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 40
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 40
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He was married November 12th, 1850, to Anna M., daughter of David May, Esq., of Petersburg, Va., and to them were born eight children, the following surviving: Maria M., wife of John J. Burroughs, of Norfolk; Richard H., of Norfolk, who married the daughter of the late distin- guished James Barron Hope, of Norfolk; Kate H., wife of George G. Hobson, of Norfolk; Dr. Benjamin May Baker of Norfolk; Lucy Lee, and Emily Gay Baker.
lottesville; Lelia, wife of Major Robert B. Taylor, of Norfolk, and Emily Eyre, de- ceased wife of Judge T. S. Garnett, of Norfolk. The mother of Richard H. Baker is now living at the advanced age of eighty-six years.
Mr. Baker's grandfather was Richard Baker, born in Nansemond county, in 1764. His wife was Judith Bridger, great- granddaughter of Sir Joseph Bridger, a member of the council of state of Virginia, under Charles II. He died in 1686, leav- ing three children; Benjamin Beverley, Mary, and Richard Henry Baker, sur- viving. The great-grandfather's name was Benjamin Baker, born in Nansemond county early in 1700; his wife was Sallie Blount, of North Carolina, and to them were born three sons, William, Blake and Richard. The founder of the Baker family in America came from Sussex, England, prior to 1650.
MAJ. RICHARD G. BANKS,
The father of Mr. Baker, also Richard Henry Baker, was born February 22, 1789, in Nansemond county, Virginia. He was a lawyer of high repute, and judge of the circuit court until his death in 1871. His wife was Lelia Ann Barraud, daughter of Dr. Philip Barraud, of Williamsburg, a United States collector of the port of Norfolk, is a native of Hampton, Va., and was born September 3, 1840. He was educated at the Hampton academy and at Columbia college, and shortly after leaving the latter institution, in May, 1861, was appointed quartermaster distinguished surgeon in the Revolu- of the Fiftieth Virginia regiment of in- tionary war, and afterward appointed by fantry, in Gen. Floyd's brigade, with the Washington, in recognition of his conspic- rank of captain. He served as quarter- uous military service, surgeon of the master until the battle of Fort Donelson, marine hospital at Norfolk, which office from which he escaped to Chattanooga, he held until his death, in 1832. Judge where he was put in charge of the mili- Baker left six children, Richard H., tary depot of Gen. Kirby Smith and served there about six months. July 1, 1862, he went with Gen. Smith's command to Lexington, Ky., where he was put in charge of the quartermaster's depot for about two months. At the end of that Philip Barraud, a surgeon in the Confed- erate army, who died in 1887; Mary, widow of Captain T. L. Barraud, who was killed, fighting gallantly at the battle of Brandy Station, in 1863; Catharine B., wife of Captain Samuel Wilson, of Char- time he was appointed major and went
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to Mississippi, being assigned to Gen. W. | which died in infancy. The name of Mr. W. Loring's staff, but in that position he served only a short time, when he was de- tailed by Gen. Joseph E. Johnston to go to Selma, Ala., and establish a quarter- master's depot. This he accomplished and was put in charge of the same, re- maining at this point till near the close of the war. He participated in the fol-
Banks' father was Richard G. Banks, born in Essex county, Va., in 1802. He was a graduate of the medical depart- ment, university of Maryland, and began the practice of his profession in 1823, at Hampton, Virginia, where he remained until the breaking out of the war, and then was put in charge of a hospital in Portsmouth, Va., afterward at Richmond where he continued until the close of the
lowing battles: First battle of Cross Lanes, and Carnifax Ferry, W. Va., Fort Donelson, Tenn., Richmond, Ky., and nu- struggle. He then went to Baltimore merous minor engagements. After the Md., where he practiced medicine until war was over he went to Goochland his death in 1870. He was married in county, Va., where he carried on a farm, 1821 to Miss Mathilda E., daughter of Andrew Dewees, a prominent merchant of Baltimore. They had six children, whose respective names were William Wallace, a surgeon in the United States army, who resigned after the Mexican and, having prepared for the legal pro- fession in the meantime, was admitted to the bar in 1871. He practiced his pro- fession until the fall of 1879, at which time he was appointed United States in- spector of customs and stationed at Nor- war, and was appointed consul to folk, Va. This office he held until 1883, Mexico, where he married the daughter when he resigned in order to take his of the governor of Zacatecas and where seat in the legislature, to which he was his death occurred in 1859 at the age of elected that year. Owing to a technical- ity he was unseated, but at the new elec- tion ordered he was triumphantly vindi- cated, receiving a majority of 900 votes. In 1884 he was made superintendent of schools at Norfolk and acted as such un- til 1886. Two years later he was elected mayor of Norfolk, and held that office until March, 1890, when he resigned to accept the office of United States col- lector of the port of Norfolk, which office he now holds. He is interested in many public and local enter- prises, among which is that of superin- tendent of lights controlled by the government of the United States. Mr. Banks was married January 15, 1863, to Miss Nannie M. Argyle, daughter of Thomas Argyle, a planter of Goochland
