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 4
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 4
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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
In the midst of the consequent anxiety on the night of Sunday, the 21st of April, 26th day of April, 1704, and ending with Lieut. Abert arrived in Washington, the the acts passed prior to February 27, 1801. bearer of dispatches from Col. Dimmick, Also the British statutes in force in Mary- announcing the arrival of the expected land at the time of the cession of the reinforcements and the safety of Fortress territory to the United States for the scat Monroe. It will illustrate the character of government. As was truly said by one of this gallant young officer to narrate his of the most learned and experienced of services on that occasion. And the the members of the district bar, no one manner in which communication was can conceive of the magnitude of the opened between Gen. Scott, the general-
William Stone Abert.
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in-chief, and Gen. B. F. Butler at Anna-| apolis Junction, and down the railroad polis is also worthy of record. When track toward Annapolis. He soon struck Lieut. Abert landed at Baltimore he a destruction train, well manned, a large found that railway communication had party pulling up the rails and ties, and been cut off, and he could not even hire a loading them on platform cars, which, as fast as loaded, were dragged off toward Annapolis. Abert immediately put off his overcoat, placed it on a car, and com- locomotive to take him on. Baltimore was in a state of wild excitement, and he rightly judged that any attempt to hire a horse would cause suspicion of him and menced aiding in the work of destroying probably cause his temporary detention. While of slight form, in appearance he
the track. After working vigorously for some time, he was noticed as not being was an athlete, and a good pedestrian. one of the original party, and one of the He shouldered his portmanteau and, fol- destroyers asked him his name, at the lowing the railroad track, walked rapidly the same time praising his strength and on to within some nine miles of Wash- skill at the work. He replied frankly ington, where he was enabled to hire a " My name is Abert." "Where do you live?" ' Born in Washington-I have one-horse vehicle, in which he drove to the capital and went straight to head- lately lived in Virginia." "All right." quarters, where he duly delivered his dis- And so he went on until the cars were loaded, and he threw himself on one of them and was transported to the vicinity of Annapolis. He had never been there before, but General Scott had given him a minute description of the outskirts of the town, and the pathway thence to Fort Severn. Every detail was minutely cor- rect, down to a white paling fence with a green gate before a house. When he rec- ognized one of the landmarks given by the general, he slipped off the car, followed the pathway indicated, and in a few min- utes was before General Butler, to whom he delivered his dispatches. As a matter of precaution, looking to the possible detention or arrest of Lieutenant Abert, patches, "with the dust of the road on them," on the 21st of April. On report- ing to General Scott, he was by him taken and introduced to the president and the cabinet, and received their thanks and commendations. On the next day, before he was recovered from the effects of the unpracticed walk. dispatches to the com- manding officer at Annapolis, General Butler, were confided to him. It was found so difficult to find any one who could carry such dispatches, and the general-in-chief and the secretary of war considered that the best man to carry such documents was he who had so safely brought in dispatches under difficulties. Lieut. Abert was ready to start almost at two other officers were subsequently sent, a moment's notice. He divested himself bearing dispatches similar to those taken of all uniform excepting his military by him. On reaching the junction, and vest, the buttons of which would prove finding no train running, they returned as him a soldier of the United States, far as Bladensburg and procured a con- veyance. Upon reaching Annapolis they found their dispatches anticipated, and the troops under marching orders. Before Lieut. Abert returned, he was arrested and carefully concealing the dispatches in his clothing he drove quietly out of Washington in a buggy, which he left at Bladensburg. Thence he walked to Ann-
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by a secession band calling themselves by the yellow fever, then epidemic in Gal- the " Vanesville Guards," and his life was threatened. During the two nights of his absence he had no sleep, and returned to his family in Washington on the morning of the 24th almost entirely exhausted from walking, loss of sleep and food.
