Author’s note: This is the last installment of the story of Major Ramon T. de Aragon. It deals with events after the war ended and he returned to his home in Moscow, Tennessee.
Epilogue
By May 13, the men of Taylor’s army had completed the task of turning in their arms and the last man had departed for his home. Major De Aragon made his way back to Moscow, Tennessee. His marriage to Virginia had come to an end; whether by death or divorce it is not certain. He married again in 1866 to a Dennie Felts, age 17. In 1867 Dennie gave birth to a daughter named Fidel. De Aragon became a member of the local Masonic Lodge, Moscow Lodge No. 198, and served as its secretary until 1870.
Whatever city government there had been in Moscow before the war ceased to exist during the Yankee occupation of 1862-65. The town had earlier applied for a charter, but there is no record that it was ever issued. In 1870 the people of Moscow applied for a new charter, which was approved, and Major De Aragon, as he was still known, was elected the first Mayor of Moscow on record. The town constable, C. W. McConnell, was elected on the same day as the mayor. In McConnell’s first report were seven cases of drunkenness and disorderly conduct, two for “leaving horses hitched to wagon”, and one for peddling without a license. On September 1, 1870, twenty-four days after the first election, the Board of Alderman met for the purpose of discussing the conduct of the mayor. There had been two charges of drunkenness filed against him. Alderman Johnson resigned on the spot and Major De Aragon resigned the next day.
A set of twins were born to the De Aragon’s while the family still resided in Moscow. By January 1871, however, De Aragon had moved his family to Memphis and opened his medical practice at 374 Adams St. Both of the twins died of whooping cough at age seven months during the early months of 1871. In June of 1872 De Aragon mentioned in a letter having an office with a Col. Campbell at W. 63 DeSoto. The Memphis City Directory of that year lists his business address as 129 DeSoto. The following is one last letter he wrote to his daughter Louisa, who was living with her grandmother in LaGrange, Tennessee:
“Memphis Tenn
Sept. 5 1872
Miss Louisa De Aragon:
My dear child: You right [sic] when you thought I was sick. Yes, I have been very sick and is all I can do to walk now, yet, I have to stand it whether I can or not. I have a very bad cough which will terminate in Consumption and the probability is that I can not leave [sic] through the winter; however where there is hope there is life.
Your mother has another girl. She is very pretty.
Lulu I can not wright [sic] any more. God bless you
Ramon”
After giving most of his adult life in service to his adopted state, his country, and to his community, Ramon T. De Aragon died of “consumption” in Memphis on September 24, 1872.
The location of his grave is not known.
DEO VINDICI
Author’s postscript: During the Yellow fever epidemic of 1878, which devasted the entire Mississippi River Valley, the surviving members of Major De Aragon’s family were wiped out, with the exception of his daughter Fidel (my grandmother) who was about eleven at the time. In later years she told family members that she had contracted the disease herself and that a coffin was placed in her room as she was not expected to survive. She did survive, however, and kept the letters that De Aragon had written during and after the war.
I thank you for taking the time to read this. The book is available at the following link and contains maps, and index, and other items that were not presented here.
http://www.amazon.com/ARAGON-The-Chronicle-Confederate-Surgeon/dp/1475046162/ref=tmm_pap_title_0
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