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 54
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 54
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northern Virginia, under Lieutenant-|geon McGuire's action by immediately General Ewell. After defeating Milroy ordering his release. at Winchester, they were engaged in the battle of Gettysburg, and from Gettys- burg returned to Virginia, and were op- posed by Gen. Grant from Spottsylvania to Cold Harbor. Afterward Surgeon McGuire acted as medical director of the army of the valley with Lieutenant-Gen- eral Early to Lynchburg, and the cam- paign of the valley down to Frederick city and Monocacy, and almost to Wash- ington, and then at Winchester, Fisher's Hill and Waynesboro', where Dr. Mc- Guire was captured, and paroled for fif- teen days and then released. He then rejoined the second corps under General Gordon, and remained as medical director till the surrender at Appomattox. In May, 1862, at the battle of Winchester. Va., Surgeon McGuire inaugurated the
Surgeon McGuire was the first to or- ganize reserve corps hospitals in the Con- federate army (in the spring of 1862, in the valley campaigns). About the same time he succeeded in perfecting the " ambulance corps." Four men were de- tailed from each company to assist its wounded from the field to the hospital in the rear. These men wore conspic- uous badges, and were selected for their courage and order, no one else dur- ing a battle being permitted to leave the ranks for this purpose. It is almost need- less to add that Surgeon McGuire always received the hearty co-operation of Gen. Jackson in his efforts to perfect the medical department in the field. In all reports of battles by the generals com- manding the forces with which he served, plan of releasing captured medical he was highly complimented for his zeal officers. Eight Federal officers were set and ability. It was his good fortune to free upon the simple condition that they enjoy the personal friendship not only of would endeavor to procure the release of General Jackson, but of Generals Lee, Early, and Ewell, all of whom he at- tended when sick or wounded.
the same number of Confederate sur- geons. Afterward Gen. Jackson approved of this action. A few weeks after this, all of the medical officers who had been confined by both the Confederate and Federal armies as prisoners of war were released and returned to their respective commands. Although this plan of ex- changing medical officers as non-combat- ants was interrupted by some disagree- ment between the commissioners for the exchange of prisoners, yet Dr. McGuire continued to release surgeons whenever it was in his power. As late as February, 1865, he liberated the medical inspector
The war being ended, Dr. McGuire, in November, 1865, removed to Richmond, having been appointed to fill the chair of surgery in the Medical college of Vir- ginia, made vacant by the death of Dr, Charles Bell Gibson. In his new home he soon gained an extensive practice, both medical and surgical. He remained professor of surgery in the Virginia Med- ical college from in 1865 to 1878, in which latter year he resigned this professorship, but in 1880, he was made emeritus pro- fessor of surgery in the college, and still of General Sheridan's army. When Sur- remains as such. As a teacher, he is geon McGuire was himself captured at fluent, lucid, and impressive; and as a Waynesboro', in March, 1865, General writer he has contributed many instruc- Sheridan showed his appreciation of Sur- tive and valuable articles to both north-
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ern and southern journals. His articles | convenience for an increasing practice in have appeared in standard cyclopedias of medicine and surgery, and he is also author of numerous monograms on sur- gical subjects. He has contributed num- erous articles to various journals on gun-shot wounds, diseases of the bladder, ovariotomy, etc., besides a detailed ac- count of the "last wound of General (Stonewall) Jackson, his last moments and death."
The skill and talents of Dr. McGuire have been recognized in a flattering man- ner in all sections of the country and his fame has extended abroad, and his merits, skill and talents as a physician and surgeon have attracted attention and have received high tribute from the most famous medical institutions and men, both in the United States, Canada and Europe. Many have been the honorary degrees, positions and associate fellow- ships conferred upon him from time to time, and he is a prominent member of several medical and allied associations. The degree of LL. D. was conferred upon him by the university of North Carolina in 1887, and by Jefferson Medical college, Philadelphia, in 1888. He is a member of the Virginia Medical society, of which he was president in 1880; was president of the Richmond academy of Medicine in 1869; president of the Associated Med- ical officers of the army and navy of the Confederate states in 1875; president of American Surgical association in 1886; vice-president of the International Med- ical congress, in 1876; vice-president of American Medical association, in 1881; and in 1889 he was president of the Southern Surgical and Gynecological association; and is senior surgeon of St. Luke's hospital, Richmond, Va.