On the 25th of April the New York Seventh regiment entered Washington. On the 14th of May, 1861, he was com- missioned captain of the Third United States cavalry; and shortly afterwards he was transferred to the Sixth United States cavalry. He served in the field through- out the whole war, except six weeks, when laid up by a broken leg, occasioned by the kick of a horse while reconnoitering with · some officers the approaches to Port Hudson. He served for a short time under Gen. Charles P. Stone; then under Gen. McClellan, through the peninsular campaign and the battle of Antietam, and until Gen. McClellan was relieved; then under Gen. Banks in Louisiana, and finally as colonel of the Third Massachu- setts heavy artillery, in the defenses of Washington. He had been complimented by three brevets -first, of major in the United States army for gallant services at Hanover Court House, May 27th, 1862; on the 16th of September, 1862, he was brevetted lieutenant-colonel for gallant and meritorious services at the battle of Antietam; brigadier-general on the 13th of March, 1865, for gallant and meritori- ous services during the war. In the win- ter of 1867 he was ordered to Galveston, and placed by Gen. Griffin on his staff, as acting assistant inspector-general of the military district of Texas. About the 20th Seventh United States cavalry, which was Gen. Custer's regiment.
veston. While his fever was at its height, his heroic wife, Mary I. Abert, was stricken down by this grasping pestilence. And their eldest child was also ill with the fever. With the exception of the faithful attention of the army physician, Dr. Adams, who afterwards died of the dread disease, Col. Albert, himself a con- valescent, did the principal nursing; his cook being sick, and his servant boy hav- ing left him. On the 18th his wife died. The next day he was again attacked by the fever, and on the 25th, notwithstand- ing all that could be done for him, he breathed his last. Through the kindness of Gen. Grant the remains of Col. Abert and wife were brought to Washington, and rest in Rock Creek cemetery.
This gallant young officer, in the thirty- one years of life allotted to him, made a most brilliant record, and one of which any soldier might be proud. The high esteem in which he was held by the sec- retary of war is shown by the following eloquent tribute, which is worthy of pres- ervation:
HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 3, 1867. My Dear Sir: The sad news of your gallant brother's death, by yellow fever, at Galveston, Texas, on August 25th, was received by me with deep pain and sorrow. Dying in the discharge of his duty, without the excitement of war or battle, but surrounded by the pestilence, has in it something in such perfect keep- ing with his dauntless courage, as it came under my personal notice, that I feel it my duty to give you an account of some things, occurring long ago, which may not be known to others, and cannot be so well known by any as by myself.
of July he was promoted a major of the tary of war, in the early part of our
When I occupied the position of secre- troubles, a young officer appeared in Washington with important dispatches from Fortress Monroe. He was intro-
About the 7th of August he was attacked duced to me by the late Lieutenant-Gen-
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eral Scott. His service, just rendered, born October 11, 1859. He received his was highly important and a dangerous one. preparatory education at the Emerson The capital was actually cut off from the loyal states; the approaches to Wash- ington were in the hands of the rebels; the roads were infested with guerrillas, and the darkest hour of the republic was over us. This gallant young officer was your brother, Lieutenant Abert. I set him down for promotion; for in his bear- ing I saw the stuff of which heroes are made. My retirement from the war department alone prevented me from giv- ing such advancement as his courage and skill deserved. institute in his native city, whence he went to Princeton, N. J., and graduated from the famous college of that city in 1882. Feeling that the profession of the law was the one for which his talents and natural abilities were best adapted, he returned to Washington after his gradua- tion and commenced to study for the legal profession under H. O. Claughton, under whom he made rapid progress, and was admitted to the bar in 1885. He at once opened his office in his native city and has ever since had his hands full of legal business. His attainments, his natural aptitude for his profession, to- gether with his keenness of apprehension and insight into the cases he has been called upon to handle, have made him very successful, and consequently have won for him the approbation of his clients and the respect of his fellow-practitioners. His services have also been sought for outside of his actual practice in the courts and in the giving of legal office advice.
The forces for the relief of Washington were gathering at Annapolis, and it was a matter of life and death to open commu- nication with them. The Baltimore & Ohio railroad was virtually in the hands of the rebels. Our forces must come to Washington soon, or all would have been lost, and they must know the straits to which we were reduced at the capital. In this emergency I carefully observed your brother, and picked him out for a most hazardous enterprise. I sent him with secret information to Annapolis, and he walked from Washington in the night, delivered his perilous message, and walked back to announce that he had obeyed the order of the department.
