeral services will take place at 1 o'clock P. M. on Sunday, at the Rev. Dr. Sill's church, corner of Seventh-avenue and Thirty-ninth-street, but the arrangements for the obsequies have not yet been perfected in detail. He leaves a widow and a son and daughter. Mr. Wallace was born in 1819, at Paris, Ky. His father, a Presbyterian minister of high local repute, intending to prepare him for one of the learned professions, sent him to the college at Bloomington, Ind., and subsequently to South Hanover, where he took his degree. He studied law in his native town, and had been admitted to the Bar, when the cause of Irish independence excited his enthusiasm, and he sailed for Ireland, intending to take part in the impending struggle for national autonomy. Here he made the acquaintance of Daniel O'Connell and other patriots, but they did not prove sufficiently radical in their views for his fervid temper, and he returned to the United States disgusted, after spending a year and a half in battling for the Irish cause. At the age of 22, in 1841 or thereabouts, he appeared in New York with a large portfolio of poems and an ambition to distinguish himself. Poe praised him in one of his papers on the literate, and the two soon became intimate friends, taking their lunch together at Sandy Welsh's and discussing poetry and belles lettres over glasses of Burton's ale. Mr. Wallace soon became a contributor to the leading magazines of the day - Harper, the Celtic Monthly, Godey's Lady's Book, and Graham - and rapidly acquired a reputation as one of the most promising of the younger poets. Some of his poems on special occasions were couched in a particularly felicitous vein, such as "Keep Step to the Union," recited at the great patriotic meeting under the auspices of the Union League; the "Sword of Bunker Hill," first read before Boston society; the poem in dedication of the Worth Monument at Madison-square, and the lines recited at the erection of the Vanderbilt bas-relief at St. John's Park. His only prose work of any length was "Alban, the Pirate," published in 1848. In 1851 his longer poems and fugitive pieces were rescued from the corners of the newspapers and issued in a handsome volume, under the title of "Meditations in America and Other Poems," since which he has been mainly known as a contributor to the New-York Ledger. His "Perdita," published years ago, was perhaps his finest effort, certainly that which attracted most attention; but he was peculiarly effective in the lyric and ballad styles, of which his little son, "The Hand that Rocks the Cradle is the Hand that Rocks the World," was probably one of the most felicitous examples furnished by his prolific pen. He wrote with wonderful rapidity when he was in the mood, and with a rush and fervor of rhythm which compensated for want of bolder qualities of imagination and creativeness. His "Pleasure of the Beautiful," one of his most elaborate works, was to be published this Summer, and he was busy preparing it for the press when death came. In October, 1856, he married Miss Riker, of the old Knickerbocker family of that name, who survives him and will superintend the collection and publication of his works.
~ The New-York Times, Sat., 7 May 1881, pg. 5
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEW YORK, May 6 - William Ross Wallace, author of the "Sword of Bunker Hill," died at his home, 232 West Forty-first street, on Thursday night, of apoplexy [stroke]. He was the son of a Presbyterian clergyman, and was born at Paris, Ky., in 1819. He came to New York in 1842, and attracted attention by a poem entitled "Perdita," in the Union Magazine. He wrote for many newspapers and other periodicals. He was an intimate friend of Edgar A. Poe. He published a volume of his verses, entitled "Meditations in America," in 1845. Twenty-five years ago he married Ann Polhemus Riker, of an old Knickerbocker family, who, with his son and daughter, survives him.
~ The Times (Philadelphia, PA), Sat. Morning, 7 May 1881, pg. 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FUNERAL OF WILLIAM ROSS WALLACE.
A few minutes before 1 o'clock P.M. yesterday, a hearse, followed by two carriages, drew up at the Gothic entrance of St. Chrysostom's Chapel, in Thirty-ninth-street, corner of Seventh-avenue, and a coffin was lifted upon the shoulders of four stalwart men in black and borne down the aisle, the Rev. Thomas H. Sill preceding, and repeating such passages of Scripture as "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and shall stand in the latter days upon the earth." A lady in deep black, leaning upon the arm of her son, and a young girl, supported by an elderly gentleman, followed the coffin to the altar, convulsed at intervals with subdued sobs. The coffin bore the name of William Ross Wallace, with the dates of his birth and decease. A pillow of white flowers, bordered with purple and having worked in blue violets in its centre the words "Our Father," was laid upon the casket. Twenty boys in white robes advanced slowly from the vestry room, singing as they came, took their places behind the altar railing, and the services went on. Very few persons known in the literary world to which the deceased belonged were present. The New-York Ledger was represented, and so were the principal New-York dailies. There was no funeral address. The Rev. Mr. Sill conducted the services, and at their expiration the casket was opened that friends might take a farewell of the strongly-marked and well-remembered features. The face was emaciated by suffering. The lid was closed again and the four men bore their burden to the hearse, preceded by the white-robed procession of boys. The four mourners followed, entered their carriages, and were soon on their way to Cypress Hills Cemetery, where the remains of William Ross Wallace were committed to the earth.