thirty-six years. Henry T., born in 1827, now living in Washington, D. C .; Andrew Dewees, born in 1834. He was the first editor of the Southside Democrat, pub- lished at Petersburg, in connection with Roger A. Pryor, and was afterward editor of the Cincinnati Enquirer; in 1857 was defeated as the democratic can- didate for clerk of the national house of representatives by Gen. Cullom; in 1858, was, with Gen. Stedman, elected public printer, and during the late war was adjutant-general on the staff of Gen. J. E. Johnston, by whom he was held as a warm and trusted friend. He died in 1881; E. A., born in 1838. He was a lawyer, and educated at the university of Virginia and went to Alabama in 1858, locating at Montgomery, where he edited county, Va. They have had one child, the Mongomery Confederation until the
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opening of the war, when he entered the | New York. Under the advice of influen- Confederate army and was made captain tial friends he became a candidate for orders and pursued his studies of English and English literature in Newport, R. I., and in 1853 entered the general theolog- ical seminary in New York and was ordained to the diaconate June, 1856, in the church of the Incarnation in New York by the Rt. Rev. Thomas M. Clarke, D. D., bishop of Rhode Island. He and afterwards paymaster at New Orleans. After the evacuation of that city by the Confederate forces he was raised to the rank of major and assigned to Gen. Lovell's staff, then to Gen. Pemberton's, where he served until the close of the war. In company with Gen. Loring he went into business in New
Orleans and died there in 1868. The spent his diaconate in the missionary
youngest son is Richard G., whose name heads this sketch. The mother of this family died in 1845. Mr. Banks' grand- father was George W. Banks, a native of Essex county, Virginia. He practiced law in his native county during his mature years, was a member of the county court and succeeded to the office of high sheriff, and was a major in the war of 1812. He married Miss Baughan and died in 1824. The great-grandfather was also a native of Essex county, and was a planter by occupation. The great- great-grandfather was born in England, and upon coming to America located in Virginia, where he died. The maternal ancestors of Mr. Banks were French: one of the family was Dr. Dewees, of Philadelphia, a well known medical writer.
REV. OTTO SIEVERS-BARTEN, D. D.
The Rev. O. S. Barten, D. D., was born in the free city of Hamburg, Germany, in 1831. He received his earlier training in the private schools of that city and later became a student of the academical in- stitute of the celebrated Dr. Gesenius, a brother of the noted Hebrew professor of- that name, from which he graduated with honors. Under the pressure of the political difficulties in Germany during the years 1848 and 1849, he came to this country and remained for some time in to Amelia Rosenhoff, and to them were
station of Copake iron works, New York. Ordained to the priesthood in Hudson, N. Y., by Bishop Potter, in November, 1857, he took charge of St. John's, North- ampton, Mass., where he remained until the winter of 1859, when failing health brought him to Virginia, where he has remained ever since. He was the rector of St. James' church, Warrenton, from 1859 to 1865, where during the trouble- some years of the war he ministered by kindly deed and comforting word to all in need, and was specially busy among the wounded and suffering. In Decem- ber of 1865 he was given charge of Christ church, Norfolk, where his ministry has been richly blessed. He received the degree of D. D. in 1869 from the univer- sity of William and Mary. Mr. Barten has been in charge of the parish of Christ church for twenty-five years, and during that time has endeared himself alike to the community and the congregation. He was married, in 1857, to Miss Emma, the accomplished daughter of Henry A. Brewster of Rochester, N. Y. The father of Mr. Barten, John A. Sievers, was born in Hamburg, Germany, and educated there. He was a merchant all his life and was appointed commissioner by the French during their occupancy of Ham- burg in the war of 1813. He was married
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- born seven children, three of whom now survive: Adolph Sievers of Hamburg; Rev. O. S. Barten of Norfolk, Va., and Emma, wife of Rev. Otto Wyman of Hamburg. The father of Mr. Barten died in 1841 and his mother departed this life in 1863.
