USA > Washington DC > Eminent and representative men of Virginia and the District of Columbia in the nineteenth century. With a concise historical sketch of Virginia > Part 19
USA > Virginia > Eminent and representative men of Virginia and the District of Columbia in the nineteenth century. With a concise historical sketch of Virginia > Part 19
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65
ex-United States senator and ex-governor of Louisiana, was born in Orwell, Vt., December 8, 1831. He removed to Illi nois in 1848, studied law in Peoria, and was admitted to the bar in 1854, begin- ning practice in Fulton county. He was a delegate to the convention held at Bloomington that first organized the republican party in Illinois, and later he was a member of the state convention that nominated Bissell and the first re- publican ticket that was elected in Illi- nois. He was a delegate to the republican national convention of 1860, and a Lin- coln presidential elector from the Fulton congressional district of Illinois. A few days after Mr. Lincoln was inaugurated Mr. Kellogg was appointed chief-justice of Nebraska. Upon the application of Governor Yates, Mr. Lincoln gave him, in August of that year, a leave of absence for the purpose of raising a cavalry regi- ment in Illinois. He raised the Seventh Illinois cavalry in his old congressional district and was mustered into the service in September. He reported to General Grant; was ordered to Cape Girardeau, which post he commanded for a number of months; commanding a brigade, com- posed of his regiment, a part of the Sec- ond Iowa and the Third Michigan, with Pope at the evacuation of Fort Thomp- son and the capture of Island No. 10. He went with Pope up the Tennessee river soon after the fall of Shiloh, and com- manded a brigade at the battles of Cor- inth and Farmington. His health having failed him, he was compelled to resign. was defeated. President Grant had in the
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meantime recognized Kellogg as the legal | prominent citizens, irrespective of party. governor of the state. The McEnery party Immediately after congress had recog- nized Kellogg by joint-resolution, an appealed to arms, and on March 3, 1873, Kellogg's police and militia suppressed a agreement was entered into to determine mob, disbursed the McEnery legislature ths status of the legislature by submitting and drove McEnery and his gov- the whole question to five members of congress, Senator Hoar being chairman, and the other members being S. S. Mar- shall, Ill., and Clarkson N. Potter, N. Y., prominent democrats; and William Wheeler and William Walter Phelps, republicans. The findings of this board of arbitration were afterwards known as the "Wheeler Compromise," which recog- confederates, seized the state house and nized the entire Kellogg government,
ernment out of Odd Fellows' hall and from the city. The McEnery people continued to maintain the contest and organized the White league, com- posed of ex-confederates throughout the state, seized several parishes, and on September 14, 1874, this organized insur- rection, composed of over 6000 armed ex- state property in New Orleans. General Grant immediately published a proclama- tion ordering the insurgents to disperse,
with the exception of the house, giving the democrats a majority in the lower house of the legislature. It was feared and directed General Emery, then in that the house would attempt to impeach command at New Orleans, to take pos- Kellogg or destroy the integrity of his session of the state house, and to give government; but a large majority of the democratic members signed an agree- ment with the committee of arbitration that they would make no effort to attack Kellogg or his government upon any event or act that he had been responsible for prior to the adjustment. The legis- lature was called in special session, trans- acted considerable business and ad- journed with amicable relations existing lution passed the senate, and went to the in all branches of the government. Governor Kellogg and his government possession thereof, which was done. Another congressional investigation was had by a committee appointed jointly by the senate and house. Upon their report, Senator Edmunds, chairman of the com- mittee on judiciary of the senate, reported a resolution recognizing Kellogg as the legal governor of Louisiana. This reso- house, where the rules were suspended, On the reconvening of the legislature, in view of the presidential election of 1876, there was a conspiracy entered into by the democratic party to compel the republican senate and the governor to pass an election law which had already passed the house, placing the control of the election in the hands of the speaker of the house, who was a democrat, prac- tically into the hands of the managers of the democratic party. The democratic house threatened the impeachment of the governor unless the bill was concurred in a number of prominent democrats, Alex. Stephens among them, voting to suspend the rules, and the senate resolution was concurred in. Mr. Kellogg was then recognized as the undisputed governor. Kellogg in the meantime, and pending the investigation of the joint committee, addressed them a letter offering to leave the question of the legality of his election and that of a majority of his legislature to the arbitration of five or seven mem- bers of congress, or to a committee of