surgery, Dr. McGuire established, at Richmond, St. Luke's home for the sick, of which he has continued manager and owner, and here has grown the number of his patients, from hardly more than twelve or fifteen, until over fifty patients occupy the home, and receive his skilled treatment. His remarkable success in surgery has placed him in the first rank of surgeons, and he shares most abun- dantly the honors of the south, being uni- versally recognized as the most brilliant and successful in operative surgery. For more than the last decade of years his practice has been almost exclusively in surgery, and most numerous, brilliant and successful have been his operations, and there continues an increasing demand for his skill and talents; and he is con- tinuously employed in attendance on his many patients, and so overworked has he been for the last several years, that each summer season he is forced to take leave of absence, and going to Europe recuper- ates in rest from such active and exact- ing labors. He has continued to reside in Richmond since locating there just after the war.
Dr. H. H. McGuire married Miss Mary Stuart, of Staunton, Va., and a daughter of Hon. A. H. Stuart, secretary of the interior under President Fillmore, and the marriage has been blessed by the birth of three sons and six daughters. His eldest son, Stuart McGuire, M. D., is a promising physician and assists his father in his practice.
The family line of Dr. McGuire may thus be traced: Edward McGuire, his great-grandfather, left Ordfest, county Kerry, Ireland, in 1756, with a kinsman (first cousin), General McGuire. (See
In 1883, finding that he needed sanitary | Smollet's History of England, pp. 643-
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792, 855.) He finally settled in Win- den-Sidney college, from which he grad- chester, Va., and died in 1806. His son, uated, with honors, in 1852. Predilection Edward McGuire, was born in Win- led him to the study of the law, a profes- chester, Va., and married Elizabeth sion suiting his tastes and character of Holmes. Of this marriage was born at mind, and affording an intellectual field Winchester, in 1801, Dr. Hugh Holmes for the appropriate exercise of that lib- McGuire, who married Ann Eliza, daugh- eral and adequate education he had ter of William Moss and wife, Gertrude acquired. He next entered the Wash- Holmes. On the maternal side Dr. Hugh ington and Lee university, where he pur- Holmes McGuire and his wife were of the sued his law studies; and coming to the profession well equipped with a knowl- edge of the law, he entered upon the practice in Prince Edward county. In April, 1861, he entered the Confederate States army, as captain of company K, Fourth Virginia cavalry, and participated with that regiment in all its gallant serv- ices, until he was wounded and incapaci- tated for the field in 1863, at Brandy Station. He was then sent to Danville, same descent, and were cousins. He died in 1875, and his wife in 1878. These were the parents of Dr. Hunter H. McGuire. Hunter Holmes, of the maternal line of Dr. H. McGuire and after whom he is named, was killed at Mackinaw in 1814; a sword was voted and given to his near- est relatives in Virginia, for his gallant conduct in this battle. Judge Hugh Holmes of Winchester, and David Holmes, governor of Mississippi and Va., where for one year he did local duty. United States senator, brothers of Hun- ter Holmes, were descendants of Col. Joseph Holmes, of Bally-Kelly, county of Londonderry. (See coat of arms of Col. Joseph Holmes, in " Book of Heraldry.")
In the year 1864 he was relieved from military duty by Col. George C. Cabell, and took his seat as a member of the general assembly of Virginia, to which position he had previously been three times elected (four times in all, 1858-60- 62-64) from Buckingham county, and in
The foregoing is only a brief outline of a very eventful, useful and well directed life. Born of talent and genius, schooled the general assembly he served till the in the field of experience, and directed in close of the war.
