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The Raleigh Register, Beckley, W.Va.
Thursday, April 11, 1907 REV JEHU DICKENS DEAD. Barboursville,
W.Va.
April 6, 1907 Dear Register: I beg space in your paper to announce to his and my friends, the sad news of the death of Rev. Jehu Dickens in St. Louis, Mo., on Friday, March 29th, l907, at the age of 71 or 72 years. The cause of death was said to be paralysis. His body was taken to Flora, Illinois, for burial and deposited by the remains of his first wife, who was a daughter of the late Francis Hendrix. The deceased was a son of the late Thomas Dickens, born and raised on Peach Tree, Raleigh county, W.Va., and I unhesitatingly say the county has never produced a better man. He was in early life a local preacher in the M. E. Church and was a coadjutator or contemporary rather of Dr. James F. Webb and the late venerated Andrew Workman, of precious memory. In 1861 he enlisted under the "stars and stripes" in Co. H, 8th Va. Infantry, later the 7th W.Va. Cavl. Vols, U. S. Permit me to call the roll and name a few of his gallant old comrades, viz: Jos. H. and Wm. F. Workman, Lemuel and Daniel Jarrell, Isaac, Floyd and James Wriston, Saml. L. Davis, Granville Tyree, Wash and Henry Stover, Henry and James Moles, Wm. Turner, Jacob Jackson, T. J. and Achellis McGinnis, A. J. Williams, Wm. H. Abbott, Jas. M. Clay, Daniel William, James and Ephriam J. Dickens and others. Near the Marsh bridge, in December, 1861, he was taken a prisoner and confined in Libby prison at Richmond, Va., and was discharged for disability in January, 1863. After we recuperate our health we decided to renew the conflict and upon recommendation to Governor Arthur I. Boreman I was commissioned Captain and Jehu Dickens 1st Lieutenant of a company of W.Va. State Guards for Raleigh, Wyoming and McDowell counties with a maximum of 100 enlisted men and credited to W.Va. as a part of the State quota of troops under President Lincoln's call for 300,000 additional volunteers. We served faithfully, heroically and honorably, passing the Appomatox period in and ending at Camp Lens Creek, W.Va., August 1st, 1865. We were mustered out tired and weary but satisfied, with a feeling sense of "Charity for all and enmity for no one." As a soldier Bro. Dickens was a strict, brave, fearless man; the boys use to say, "With the Captain to do the cussing and the Lieutenant to do the praying, we can go anywhere." About 1867 he removed from Raleigh, drifted out west to Illinois, united with the United Brethren Church and was a very successful minister, in labors abundant for many years, and was instrumental in the hand of God of winning many souls which will be stars in his crown of rejoicing in the name of the Lord Jesus. He and his second wife paid us a visit of several months last year on his return west. They stayed with us three days. I went with them as far as the city of Huntington. There we embraced, kissed, and gripped in F. L. and T. with tears flowing. Each of us thought this would be the last greeting on earth, and so it was. Peace to his ashes, tender sympathy to his bereaved widow and I pray the Lord to bless and prosper his orphan ones out sun-set-ward--all citizens of the great west. WILLIAM TURNER
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