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by the senate, and the house, notwith- the state of Louisiana to the convention standing their previous written pledges, that nominated Grant and Colfax at Chi- passed the resolution of impeachment pre- cago and has been a delegate-at-large to dicated upon a charge that during the riots every national republican convention of 1874 the Kellogg government had since, up to and including the recent na- transferred a portion of the public inter- tional convention held at Minneapolis, June 7, 1892, and has in every national convention since 1868 been chairman of the Louisiana delegation. est fund to the militia fund in order to maintain the militia. The senate took cognizance of the charge, organized into a court of impeachment, the chief justice Gov. Kellogg's father was the Rev. Sherman Kellogg, for many years a Con- gregational clergyman of Montpelier, Vt., many of his relations residing in that state. He went to Illinois when a youth of four- teen years. He married at Fulton, Ill., Miss Mary E. Wills, who was born in Gettysburg, Pa., a member of the well known Wills family of that state. He has four sisters in Iowa, and one sister and a brother in Kansas. of the state presiding, demanded that the house produce proof of the charge con- tained in the articles of impeachment, and waited a resonable time; the house failing to produce any evidence in sub- stantiation of the charge, on the last day but one of the session the senate formally dismissed the proceeding against Kellogg and his government. Thus defeated in their conspiracy, the democratic party at- tempted at the presidential election to Since Mr. Kellogg retired from con- bulldoze several parishes and destroy the gress, he has retained an interest in a sugar plantation in Louisiana, but has resided most of the time in Washington, where he has large real estate interests. republican vote. A long struggle ensued, the result being that the republican pres- idential electors were declared elected, and their votes were given to Hayes and Wheeler. Packard was also declared to JOHN CUNINGHAM KELTON, have been elected governor, receiving a distinguished American soldier and ad more votes than the "Hayes' " presidential jutant-general of the United States army, was born in Delaware county, Penn., on the 24th day of June, 1828. His father, Robert Kelton, was also a native of the Keystone state, born in the county of Chester in the year 1800, the son of James Kelton, Jr., who was born in the same county in 1776. James Kelton, Jr., was a farmer by occupation and married Agnes Mackay in 1793; he was sheriff of his county three years, served ten years in
electoral ticket."Packard was inaugurated the second Monday in January, 1877, and his legislature was organized in the state house. Ex-Governor Kellogg was elected to the United States senate a second time for the term of six years. There was a contest over his seat, but he was admitted by a large majority at the Oc- tober special session of 1877. He served his entire term, and in the fall of 1882 was elected to the lower house from the the state assembly and four years in the third congressional district of Louisiana, senate, was the first postmaster of West serving for two years, retiring on the de- Grove, Penn., serving in that office about feat of Blaine, in 1884.
twenty years, and passed from earth in
Mr. Kellogg was delegate-at-large from the year 1844. The father of James
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Kelton, Jr., was James Kelton, Sr., born veterans. He was a man of talent and in Scotland in 1695, came to America education as his letters written while in prior to 1735, from the north of Ireland, the service abundantly evince. He was and with a number of his countrymen noted for his probity and punctuality in settled in Chester county, Penn. For a his engagements - his industry and up- time he resided in New London, Chester rightness in business. He never held an county, and afterward purchased 500 office, and although frequently and earn- acres of land near the present town of estly solicited never could be induced to West Grove, where he built a house accept any station, either in church or state. He died in 1801, aged sixty-three, and on his gravestone at New London is which is still standing. His first wife, Margaretta, was born in Scotland in 1699, and died at West Grove, Penn., at the inscribed: "An honest man's the noblest age of sixty-five, leaving no children. At work of God." the age of seventy-five he married Mary Gen. John W. Cuningham of the Penn- Hackett, aged eighteen, and a resident sylvania state militia was a son of Capt. of New Garden, Penn. He died in 1781, Allen Cuningham and was born in New and his widow married a Mr. Fryer and London, Chester county, in the year 1779, went to Tennessee. James, Sr., by his where he resided during his entire life. second marriage, became the father of two children - James and Margaret-and
He represented Chester county in the state legislature in the years 1809 and by his will directed that his son James 1810, and was appointed prothonotary by should be taught Latin and Greek, if he Gov. Wolf in 1830. This office he held so desired. The general's maternal great . grandfather, Capt. Allen Cuningham, was of Scotch-Irish stock, born in county Armagh, Ireland, in 1738; he emigrated to this country in 1765, and settled at New London Cross-roads, Chester county, in 1775. In the war of the Revolution he actively participated in the campaigns of 1876-77 in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
during the entire administration of Gov. Wolf-six years-and was esteemed a very efficient and accomplished officer. He also held the office of clerk of the court during the greater portion of the same period. Gen. Cuningham was a presidential elector in 1828 when Gen Jackson was first elected to the presi- dency, and was democratic candidate for He commanded a company at the battle congress in 1836. He possessed a strong of Brandywine in the division of Gen. and vigorous mind and great benevolence of character. He was a devoted friend of the soldiers of the Revolution, and was Maxwell. This company was held in re- serve in a grove near Ched's ford during the whole eventful day, with positive frequently called upon by them for assist- orders not to fire a gun until specially ance in making application for pensions. directed; and although exposed to danger His name and character inspired con- fidence, and a promise given to perform and liable to be shot down by the enemy, not a man violated the order, but re- anything was followed by execution, or mained at his post ready and eager for the most strenuous efforts at fulfillment. the order to fire. It was not given, and For twenty-nine years he was a ruling this brave portion of the reserve, in the elder in the Presbyterian church and died evening, marched off the field as coolly as April 26, 1840, in his sixty-first year.