his course by purity of character, by uncom-
The war being ended, Mr. Mckinney monly strong will power, and by loftiness resumed, at Farmville, the practice of law, of ambition, Dr. Hunter McGuire has and soon took rank among the eminent won imperishable fame in his well chosen profession, and his name will go down to posterity as one of superior endowment as a surgeon of eminence and distinction. members of the Virginia bar; and through the course of several years has sustained and enjoyed this distinction. While his legal business has been confined mainly to Prince Edward county, still his prac- HON. PHILIP W. MCKINNEY, tice has been extended to the several state courts, and to the United States courts as well, and for several terms he ably offici- ated as prosecuting attorney of Prince Edward county. He has played an im-
the distinguished and popular governor of Virginia, is a native of Buckingham county, Va., and was born March 17, 1834. Receiving his academic education in the schools of his county, he entered Hamp- portant part in the history of jurispru-
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dence in his state, and a no less prominent | Charles and Martha (Guarrant) McKin- part in its political history. He has re- ney - both Virginians; the father was born in Charlotte county, and died in 1862, while the mother's death occurred a few years earlier. He was married, on May 12, 1856, to Nannie Christian, who bore him one son, Robert C., and passed away in death. December 23, 1884, he married, for a second wife, Annie Lyle, and to this marriage has been born one child, Frankie Irving Mckinney. mained ardent in the advocacy of the principles of the democratic party, and has been twice presidential elector on the democratic ticket for the fourth district, and was elector at large in 1884. In 1881, he was the democratic nominee for at- torney-general, on the ticket headed by Hon. John W. Daniel, and in 1885 was a candidate for nomination as governor of Virginia, and received, among the several candidates, the next highest vote to that WILLIAM MAHONE by which Governor Lee was nominated. was born at Monroe, Southhampton county, Va., December 1, 1826. His father was a merchant there, subsequently. re- moving to Jerusalem, in the same county, where he kept hotel. The Mahones are descendants of an Irish progenitor who settled in Virginia in colonial days, and William Mahone's father commanded the militia of his county during the ex- citing period of what is known as Nat. Turner's insurrection. The mother of William Mahone' was noted for intelli- gence and strength of character, and it is chiefly from her that her distinghished son inherited the qualities that attracted early attention to him as a youth of bright promise. He continued in the practice of his pro- fession, but remained prominently before the people, who, pleased with his most excellent character, both as a private and public man, and lawyer, they again called him forth in 1889, and made him a suc- cessful candidate for the highest office in their state and within their gift; and be- ing fittingly elected governor of the state, he became its chief executive on January 1, 1890, and has presided over the state in this high and responsible position with appropriate acceptability on the part of the people. He was elected by the larg- est majority and received the largest vote for governor that had ever been cast for any candidate. He well merited the ele- After the ordinary rural education of that time, young Mahone was appointed state student of the Virginia Military insti- tute, where he won the esteem and respect of his schoolmates and teachers, and whence he graduated with honor. In ac- cordance with the obligation assumed by him as state student in the institute, he taught school for a few years after his grad- uation, and then entered on his regular profession and career as a civil engineer. He was thus largely engaged in locating, surveying and constructing new railroads vation, and it came -a fit rounding of a pure, active and able career. In charac- ter of mind, Governor Mckinney is of that sagacity, wisdom, and expansion of views that well qualify him as a leader and for the duties of the honorable and exalted position he now holds. His pur- ity of character, his singleness of purpose, his high intellectual attainments, his ex- cellent moral courage and culture, well merit that deference and esteem paid him by the people of the state.
Governor Mckinney's parents were in the state, notably the Orange & Alex-
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andria railroad and the Norfolk & Peters- burg railroad, upon the latter line exhib- iting the capacity, energy and fertility of resource in the face of many natural difficulties which at once brought him into prominence throughout the state and elsewhere. Overcoming obstacles along the Norfolk & Petersburg line that had been pronounced insuperable, he made that road the straightest and firmest in the country at that time, and soon be- came the president of its company. It was then that he not only conceived his great scheme of consolidation of roads and companies from Norfolk, Va., to Bristol, Tenn., but looked still further westward to connections reaching to the the Mississippi valley and onward to Pacific ocean.