This may not now seem so great a feat as it was then. Every step of his way was through the enemy's country, and every moment of the time the gallant young soldier was in danger of his life. This act, performed long ago, was but an earnest of that high and chivalrous devo- tion to his country, and his duty, which in the end lost to the army one of its bright- est ornaments, and to our country one of its purest patriots.
Deeply sympathizing with you, and with the orphans of this modest, gallant soldier, I have the honor to be, for his sake, Very truly your friend,
SIMON CAMERON.
CHARLES ABERT, Esq., Norbec P. O., Md.
WALTER H. ACKER.
This rapidly rising young lawyer is a native of Washington, D. C., and was
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Mr. Acker is of Bavarian descent, his father, Nicholas Acker, having been born in that kingdom in 1818, and having lived there until 1831, when he came to America and settled in Washington, D. C. He was a highly respected gentleman and greatly trusted by his fellow-citizens of Washington, the city of his adoption. A contractor and builder, he constructed many edifices for public and private pur- poses in Washington, and also erected the city hall in Baltimore, Md. He was like- wise director in several of the Washington city banks. During the late Civil war he held a captain's commission in the District of Columbia guards, but was not called into active service. He was married to Miss Sarah A. Biscoe, daughter of Captain
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Biscoe of Maine, the latter of whom was been Miss Agatha De LaPorte, a member killed in the Mexican war. Nine children of an ancient and honorable French family which acquired more than a local were the result of this union, and of these, seven still survive, viz: William J., Dr. reputation in France. The ancestral home George N., F. J., Walter H., A. E., Lily A., all of Washington, D. C., and N. A., of San Francisco, Cal. The father of this family died in 1878, his widow surviving him until 1888. The marriage of Walter H. Acker took place in 1889, the lady whose heart and hand he had won being Miss Mary Reinicker, daughter of Wil- liam J. Reinicker of Baltimore. Mr. Acker is still a young man, with every prospect before him of a prosperous busi- ness career and of domestic happiness as well as of manly usefulness.
THOMSON H. ALEXANDER
is a native of Kentucky and a descendant of the old and well known Scotch family, i. e. Earles of Stirling, an authentic record of which is traced back in an unbroken succession to the year 1100. Among the remote ancestors was Robert Alexander, after whom in regular order are recorded the names of John, Robert, and James, the last-named of whom was born in the year 1624. The son of James was John Alexander, whose son William was the great-grandfather of the immediate sub- ject of this biography. William Alex- ander, the grandfather, was a native of Scotland, born in the year 1729. In early day of February, 1837. His early boyhood he was taken to France, and in 1783 came to America, settling in Virginia, where he resided until 1811, at which time he emigrated to Kentucky, where his death occurred in 1819, at the advanced age of ninety years. William Alexander was a man of more than ordinary powers of mind and during his life succeeded in accumulating a handsome fortune. He proficiency in his chosen calling he was was twice married, his second wife having admitted to the bar of the District of
of the LaPortes is at the town of Mont- pelier. The eldest son of William Alex- ander, William Alexander Jr., un- cle to the subject of this sketch, born in the year 1824, was created lord chief baron of the exchequer, and prior to his elevation thereto had re- ceived the order of knighthood. Charles Alexander, father of Thomson H. Alex- ander, was born near Staunton, Virginia, in 1798 and was by profession a lawyer, in which calling he earned a brilliant rep- utation. He was also a man of fine literary ability and as a linguist stood very high among the scholars of his native state, having mastered the ancient, classical, and several modern languages. He removed with his parents to Wood- ford county, Kentucky, in 1811, where he resided until 1857, at which time he be- came a resident of Washington, D. C., where his death occurred in July, 1883. His wife, whom he married in 1821, was Miss Martha Madison, a grandniece of James Madison, fourth president of the United States. As already mentioned, Thomson H. Alexander is a native of Kentucky, born in the beautiful blue- grass county of Woodford on the 28th educational training was received in the schools of his native county, and after taking a more than thorough course in New Albany, Indiana, he removed, in 1856, to Washington, D. C., where he entered upon the study of the law, which profession he had early determined to to make his life work. After acquiring
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Columbia, where his abilities soon won for him a very lucrative share of the legal business of the city. The war coming on about this time, he abandoned his profes- sion temporarily, and responded to the country's call for volunteers, enlisting April 15, 1861, in the old national rifles for tl e defense of Washington city, which was then in danger of being captured by the rebels. Later, after all danger to the city was averted by the withdrawal of the Confederate forces from the vicinity, he marched with his company to aid in the defense of Harper's Ferry, which at that time was threatened by the Confeder- ate forces organized especially for its capture.