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Robert Kelton, the general's father, brevetted lieutenant-colonel, colonel, and was an influential iron master in his native state during his early business days and later became a prominent iron mer- chant in Philadelphia, in the common council of which city he served for a period of two years. He was a public- spirited citizen, prominent in the affairs of the city in which he so long resided, and held a number of trusts, including among others that of treasurer of the Second and Third street railroad com- pany, which position he -held at the time of his death in 1862. He married Mar- garetta Ross Cuningham, daughter of John W. Cuningham, of Chester county, Penn., in 1827; a union blessed with the birth of several children, of whom the following grew to maturity: Gen. John C., Anna, James, Frank and Allan Kelton.
brigadier-general, March 13, 1865 "for most valuable and arduous services both in field and at head-quarters." The gen- eral had charge of the appointment bu- reau in the adjutant general's office at Washington in 1865-70, and was after- ward detailed as assistant adjutant-gen- eral of the division of the Pacific. On the 15th of June, 1880, he attained the staff rank of colonel, and from 1885 to 1889 was on duty in the adjutant-gen- eral's office in Washington, and the latter year, on June 7th, was appointed adjutant- general of the United States. The gen- eral has hade a careful study of firearms, and has patented, among other improve- ments, a modification of the locking mechanism of the Springfield rifle, reduc- ing the number of motions required to load and fire it to four; a front sight cover and protector; a detachable maga- zine; a safety stop for revolvers, prevent- ing accidental discharge in cavalry combat; a pistol pack whereby any jointed revolver can be loaded in two seconds; an automatic check-rein that enables the rider to have both hands free; and a rear sight for rifles. The general has been a frequent contributor to military literature, and is the author of " Manual of the Bay- onet," "Fencing with Foils," "Pigeons as Couriers," "Information for Riflemen" and " Select Songs for Special Occasions." General Kelton was married in the city the exception of about two months of the of Dresden, Saxony, April 20, 1870, to
General Kelton, while still a youth, ap- pears to have been imbued with the mar- tial spirit of his ancestors and early determined to become a soldier. Accord- ingly he entered the United States Mili- tary academy, from which he graduated in 1851 and for some time thereafter was employed on the frontier, and as in- structor in the academy, in infantry tac- tics, and the use of small arms, having held the latter position until the 24th of April, 1861. He served with distinction in the Civil war from 1861 to 1865 inclu- sive, as assistant adjutant-general, with former year, when, as colonel of a Mis- souri regiment, he commanded a brigade in that state. He resigned his volunteer commission in 1862, but participated in several campaigns, including the advance upon Corinth, and the siege of that place, and was on the staff of Gen. Halleck from July, 1862, till July 1, 1865. He was
Josephine Parmly Campbell, daughter of William S. Campbell, of New York city. Mrs. Kelton was born in Rotterdam, while her father was United States consul at that city, and is the mother of eight chil- dren, seven of whom are living, namely: Josephine Campbell, Robert Hall Camp- bell, Margaretta, Nataline, Mary
Lindenkent
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Adelaide, Annie Campbell, William early years of his life he was engaged in Sutherland, and Atlee Sanford Kelton.
mercantile pursuits in Louisa county. July 24, 1892, General Kelton was re- He retired in 1850 from commercial life tired by operation of law, having served and is still living at Louisa C. H., near in the army of his country over forty which he owns and controls several farms. years, the secretary of war, S. B. Elkins, He was married in March, 1846, to Sarah highly complimenting the veteran in Garland Hunter, daughter of John general orders, No. 42, announcing the Hunter of Louisa, Va., and to them were retirement by order of the president.