~ The New-York Times, Mon., 9 May 1881, pg. 8
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1870 (July) Census, New York, New York, NY:
Wm. R. Wallace, 53, b KY.
Ann, 47, keeping house, b City.
Catherine, 16, b City.
George, 13, at school, b City.
Ellen, 8, b City.
Post Office: New York City
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1880 (Jun 2) Census, New York City, New York, NY:
William R. Wallace, 60, poet, b KY, parents KY.
Ann P., wife, 57, keeping house, b NY, parents NY.
Katie L., dtr, 24, b NY.
Eleanor, dtr, 18, b NY.
Address: West Thirty-Fifth Street.
~ The New-York Times, Sat., 7 May 1881, pg. 5
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEW YORK, May 6 - William Ross Wallace, author of the "Sword of Bunker Hill," died at his home, 232 West Forty-first street, on Thursday night, of apoplexy [stroke]. He was the son of a Presbyterian clergyman, and was born at Paris, Ky., in 1819. He came to New York in 1842, and attracted attention by a poem entitled "Perdita," in the Union Magazine. He wrote for many newspapers and other periodicals. He was an intimate friend of Edgar A. Poe. He published a volume of his verses, entitled "Meditations in America," in 1845. Twenty-five years ago he married Ann Polhemus Riker, of an old Knickerbocker family, who, with his son and daughter, survives him.
~ The Times (Philadelphia, PA), Sat. Morning, 7 May 1881, pg. 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FUNERAL OF WILLIAM ROSS WALLACE.
A few minutes before 1 o'clock P.M. yesterday, a hearse, followed by two carriages, drew up at the Gothic entrance of St. Chrysostom's Chapel, in Thirty-ninth-street, corner of Seventh-avenue, and a coffin was lifted upon the shoulders of four stalwart men in black and borne down the aisle, the Rev. Thomas H. Sill preceding, and repeating such passages of Scripture as "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and shall stand in the latter days upon the earth." A lady in deep black, leaning upon the arm of her son, and a young girl, supported by an elderly gentleman, followed the coffin to the altar, convulsed at intervals with subdued sobs. The coffin bore the name of William Ross Wallace, with the dates of his birth and decease. A pillow of white flowers, bordered with purple and having worked in blue violets in its centre the words "Our Father," was laid upon the casket. Twenty boys in white robes advanced slowly from the vestry room, singing as they came, took their places behind the altar railing, and the services went on. Very few persons known in the literary world to which the deceased belonged were present. The New-York Ledger was represented, and so were the principal New-York dailies. There was no funeral address. The Rev. Mr. Sill conducted the services, and at their expiration the casket was opened that friends might take a farewell of the strongly-marked and well-remembered features. The face was emaciated by suffering. The lid was closed again and the four men bore their burden to the hearse, preceded by the white-robed procession of boys. The four mourners followed, entered their carriages, and were soon on their way to Cypress Hills Cemetery, where the remains of William Ross Wallace were committed to the earth.
~ The New-York Times, Mon., 9 May 1881, pg. 8
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1870 (July) Census, New York, New York, NY:
Wm. R. Wallace, 53, b KY.
Ann, 47, keeping house, b City.
Catherine, 16, b City.
George, 13, at school, b City.
Ellen, 8, b City.
Post Office: New York City
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1880 (Jun 2) Census, New York City, New York, NY:
William R. Wallace, 60, poet, b KY, parents KY.
Ann P., wife, 57, keeping house, b NY, parents NY.
Katie L., dtr, 24, b NY.
Eleanor, dtr, 18, b NY.
Address: West Thirty-Fifth Street.