RICHARD BAYLOR
Baylor. Richard and Lucy Baylor both died in 1862. The grandfather of the subject of this mention, Robert Baylor, was twice married, first to Lucy Whiting Garnett, and afterward to Ann Brooke, daughter of William Thornton Brooke. The great-grandfather was Richard Bay- lor, and the great-great-grandfather was Gregory Baylor, an officer of distinction in the Revolutionary war.
was born in Kinloch, in Essex county, Va., May Ist, 1849. He was educated at Bellevue academy in Bedford county, and ROBERT BANKS BERREY. at the university of Virginia, and returned Robert Banks Berrey was born in Fredericksburg, Va., August 5th, 1837, and was educated in the common schools of the day. He left school at the age of seventeen, kept books for about three years, and at twenty years of age was appointed deputy sheriff of Spottsylvania county, holding the office until he enlisted to his home, where he took the manage- ment of the estate left him by his father, to which he has devoted his attention ever since. Mr. Baylor was united in marriage, in 1879, to Isabella T., daugh- ter of Captain Charles F. McIntosh, of the Confederate navy, and to them were born seven children, of whom six survive: in the Confederate army in 1861. The Lucy Latane, Richard, Jr., Mary Mcl., day after his state seceded he entered the Charles M., Elizabeth W., and Rosalie Richmond Light Infantry Blues, which B. Richard Baylor, the father of the sub- was mustered into service as company E, ject of this sketch, was born at Marl First Virginia regiment, and afterwards Bank, Essex county, in 1803, and re- became company A, Forty-sixth regiment. ceived a thorough education at William He resigned a few months later on account and Mary college and at the university of ill health and then enlisted in company of Virginia. He located, after his gradu- A, Thirteenth Virginia infantry, and served all through the war, holding the rank of sergeant when the war closed. He was in the engagement at Drury's Bluff, at Suffolk, and many minor skir- ation, in Essex county, where he prac- ticed the legal profession for several years, was elected to the legislature from Essex county, and for many years served as presiding magistrate in the Essex mishes. After the war, on account of pre- county court. He married Lucy, daugh- carious health, Mr. Berrey engaged in no ter of Robert Payne Waring, and had a business for a couple of years. He then family of ten children, as follows: Nan- acted as a receiver for a hotel for a year, nie W .; Lucy L., deceased wife of Samuel and in October, 1871, engaged in the Morrison of Brunswick; Robert P., de- mercantile business, which he conducted ceased; Mary G., deceased wife of R. W. one year, when he was elected mayor, Baylor; Elizabeth P., deceased; Harriet serving as such for two years and de- R., wife of John C. Taylor, of Norfolk; clining re-election. About this time he Helen S .; Richard; Catharine B., wife of embarked in the newspaper business, pur- Dr. W. A. Thom, Jr., and Harry Latane chasing, as a venture, the Independent, and
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ran it two years. This paper afterward ericksburg artillery all through the war; became the Semi-weekly Recorder. This Elizabeth, who died in 1862; William Henry, who enlisted at the age of sixteen in the Thirtieth Virginia regiment of infantry, and now lives in Baltimore. He married Miss Elizabeth Withers English of Culpeper county; Zachary Taylor, who died at Point Lookout, a prisoner of war on May 22, 1865, having been captured at Sailor's Creek, and James Reuben Berrey. The grandfather of Mr. Berrey was Abner Berrey, born in Madison county, Va., in 1786. He was a farmer and county officer, and married Lucy Finks, by whom he had two children, John Jamison and Berrilla, wife of John M. Smith of Madison county. He died in 1851 and his wife in 1870. he conducted until 1876, when he became United States commissioner for the eastern district of Virginia and special agent of the United States claims com- mission, and held these offices until 1884. Afterward he was a clerk in the state auditor's office and clerk in the state senate, acting as such until he was invited to return to his home and accept the position of clerk of the courts, which he now holds, and is also clerk of the city council. He has been a magistrate, has been worshipful master of Fredericksburg lodge, No. 4, F. & A. M .; noble grand of Myrtle lodge, No. 50, I. O. O. F., and is now a member and officer of the Royal Arch chapter and Fredericksburg com- DR. ANTONIO LÉON BILISOLY, mandery, Knights Templar, and district deputy grand master for the 22d Masonic district of Virginia. He, as captain of that company, was in command of the Fredericksburg Grays, company G, Third regiment Virginia volunteers, at the un- veiling of Lee's statue at Richmond. He has also been commander of Maury camp, Confederate veterans. Mr. Berrey was married September 15, 1875, to Mary Gore Waite, daughter of Charles B. Waite, Esq., of Fredericksburg. They had three children, of whom one, Robert, is living. Mr. Berrey's father's name is John Jamison Berrey; he was born in Madison county, 1812. He was an extensive and representative merchant of Fredericks- burg for many years, and was an honora-