LINDEN KENT,
one of the foremost attorneys of Wash- ington, D. C., was born in Louisa C. H., Va., December 26, 1846, and was educated at the university of Virginia, where he graduated from the law course in 1870. After graduating he went to Alexandria, Va., where he began to practice, and re- mained there until 1878, when he moved to Washington, D. C., where he rapidly gained fame in the practice of his pro- fession. In 1864 he was made adjutant- general of the brigade commanded by General R. T. W. Duke, Confederate States army, and acted as such until captured at the battle of Sailor's Creek, or Harpers farm, April 6, 1865, and brought to Washington, D. C., where he was confined in the "old capitol" prison for about ten days, and then taken to Johnson's Island, Lake Erie, and con- fined until the latter part of June, 1865, when he was released. He was also in the battles at Fort Harrison, and Butlery Fields. Mr. Kent was married in Decem- ber, 1884, to Leita Montgomery, daughter of Romanzo W. Montgomery, a retired capitalist of New Orleans, La., who had been a prominent citizen of that state and was for some time president of the Canal bank.
Mr. Kent's father is Robert Meredith Kent, who was born in Fluvanna county, Virginia, November 30, 1815. During the
born the following children: Florence, who died in infancy; Linden, of Wash- ington, D. C .; Henry Thompson, graduate in law of the university of Virginia, in 1872, and since then attorney in St. Louis, Mo .; Isabella Pottie, wife of John W. Goss, of Albemarle county, Va .; Elle Hunter of Louisa, Va., graduate of Hollins institute, Va .; Charles William, M. A., of the university of Virginia, 1882, Ph. D. of the university of Leipsic, Ger- many; 1887, and was (1892) professor of English and German in the university of Tennessee; second vice-president of the American Modern Language Dialect society, etc .; Robert Meredith Kent, Jr., of Roanoke, Va .; Alice Garland of Louisa, Va.
Mrs. Sarah G. (Hunter) Kent died on the 19th of August, 1880. Her father was John Hunter, who was born in Louisa county, on the 12 of November, 1798. In early life he found employment in the office of the county clerk, and later he was himself elected clerk, and retained this position until the year 1852. He was a member of the legislature prior to the war of '61-65, and during the war he was presiding officer of the board of county magistrates. He died at Louisa C. H., in August, 1890. His father was William Hunter of Louisa county, Va., and Stephen Hunter was the father of William. Robert Kent, grandfather of Linden Kent, was born in New Kent county, Va., in 1748, and lived to be ninety-four years old. In
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early life he moved to Fluvanna county, | within four days of the sad event he had Va., and married a Miss Tate. They enjoyed his usual health, but the grim destroyer had marked him for his own and rudely and suddenly snatched him away from a sorrowing widow and a host of mourning friends. had six children, one named Abram, who married Sally Perkins. They had six children, named Robert Meredith; Zach- ariah Williams, who married, and had born to him one daughter, who married Abram Perkins -they had quite a number HON. LUCIUS Q. C. LAMAR, of children, amongst them one named associate justice of the supreme court of the United States, is a son of L. Q. C. Lamar, Sr., who was born in 1794. The father of this latter gentleman was John Lamar, who was born in Crawford county, Ga., about 1766. He was a planter all his life, and married his cousin, Rebecca Lamar. His children were as follows: Lola, General Mirabeau B. Lamar, who was at one time president of Texas; Jef- ferson Lamar, a patriot of the war with Texas, and L. Q. C. Lamar, the subject of this sketch. Jefferson Lamar had a son, Lucius Lamar, who was colonel of the Nineteenth Georgia infantry in the late war, and died a year ago as United States marshal for the southern district of Texas; and he had a daughter, Eva- line, who is the wife of William Polk, of Alexandria, La. L. Q. C. Lamar, Sr., had the following children: L. Q. C. Lamar, the subject of this sketch; Thomp- son D. Lamar, killed at Petersburg, as colonel of the Fifth Florida infantry. He was a physician; Jefferson M. Lamar, colonel of Hobb's legion in the late war, and fell at Hampton Gap; Susan, wife of Lemuel Wiggins of Georgia, both of whom died without issue; Mary Ann, wife of James