William Ross Wallace, one of the familiar figures of City Hall-square for the last 20 years, died on Thursday evening at his residence, No. 232 West Forty-first-street, after an illness of something more than a week. He had been a sufferer for the past three years from occasional attacks of cerebral hemorrhage and the victim of a persistent and tormenting neuralgia. The day before his malady took a decided form he was seen in his usual haunts down town, apparently in fair health. He returned home late in the afternoon only able to reply in monosyllables to questions put to him. The next morning he was worse, and a physician was called in, who promptly pronounced the case to e cerebral apoplexy and probably hopeless. He lingered a week unconscious, and finally expired on Thursday evening, after a painful effort to communicate his last wishes to his anxious family and friends. The funeral services will take place at 1 o'clock P. M. on Sunday, at the Rev. Dr. Sill's church, corner of Seventh-avenue and Thirty-ninth-street, but the arrangements for the obsequies have not yet been perfected in detail. He leaves a widow and a son and daughter. Mr. Wallace was born in 1819, at Paris, Ky. His father, a Presbyterian minister of high local repute, intending to prepare him for one of the learned professions, sent him to the college at Bloomington, Ind., and subsequently to South Hanover, where he took his degree. He studied law in his native town, and had been admitted to the Bar, when the cause of Irish independence excited his enthusiasm, and he sailed for Ireland, intending to take part in the impending struggle for national autonomy. Here he made the acquaintance of Daniel O'Connell and other patriots, but they did not prove sufficiently radical in their views for his fervid temper, and he returned to the United States disgusted, after spending a year and a half in battling for the Irish cause. At the age of 22, in 1841 or thereabouts, he appeared in New York with a large portfolio of poems and an ambition to distinguish himself. Poe praised him in one of his papers on the literate, and the two soon became intimate friends, taking their lunch together at Sandy Welsh's and discussing poetry and belles lettres over glasses of Burton's ale. Mr. Wallace soon became a contributor to the leading magazines of the day - Harper, the Celtic Monthly, Godey's Lady's Book, and Graham - and rapidly acquired a reputation as one of the most promising of the younger poets. Some of his poems on special occasions were couched in a particularly felicitous vein, such as "Keep Step to the Union," recited at the great patriotic meeting under the auspices of the Union League; the "Sword of Bunker Hill," first read before Boston society; the poem in dedication of the Worth Monument at Madison-square, and the lines recited at the erection of the Vanderbilt bas-relief at St. John's Park. His only prose work of any length was "Alban, the Pirate," published in 1848. In 1851 his longer poems and fugitive pieces were rescued from the corners of the newspapers and issued in a handsome volume, under the title of "Meditations in America and Other Poems," since which he has been mainly known as a contributor to the New-York Ledger. His "Perdita," published years ago, was perhaps his finest effort, certainly that which attracted most attention; but he was peculiarly effective in the lyric and ballad styles, of which his little son, "The Hand that Rocks the Cradle is the Hand that Rocks the World," was probably one of the most felicitous examples furnished by his prolific pen. He wrote with wonderful rapidity when he was in the mood, and with a rush and fervor of rhythm which compensated for want of bolder qualities of imagination and creativeness. His "Pleasure of the Beautiful," one of his most elaborate works, was to be published this Summer, and he was busy preparing it for the press when death came. In October, 1856, he married Miss Riker, of the old Knickerbocker family of that name, who survives him and will superintend the collection and publication of his works.
~ The New-York Times, Sat., 7 May 1881, pg. 5
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEW YORK, May 6 - William Ross Wallace, author of the "Sword of Bunker Hill," died at his home, 232 West Forty-first street, on Thursday night, of apoplexy [stroke]. He was the son of a Presbyterian clergyman, and was born at Paris, Ky., in 1819. He came to New York in 1842, and attracted attention by a poem entitled "Perdita," in the Union Magazine. He wrote for many newspapers and other periodicals. He was an intimate friend of Edgar A. Poe. He published a volume of his verses, entitled "Meditations in America," in 1845. Twenty-five years ago he married Ann Polhemus Riker, of an old Knickerbocker family, who, with his son and daughter, survives him.
~ The Times (Philadelphia, PA), Sat. Morning, 7 May 1881, pg. 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FUNERAL OF WILLIAM ROSS WALLACE.