Wilderness, where Mahone was chosen to lead the flank movement which broke Grant's lines. Before that Gen. A. P. Hill had recommended him for promo- tion, and now Longstreet added his voice to that of Hill; but West Pointism and red-tape kept him down as long as they could, and it was not until his brilliant re- pulse of the Federals in the battle of the Crater, at Petersburg, that he was made major-general- Lee promoting him on the field -a promotion promptly con- firmed by President Jefferson Davis and the Confederate senate.
How he was regarded as a soldier by those most competent to judge may be gathered from the following extract from an official communication of Major-Gen- eral R. H. Anderson to General. Cooper, adjutant and inspector-general at Rich- mond, dated at camp near Fredericks- burg, March 30, 1865.
When the war between the states began in 1861, William Mahone promptly offered his services to the state that had given him his military education, and was made " I have the honor to recommend Brig- adier-General William Mahone for promo- tion to the grade of major-general. During the past eight months, except for a short period, when he was incapacitated by a wound, he has commanded a brigade of my division, and in that position has shown great skill and untiring activity, quick perception, energetic execution, and other dualities of a superior general of- ficer. He has had the advantage of a military education, and is a thorough disciplinarian. He conducted his brigade into action at the second Manassas with conspicuous gallantry, and was wounded in that battle. His activity and skill were noticed in my report of the part taken by my division in the battle of Fredericksburg." colonel of the Sixth Virginia regiment, which he speedily brought to. a high stage of drill and efficiency. It was not long before the Confederate government made him a brigadier-general, and under his leadership "Mahone's brigade " becaine as famous in the army, as it will in his- tory, as Jackson's "Stonewall brigade." Serving first at Norfolk, and then at Drewry's Bluff, in command of the de- fense of James river, Mahone was after- terward with Lee everywhere, except at Sharpsburg -being at that time absent in consequence of a wound he received at the second battle of Manassas. From As already seen, Gen. Lee himself tes- tified to the great part played by Mahone in the battle of the Crater, July 30, 1864, by making him a major-general on the field, and Col. W. H. Stuart, who com- Seven Pines ( or Fair Oaks ) to Appo- mattox Court House he was one of Lee's most trusted generals; and, when Jack- son fell at Chancellorsville, he at once took that fallen hero's place in Lee's re- manded the Sixty-first Virginia regiment gard, as was shown at the battle of the in Mahone's brigade, has declared: "The
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whole movement was under his (Ma-| were in the most wretched condition; but hone's) immediate and personal direction, and to him, above all, save the brave men who bore the muskets, belongs the honor and credit of recapturing the Confederate lines in front of Petersburg, on the 30th of July, 1864." The Mahone brigade clung to its name proudly under every subsequent commander, and has survived since the war in the Mahone Brigade as- sociation, which has its annual reunions.
with his usual energy he refitted his; be- came president of the two companies owning the two other lines extending from Petersburg to Bristol; fully re-es- tablished and equipped the entire line from Bristol to Norfolk; and, after a long and strenuous fight, in and out of the legislature, succeeded in having the three companies and roads consolidated in one under the style of the Atlantic, Mississippi Till the last, Mahone held his men together, always ready for attack or de- & Ohio R. R. company, and this great accomplishment, together with various fense; and if Jackson's brigade stood like reforms instituted in the management, be- a stone wall at the first Manassas, Ma- hone's division stood like a stone wall at Appomattox -to the end-and then broke only at the command of Mahone and Lee. In the final conference before surrendering, Mahone was one of the only two general officers consulted by Lee, or called to the solemn council, the other officer being Longstreet. After the war, when Lee was president of Washington and Lee university, Lee said at table, in the presence of Major J. Horace Lacy and others, that at one time during the struggle he had thought of surrendering command of the army, and that if he had done so, he would have recommended Mahone as his successor. Major Lacy has testified to this repeatedly, in the pub- lic press and elsewhere.