Longstreet, who died in Cal- houn, Ga., as solicitor general of that district. She afterward married Colonel Sally, who married Abram Kent, as above. Abram Perkins descended from one of three brothers who came from England, and settled in Goochland county, Va., at a place still known as "Perkins' Hills." There is a tradition that all the Perkinses in the United States are descended from these three brothers. George Pottie (the elder) came from Scotland, married a Miss Jerdone, and had an only son, who was also named George. He married Sarah J. Thompson (his cousin). They had several children - a daughter named Issabella Pottie, who married John Hunter and had nine children, rearing seven, amongst them Sally Garland, who mar- ried Robert Kent. David Morris married a Miss Guthrie, who had quite a number of children-one named Mary, who married William Hunter, the father of John Hunter, who married Isabella Pottie; their daughter, Sally Garland, married Robert M. Kent, father of Linden Kent. John Hunter, grandfather of Linden Kent, was born on the 12th of November, 1798, and died August 9, 1890, nearly ninety-two years old. He was a public man all his life -first, clerk of the court, then legislator, then presiding judge of the county court. Abram Kent was a captain in the war of 1812.
October 4, 1892, about 6 o'clock in the J. B. Ross, of Mecklin, Ga .; Dr. Thomas evening, Mr. Linden Kent expired at his R. Lamar, whose son, L. L. Lamar ( de- ceased ), was sheriff of Hancock county, residence, 1717 Rhode Island avenue, Washington, of heart disease. Until Ga., for several years, and also served in
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the Confederate army; Mrs. Louisa Mc- to the legislature and in 1854 settled on Geehee; Mrs. Mary Ann Moreland; Mrs. his plantation in Lafayette, Miss. He was elected to congress as a democrat, serv- ing from 1857 to 1860, when he resigned and entered the secession convention of his state. In the war he served first as lieutenant-colonel and then as colonel of the Nineteenth Mississippi infantry, but after severe service in northern Virginia was compelled to retire on account of fail- ure of health. He was then sent to Russia as commissioner by the Confeder- ate government. Returning to Missis- sippi he was elected professor of political economy and social science in the uni- versity of Mississippi,in 1866, and in 1867 was transferred to the chair of law. In 1872 he was again elected to congress, and re-elected in 1874. He was then elected to the United States senate. He has great independence of thought and action, as is shown by his refusal at one time to vote against his convictions on the currency question, even though so in-
Amelia Randall; Loretta Lamar, who married Absalom Chappell, a dis- tinguished lawyer, and a member of con- gress from Georgia in 1843. Their son, Thomas Chappell, is a prominent lawyer of Columbus, Ga., and author of text books. Another son, Harris Chappell, is a prominent educator of Georgia. Lamar Chappell is a merchant in Memphis, Tenn .; Lucius Chappell is a merchant in Columbus, Ga. The great-grandfather of our subject was Basil Lamar, who was born in Georgia. The Lamars, as is evi- dent from the name, formerly La Mar, were originally from France. They were Huguenots and left France after the rev- ocation of the edict of Nantes. The subject of this sketch was married July 20, 1846, to Miss Virginia Longstreet, daughter of Judge A. B. Longstreet, author of "Georgia Scenes." He and his wife have had four children, as fol- lows: Fannie, who married Hon. Dr. structed to do by the legislature of his Edward Mayes, president of the univer- state. He appealed to the people and by
them was sustained. March 5, 1885, he. became secretary of the interior in the cabinet of President Cleveland, and in 1887 he was appointed by the same presi- dent an associate justice of the supreme
sity of Mississippi; L. Q. C. Lamar, Jr., planter of Mississippi, who married Miss Kate Lester; Augusta, wife of Hugh Heiskell of Memphis, Tenn., and Virginia, wife of William H. Lamar, attorney at law at Washington, D. C. The subject court of the United States, which position of this sketch was born in Putnam county, he now holds.
Ga., September 1, 1825. After his father's death he was taken to Oxford, Miss., where in part he received his education, and he graduated at Emory college, Ox-
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