originally spelled Bilisoli, or Bonisola, was born August 7, 1836, at Portsmouth, Va. He was educated in that city and took a medical course at the Homeo- pathic medical college in Philadelphia, graduating from that institution in 1857. After his graduation he returned to Portsmouth and practiced medicine until the beginning of the Civil war, when, April 19, 1861, the volunteer company to which he had belonged for five years previously, known as the Old Dominion Guard, was called into service and was as- signed to the Ninth Virginia infantry regi- ment as company K, and Dr. Bilisoly held the rank of sergeant therein. One year afterward he re-enlisted as a private and ble magistrate of Spottsylvania county was made second lieutenant in June, 1862, for thirty-five years, and is now living. in the provisional army-Confederate His wife was Mary Walker Lucas, daugh- States. In 1864 he was promoted to the ter of Fielding Lucas of Fredericksburg, rank of first lieutenant. He was on con- Va., and to their union were born eight script duties at Richmond, Va., from children: Mary Louisa, Robert B., Lucy 1863-1865, and he took part in the battle E., John Jamison, who was in the Fred- of Seven Pines. After the war he re- 38
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turned to Portsmouth and practiced 1855; Joseph L. of Portsmouth; Cecile medicine until October, 1869, and then A., deceased in 1873, wife of S. Y. Browne went into the drug business, which he has of Portsmouth, and Isabel, wife of G. F. ever since followed. At present he holds Edwards of Portsmouth. Dr. Bilisoly's father died December 15, 1880. His mother, who is still living, was born De- cember 5, 1804. The name of his grand- father was Antonio Sylvester Bilisoly and and he was born in Ajaccio, Corsica, in 1750. He came to America with Count de Grasse, in 1777, with the French fleet to assist the colonists in the struggle for independence. He served with the first French fleet through the Revolutionary war and was in the battle of Yorktown. After peace was declared he went to Cape St. Nicoli, Hayti, and there about the year 1795 'married Miss Adelaide Accinelli, daughter of an exiled Acadian who had a coffee and sugar plantation in Hayti. When the insurrection broke out in Hayti, he left that island and came to Norfolk, where he tarried about a year and then returned to Hayti to gather up his possessions, and in 1799 returned to Norfolk. In 1800 he removed to Ports- mouth, where he resided until his death, which occurred October 6, 1845. The christian name of Dr. Bilisoly's great- grandfather was Charles and he spelt his surname Bonisola, which signified "Beau- tiful island." He was born in Ajaccio. The maternal ancestors of Dr. Bilisoly were English and came to America in the early years of the seventeenth century. the position of chairman of the board of excise commissioners in the municipal government. October 4, 1859, he was married to Annie, daughter of Robert Prescott Camm and great-granddaughter of "Parson" John Camm, late of Will- iamsburg, Va. The issue of this marriage has been eight children, six of whom died in infancy. The survivors are Lucrece, wife of J. Fred Niemeyer of Portsmouth, and Eliza Benson Bilisoly. Dr. Bilisoly's father, Joseph A. Bilisoly, was born in Norfolk, December 4, 1799, and removed to Portsmouth the next year, where he was educated. He followed shipbuilding for four years and then, on attaining his majority, went into the mercantile busi- ness in Portsmouth. He carried on that business until 1862, when he retired from business. Prior to 1851, before Ports- mouth was incorporated as a city, he was for several years a member of the board of trustees. April 6, 1822, he was married to Eliza Ann, daughter of Francis Benson of Portsmouth, who was connected with the custom house for about thirty years. This marriage resulted in the birth of eleven children, whose names are as follows: Olivia S., wife of P. H. Cooke of Portsmouth; Lucrece R., wife first of Maurice B. Langhorne of Portsmouth and second of William Schroeder of Ports- mouth; Dr. Virginius B. of Portsmouth, JOSEPH LORENZO BILISOLY deceased in 1873; Adéle V., wife of G. R. is a native of Portsmouth, born October Boush of Washington, D. C., a naval
27, 1840, the son of Joseph A. and Eliza constructor; Alexandrine G., wife first of Ann Bilisoly. He received his education G. W. Chambers of Portsmouth and at the Virginia Military institute, and at second of J. N. Gray, deceased; Dr. L. the early age of fourteen years was made Augustus Bilisoly of Portsmouth; Dr. A. a partner in his father's business in Ports- L. of Portsmouth; Clarine E., died in mouth, and remained a member of the