Toward the close of the war, Gen. Ma- hone was elected to the Virginia senate; but his activity and energy were such that he was able to do double duty, attending to his civil and political functions without neglecting his military affairs.
gan the revival of prosperity in the stricken and desolated commonwealth. But a large sum of money had been bor- rowed, chiefly in England, to renew the roads thus happily consolidated, and when the financial crisis of 1872-73 came there was a sudden and unexpected fall- ing off in the receipts of the line, causing a temporary default in meeting interest on the new company's bonds. This offered an opportunity to Gen. Mahone's railroad and personal rivals, of which they promptly took advantage to combine against him and his enterprise-the result being the throwing of the road into the hands of a receiver, with its final sale to a northern and foreign combination, which reorganized under the name of the Norfolk & Western R. R. company, Gen. Mahone for six years followed the fortunes of the great enterprise of which he was the architect, during its manipula- tions by a hostile court, to the end. Anticipating who would become the pur- chasers, he succeeded in making a con- tract with then, conditioned that in the event they should purchase, they were among other things to pay the state of Virginia a half million dollars for her
The war over, Gen. Mahone accepted the results in good faith, and diligently set about the work of material restora- tion in Virginia. His own railroad had been dismantled, and all others in the state claim vs. the road, which the court had de-
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creed to be void -to pay all labor and as a witness, for in that canvass I was a supply claims, which had likewise been decreed void, and to give the stock- holders of the road share for share in the new company, with no larger indebtedness ahead of them than in the old company. Subsequently his influence in the legisla- ture had $100,000 of the money thus secured to the state appropriated to the building of the Colored Normal institute at Petersburg, and the remaining $400,- 000 paid to the account of the public free schools as arrears due them.
Meanwhile Gen. Mahone, as early as 1869, had been drawn into politics, and it is to him that the state and country are mainly indebted for the easy and peace- ful reconstruction of Virginia; for, after the extreme republicans and ultra demo- crats had both put their tickets in the field in 1869, on bitterly antagonistic platforms, he engineered the movement which resulted in the withdrawal of the democratic nominees and the election of the "true republican" ticket, on a plat- form of compromise, together with the adoption of the new constitution expur- gated of its proscriptive features. The constitutional amendments were ratified by the legislature elected at the same time; the civil rights bill, etc., concurred in; two United States senators chosen, one republican and one liberal democrat; and new Virginia happily set in the path
volunteer aid upon the staff of the Rich- mond Enquirer, and witnessed the ma- neuvres which followed, flanked the enemy and gave us the day." Franklin Stearns, Esq. (republican) said: "After the ball was put in motion, it was managed by some of the ablest men in Virginia, and no man did more than Gen. Mahone." And Dr. George K. Gilmer (republican) said: "And now a word as to Gen. Mahone. It surprises me that any one should dis- pute his agency in this affair. He could not have done what the republicans did; but it is due to the truth to say that the republicans could have done nothing without him. The committee of nine were not known in the case. Gen. Mahone was the power behind the throne which was greater than the throne, and so ac- knowledged, at least by those of us on the inside."
The state debt was taken up by the legislature in 1870, and in 1871 it passed the notorious funding bill, authorizing the issue of bonds for a much larger sum than Virginia owed, or was able to pay, with tax-receivable interest coupons. The same legislature, under the mandate of the new constitution, established the free school system; but within a few years it became obvious that the schools were doomed to ruin if something were not done to prevent the interception of their of progress and prosperity. Some have revenues by the tax-coupons, while every
sought to detract from Gen. Mahone's share in the affairs of 1869, but in the last department and institution of government was forced into great straits from the public discussion of the movement (in the same cause. Out of this state of things Richmond Dispatch) Col. Frank G. Ruffin grew a rapidly widening division in both (democrat) said: "Gen. Mahone took parties; and early in 1879, under the command of the combined forces and or- leadership of Gen. Mahone, the readjuster ganized the victory over Wells and the party was organized to save the schools 'party of hate,' which enfranchised the and repair the mischief done and threat- people of Virginia. Here again I speak ened by the funding bill and its coupons.
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A large body of democrats followed Gen. Mahome in this movement; and after a most bitter contest, the election of No- vember, 1879, resulted in the complete defeat of the regular democratic party (known as funders), and a legislature having a readjuster majority in both branches. Gen. Mahone was elected to the United States senate to succeed With- ers (who was the candidate of the funders), and in 1881 he gave the casting vote which saved the senate to the republican party and administration, thus identifying himself and his party and signally with the national republican party.
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