At the expiration of his term of service, Mr. Alexander returned to Washington, and resumed the practice of his profession, which he has since successfully continued, being at the time one of the best known and most successful patent lawyers in that department of the profession, in the city.
Mr. Alexander's legal career is a series of uninterrupted successes, and his high reputation in the special field of jurispru- dence alluded to, makes him an authority on all matters pertaining to patent law upon which he has also written at various times, and his opinions relating thereto, have almost uniformly been sustained by the courts. In all relations of life, both in a public and private capacity. Mr. Alexander has won the respect and con- fidence of his fellow-citizens, and during a long legal career, his many clients have learned to trust him as a wise and judicious counsellor. He was united in marriage to Miss Sarah J. Ken- nedy, daughter of Hon. J. C. G. Kennedy, formerly superintendent of the battles in which Col. Anderson partici- census bureau.
COL. EDWARD WILLOUGHBY ANDERSON,
a well known lawer of Washington city, son of Captain James Willoughby Ander- son and Ellen M. (Brown) Anderson, is a native of Florida, born in the old his- toric city of St. Augustine, just at the close of what is known as the Seminole war. He received a classical education in the college of the city of New York, and was afterwards honored with an appointment as cadet at West Point, by Gen. Winfield Scott, at which institution he remained until April, 1861, when he resigned and entered the service of the Confederacy, enlisting in the Virginia provisional army, where he was commis- sioned lieutenant of his company. Sub- sequently he was promoted captain and as such served with distinction throughout the war, during which time he made a record for bravery and gallantry of which any soldier might feel deservedly proud. A succinct account of his long period of service would far transcend the limits of a biographical sketch such as this pur- ports to be, consequently but an outline of his military record is herewith pre- sented. Mr. Anderson did staff duty during the greater part of his period of service, being first appointed on the staff of General R. E. Lee, in which capacity he served during several campaigns, doing duty a part of the time as a member of the engineer corps at Norfork in the year 1862. The confidence reposed in him by his superiors is attested by the fact that at one time he was placed in command of Forts Norfolk, Craney Island, and St. Helena, of which he had direct charge until the evacuation of the city by the Confederate forces. Among the many
pated during the war may be mentioned
5
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the following, namely: Seven days' fight takes a prominent place, and his pains- taking investigations have made him the trusted adviser in a number of technical cases, and the correctness of his opinions has seldom been questioned by the courts. A glimpse at Mr. Anderson's family his- tory shows him to be descended from a military ancestry, his grandfather, Wil- liam Anderson, son of Rev. James Ander- son, at one time pastor of the Old South church, Middletown, Penn., having served with distinction in the American navy during the last war with Great Brit- ain. He was afterward made colonel in the U. S. service, and, until his death in 1833, was in charge of the navy yard at Norfolk, Virginia. He married, at Nor- folk, Jane Willoughby, the family name of whom is still a favorite among her descend- ants. around Richmond, Chicahominy, Malvern Hill, Cold Harbor, Winchester, Fred- ericksburg, and Gettysburg, in the last of which he served with signal ability as a member of the staff of Gen. Pinder. Additional to the above named battles Col. Anderson while a member of Gen. Wilcox's staff participated in the engage- ments of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Mine-Run, and all the battles of the cam- paign back to Petersburg and Appomattox, where he was present at the final surren- der of General Lee in 1865. After the banner of Lee went down at Appomattox, Mr. Anderson went to North Carolina and joined the forces of General Johnston, but, after a short stay, started with Wade Hampton to join the army of General E. Kirby Smith, whose division he did not reac h,having, with a dozen others, left Captain James Willoughby Anderson, father of Edward Anderson, was a native of Norfolk, Virginia, and a graduate of West Point Military academy, in the days of 1833, which contained a number of men who afterward achieved distinction in army circles. He continued in the U. S. military service for some years as adju- tant of the Second infantry, took a prom- inent part in the Seminole war and the war with Mexico, and was killed at the battle of Cherubusco. Captain Anderson ·was a brave and gallant soldier and is mentioned in