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firm until the breaking out of the Civil period was made chief book-keeper, and war. Mr. Bilisoly was a member of the then promoted to paying teller, and is old Dominion Guard from April, 1857, now cashier. Mr. Bilisoly was married and followed that gallant company into March 10, 1862, to Mary Elizabeth Bourge, and to them six children have been born, of whom Walter, Nash, Lor- ena, Adéle, and Louvel survive. He is president of the Postsmouth Land Im- provement and Promotion company, capi- tal stock, $70,000; vice-president of the the field, the company being known as company K, and assigned to the Ninth Virginia infantry, Armistead's brigade, Pickett's division. He went into the army as a private and served in that capacity until after the battle of Gettys- burg, when he was made hospital steward Citizens' Light, Heat and Power com- at the headquarters of Pickett's division pany; a member of the board of directors of the Portsmouth Basket works, and a member of the board of managers of the board of trade, and vice-president of St. Paul's Branch Catholic Knights of America, all thriving institutions. under Medical Director M. M. Lewis, where he served until the war closed. He made out the last report of that famous Virginia division and wrote the paroles for the general and staff. He was in all the battles with his division from Seven Pines to Gettysburg, and never received L. A. BILISOLY. a wound nor slept in a hospital. Armi- stead's brigade was in R. H. Anderson's division from Seven Pinesto and including Sharpsburg, September 17, 1862; after
Dr. Liste Augustus Bilisoly was born in Portsmouth, Va., April 3, 1834. He re- ceived his early education in Portsmouth. This being finished, he went to the that Pickett's division was formed and Homeopathic hospital in Philadelphia, Pa., continued to April 9th, 1865. After the war he returned to Portsmouth and
to study medicine, graduating in 1855. Immediately after graduation he returned embarked in the grocery business, which he to Portsmouth, Va., and commenced his successfully conducted until December, medical career, continuing until the war 1869. He then traveled through the states brcke out. Ever ready to defend his of North and South Carolina and Georgia, country's rights, he, in April, 1861, when the company to which he belonged, the "Old Dominion Guards," went into the army, was assigned to the Ninth Virginia regiment; it was known as company K.
The doctor entered the army as second lieutenant, serving as such until after the navy yard at Portsmouth for a period of battle of Seven Pines, where he was
in the interest of several Norfolk firms, af- ter which he went to Philadelphia, where he clerked for a year. About this time, for the benefit of his health, he retired to his brother's farm in Norfolk county for a year, and afterwards clerked in the seven years, notwithstanding he was always a stanch democrat, and subse- quently entered the employ of the Atlan- tic Coast Line railroad; later he was cashier of the Norfolk Southern railroad, and in 1883 entered the bank of Ports- mouth as book-keeper, and in a short
wounded. After his recovery he was made first lieutenant, and remained as such until the second battle of Manassas, where he was again wounded. After re- ceiving this second wound he was de- tailed to act as surgeon of the regiment, returning home in 1863. He took part in
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the following battles: Seven Pines, War-|cessively elected ever since. He was mar- renton Springs, second Manassas, and ried in 1866 to Fannie Green Brown, other minor engagements. On returning daughter of Dr. James Brown of Suffolk. to Portsmouth, he resumed practice, and They had three children: Octavia Nor- has continued to do so ever since, meet- ton, James Marshall, and Carrie Guath- ing with great success. He served two ney, all deceased. The father of Mr. years as health officer of Portsmouth, Va. Binford was James Marshall Binford, The marriage of the doctor took place, born in Hanover county in 1802, and for in 1856, to Miss Rosa Mills, of Alex- many years was one of the leading mer- andria, Va. To crown the happiness of chants of Portsmouth. His wife was this marriage they were blessed with five Mary Ann, daughter of John Rutter, Esq., children, of whom all survive save one, who died in infancy. The names of the surviving four are: Mary, wife of Jas. W. Brown, Jr., of Portsmouth; Blanche, wife of Jas. A. Borum, of Portsmouth, Va .; Alonzo A. Bilisoly, and Cecile Bilisoly.
of Portsmouth. They had six children, as follows: Sophia, deceased wife of Dr. John Gorlich; Martha J., deceased wife of Dr. Richard Vest, of Richmond; Carrie B., wife of Charles B. Guathney, of Rich- mond; and Mary Celia, wife of William F. Haynes of King and Queen county. JAMES MARSHALL BINFORD James Marshall Binford, Sr., died in 1857, was born in Portsmouth, January 12, 1842, and his wife in 1886. William Bintord, and educated at Richmond college, which the grandfother of James Marshall Bin- ford, Jr., was born in Hanover county, in 1854, and was an extensive planter. He died about 1814.
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