A few minutes before 1 o'clock P.M. yesterday, a hearse, followed by two carriages, drew up at the Gothic entrance of St. Chrysostom's Chapel, in Thirty-ninth-street, corner of Seventh-avenue, and a coffin was lifted upon the shoulders of four stalwart men in black and borne down the aisle, the Rev. Thomas H. Sill preceding, and repeating such passages of Scripture as "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and shall stand in the latter days upon the earth." A lady in deep black, leaning upon the arm of her son, and a young girl, supported by an elderly gentleman, followed the coffin to the altar, convulsed at intervals with subdued sobs. The coffin bore the name of William Ross Wallace, with the dates of his birth and decease. A pillow of white flowers, bordered with purple and having worked in blue violets in its centre the words "Our Father," was laid upon the casket. Twenty boys in white robes advanced slowly from the vestry room, singing as they came, took their places behind the altar railing, and the services went on. Very few persons known in the literary world to which the deceased belonged were present. The New-York Ledger was represented, and so were the principal New-York dailies. There was no funeral address. The Rev. Mr. Sill conducted the services, and at their expiration the casket was opened that friends might take a farewell of the strongly-marked and well-remembered features. The face was emaciated by suffering. The lid was closed again and the four men bore their burden to the hearse, preceded by the white-robed procession of boys. The four mourners followed, entered their carriages, and were soon on their way to Cypress Hills Cemetery, where the remains of William Ross Wallace were committed to the earth.
~ The New-York Times, Mon., 9 May 1881, pg. 8
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1870 (July) Census, New York, New York, NY:
Wm. R. Wallace, 53, b KY.
Ann, 47, keeping house, b City.
Catherine, 16, b City.
George, 13, at school, b City.
Ellen, 8, b City.
Post Office: New York City
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1880 (Jun 2) Census, New York City, New York, NY:
William R. Wallace, 60, poet, b KY, parents KY.
Ann P., wife, 57, keeping house, b NY, parents NY.
Katie L., dtr, 24, b NY.
Eleanor, dtr, 18, b NY.
Address: West Thirty-Fifth Street.
~ The New-York Times, Sat., 7 May 1881, pg. 5
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEW YORK, May 6 - William Ross Wallace, author of the "Sword of Bunker Hill," died at his home, 232 West Forty-first street, on Thursday night, of apoplexy [stroke]. He was the son of a Presbyterian clergyman, and was born at Paris, Ky., in 1819. He came to New York in 1842, and attracted attention by a poem entitled "Perdita," in the Union Magazine. He wrote for many newspapers and other periodicals. He was an intimate friend of Edgar A. Poe. He published a volume of his verses, entitled "Meditations in America," in 1845. Twenty-five years ago he married Ann Polhemus Riker, of an old Knickerbocker family, who, with his son and daughter, survives him.
~ The Times (Philadelphia, PA), Sat. Morning, 7 May 1881, pg. 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FUNERAL OF WILLIAM ROSS WALLACE.
A few minutes before 1 o'clock P.M. yesterday, a hearse, followed by two carriages, drew up at the Gothic entrance of St. Chrysostom's Chapel, in Thirty-ninth-street, corner of Seventh-avenue, and a coffin was lifted upon the shoulders of four stalwart men in black and borne down the aisle, the Rev. Thomas H. Sill preceding, and repeating such passages of Scripture as "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and shall stand in the latter days upon the earth." A lady in deep black, leaning upon the arm of her son, and a young girl, supported by an elderly gentleman, followed the coffin to the altar, convulsed at intervals with subdued sobs. The coffin bore the name of William Ross Wallace, with the dates of his birth and decease. A pillow of white flowers, bordered with purple and having worked in blue violets in its centre the words "Our Father," was laid upon the casket. Twenty boys in white robes advanced slowly from the vestry room, singing as they came, took their places behind the altar railing, and the services went on. Very few persons known in the literary world to which the deceased belonged were present. The New-York Ledger was represented, and so were the principal New-York dailies. There was no funeral address. The Rev. Mr. Sill conducted the services, and at their expiration the casket was opened that friends might take a farewell of the strongly-marked and well-remembered features. The face was emaciated by suffering. The lid was closed again and the four men bore their burden to the hearse, preceded by the white-robed procession of boys. The four mourners followed, entered their carriages, and were soon on their way to Cypress Hills Cemetery, where the remains of William Ross Wallace were committed to the earth.
~ The New-York Times, Mon., 9 May 1881, pg. 8
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1870 (July) Census, New York, New York, NY:
Wm. R. Wallace, 53, b KY.
Ann, 47, keeping house, b City.
Catherine, 16, b City.
George, 13, at school, b City.
Ellen, 8, b City.
Post Office: New York City
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1880 (Jun 2) Census, New York City, New York, NY:
William R. Wallace, 60, poet, b KY, parents KY.
Ann P., wife, 57, keeping house, b NY, parents NY.
Katie L., dtr, 24, b NY.
Eleanor, dtr, 18, b NY.
Address: West Thirty-Fifth Street.
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