complimentary terms in the report of General Bennett Riley, com- mander of the brigade at the battle of Cherubusco, a tribute nobly earned and well merited. Elihu Brown, maternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was a native of Portsmouth, New Hamp- shire, and also a man with a warlike record, having been for some time prom- inently connected with United States sea Hampton's command, and started for Natchez, Miss., from which place he after- ward made his way to New Orleans, thence in 1865 to Norfolk, Virginia, where terminated his long and eventful military experience. On severing his connection with the army, Mr. Anderson, for a time was engaged as a school teacher in Nor- folk, and while a resident of that city was united in marriage to Miss Lizzie Masi, daughter of Prof. P. H. Masi, a man widely and favorably known in educa- tional circles of eastern Virginia. Hav- ing early acquired a taste for the legal profession, Mr. Anderson, after leaving Norfolk and locating in Washington, entered upon the study of the same, and after becoming versed in the principles of law was admitted to the bar in the year 1871, since which time he has been actively engaged in the practice - making a spec- ialty of law pertaining to patents. In this department of the profession he easily |service as commander of the privateer Fox.
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MAHLON ASHFORD,
On coming to Washington, Mahlon en- president of the Real Estate Title Insur- tered the fourth district public school, ance company of the District of Colum- Henry Hardy, principal, which he at- bia, comes of sterling and patriotic Vir- tended for two or three years. In 1850 he ginia stock. He was born at Centreville,
entered the Union academy, Z. Richards, Fairfax county, Va., February 15, 1833, principal, where he remained until 1853, and is second son of Craven Ashford by his first wife, Ann Elizabeth Evans, of Prince William county, Va., who died in
making a rapid advance in his studies. His father then tendered him a college course, but, being anxious to enter into in 1837. Craven Ashford was the third business for himself, he declined it, and son of Francis Payton Ashford, who was the fourth son of Michael Ashford, who came from England to Virginia early in
shortly afterward obtained a position in the general land office, where he was em- ployed in compiling the sales of public the eighteenth century, and purchased and lands in the state of Alabama. While settled upon a large plantation near thus engaged he studied law under Gen. Mount Vernon, where he died at an ad- E. C. Carrington, who was afterward vanced age, leaving four sons, all of United States attorney for the district whom entered the war for independence, under President Lincoln, was admitted to and, of the four, Francis, the grandfather the bar in 1856, and, after the usual strug- of Mahlon, alone survived the noble gles which wait upon the young practi- struggle. He settled upon his late father's tioner, succeeded in acquiring a lucrative practice.
estate, where he lived in quiet ease, and died in 1849 at the age of eighty- seven. His son Craven went in early
When Gen. Carrington was appointed district attorney he tendered Mr. Ashford manhood to Centreville, where he en- the position of first assistant attorney, gaged in business, but in 1835 re- moved to Alexandria - then part of the District of Columbia, and a thriving ship- ping port -where he engaged in the com - but this he declined, not wishing to re- linquish his private practice. He, how- ever, shortly after, accepted the office of commissioner of admiralty and prize, mission business, and where in 1839 he which he held during the war. In 1868 married his second wife, Emerella Darne, his health failed him, and being thereby daughter of Capt. Nicholas Darne of forced to give up court practice, he turned Fairfax, a revolutionary soldier. The his attention to land law and the investi- late and lamented Dr. Francis A. Ash- gation of land titles, and to this line of ford, of Washington, D. C., was issue of the profession he especially devoted him- this marriage. In 1846 the father, having self, acquiring the reputation of being the been appointed to a government clerkship, leading authority in the district on the removed to Washington city, where, with subject of land titles and the law of con- the exception of a short interval spent veyancing. In 1881, on the formation of upon his farm in Virginia, he lived, taking the Real Estate Title Insurance company an active part in advancing the business interests of his section of the city, and highly respected by his neighbors, until his death, in 1876, at the age of seventy. (the pioneer company of the district), owing to his peculiar fitness, Mr. Ashford was tendered the position of its president, which position he accepted and has held
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