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 57
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 57
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the third son of Travers and Eleanor necessarily placed him in opposition to Nash, was born in Fauquier county, Va., on the 26th of May, 1792, and so was one of those who had the good fortune to have been trained and educated by those men whom we now venerate and regard as the founders of the republic. His father, Traverse Nash, a planter in Fau- quier county, was of the most respectable this circumstance, perhaps, is to be at- parentage, and was born near old Farn- tributed his early attention to politics, for ham church, in Richmond county; and in 1818 we find him returned eldest dele- his mother, whose maiden name was gate from Cumberland over his colleague, Eleanor White, was born in Henrico Dr. George Crump, a gentleman of high county. Her brother, John White, after standing and talent, the delegate for the whom the subject of this memoir was county for several previous sessions and named, was distinguished as a captain in | afterward the representative of the dis-
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trict in congress. Resigning his seat he retired from the senate, heartily tired after the expiration of one session, in 1820, of public life and of the strife and turmoil of party politics.
he removed to the county of Amelia, where he united the pursuit of agricul- ture with the practice of law, a thing not unusual with the lawyers of Virginia and the other southern states, and more elected with Gov. Giles to represent
The period filled by the last term of Gen. Jackson's administration and that of Mr. Van Buren's was one of the deepest interest and greatest excitement in the frequent then than now. In 1825 he was political history of the country. The or-
dinance of nullification by South Carolina, Amelia county in the legislature for the the proclamation by the president, the express purpose of opposing the call of a force bill by congress, and the removal of
convention to alter the first constitution of Virginia, which with the aid of others they succeeded in doing. He served for the next two sessions of the general as- sembly, but again voluntarily resigned for the purpose of pursuing his profes- sion.
the deposits, presented issues of the greatest moment, which might well divide the strongest intellects and the warmest patriots. As one of our prominent Vir- ginia politicians, he took his positions with promptitude and independence, de- fended his views with firmness and sus- tained himself before the people. Upon these questions he advocated the course
It was about this time that he became involved in a discussion in the public press with Wm. H. Fitzhugh, Esq., vice- of the administration.
president of the American Colonization In 1836, after the general assembly of Virginia had instructed the senators in regard to certain resolutions, Senator Benjamin Watkins Leigh, one of Virginia's greatest lawyers, refused to obey and ques- tioned the right of instruction; the admin- istration members of the legislature met at the capital for the purpose of vindicating the right of instruction before the people. A committee of nine was appointed to prepare an address to the people of Vir- ginia, upon which we find the names of Garland, Watkins, Wilson and Daniel. The report of the committee, prepared by Nash as its chairman, offered by him, adopted by the meeting and extensively circulated, is a strong defense of the right of instruction, an able document, well written and deserving the perusal of every intelligent investigator of the spirit and temper of those times. society. Mr. Nash admitted the philan- thropy in which the society originated, but distrusted the success and effect of the enterprise and feared the influence which the indiscreet efforts of its unquali- fied advocacy might produce upon the peace and tranquility of the southern community. To these publications we re- fer as furnishing a fair specimen of Mr. Nash's style as a writer. In 1830 he re- moved to Powhatan and had not long re- mained there before he was again elected to the legislature. He remained in the house until the spring of 1835, when he was elected to the Virginia senate and re- mained in that body for seven years and was elected its speaker for the last three years of his service. During his senatorial career Mr. Nash came into contact with some of Virginia's most talented men, who had contributed so much to the success of our It will be observed also by the reader, republican form of government. In 1842 that, during this eventful period, Mr.
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Nash's services as a politician and a leader | party excitement, although a majority of of public opinion were performed upon that body were his political opponents. the arena of the assembly of Virginia. He never sought office with that wild Since that day a change has taken place scramble with which it is now pursued, which every states' rights man ought to but waited until the constituent body, see- regret. We had less to fear from the ing his merits, called him into service, dangers of consolidation when Patrick and hence he could say, what few are able to do, that he was never beaten. He never filled any Federal office or appoint- ment, but was content with the honors conferred upon him by his native state.
Henry, in the full possession of all his fame, was a candidate for a seat in the house of delegates, there to discuss an is- sue which had upon a previous session been made up by James Madison and John Taylor, involving the interpretation he devoted himself anew to his profes- of the Federal constitution, and measures which were thought to threaten the liber- ties of the people, than we do now, where every one of rising importance seeks the halls of Federal legislation for the de- velopment of his powers. In those days our general assembly spoke the voice of Virginia to the Federal government, and in issues of importance the leader of state legislation had more influence upon the decisions of Federal measures than our members of congress have now.
After he retired from the political arena sional pursuits, with remarkable success. In the commencement of his practice it had been his good fortune to have been associated with some of the most dis- tinguished lawyers of a former era. In the famous case of Watkins vs. Webb, which, after several unsuccessful attempts in other counties, was finally tried and de- cided in Cumberland, involving much feeling and character and the title to fine estates, he was engaged with some of the brightest ornaments of the Virginia bar in its palmy days. In that case figured Mr. Wirt, in the meridian splendor of his genius; Richard Morris of Hanover, that beau ideal of a Virginia gentleman, law-
Wherever placed Mr. Nash never took a secondary or subordinate position. The qualities of his mind, his high moral worth, his restless energy and his force of will always placed him in the front rank. yer, logician, scholar and orator, and Although decided in his politics he was George Keith Taylor, who combined the serenity and calmness of experience with never an intolerant partisan, and has often been heard to declare that he the force and vigor of genius - the phil- would as soon quarrel with his friend
anthropy of a Howard, with the intellect about the color of his hair as for any hon- and profundity of a Mansfield. By such est difference of opinion upon the subject exemplars the ambition of Mr. Nash was . of politics. Hence it is that he has al- excited to the highest mental exertions.
ways numbered amongst his friends those who have differed from him upon political issues, and it is perhaps owing to this fact Mr. Nash was at all times devoted to reading, and studied with zest a wide range of subjects, not only for informa- that the high regard he always showed tion but also to gratify his taste. He was for freedom and independence of opinion well versed in the traditional history of on the part of others that he was elected Virginia, and could relate by the hour in- speaker of the senate in a time of high teresting private incidents in the lives of
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our great men, and was most familiar year 1846, he removed to the state of with the private history of the officers of Missouri, with the intention of perma- the Revolution, as he always so greatly nently residing there, but, regretting that he had left the state of his birth and his associations, in a short time returned to Virginia, and, resuming his profession, admired and reverenced the integrity and generous worth of the men of that day. He was probably better acquainted with the history of the Blennerhassett family, again resided in the county of Powhatan. and all the incidents of Burr's remarkable Powhatan had been for several years trial, than any other man in our country preceding represented in the legislature at the time of his death. It is greatly to by the whig party. Their majority had be regretted that his public and profes- so greatly increased about this time that sional duties, up to the time of his last many thought any opposition utterly una- sickness and death, did not allow him an vailing. In the spring of 1848 the demo- opportunity of handing down, as material for future history, his information upon the whole subject of Burr's conspir- acy, which was with him a cherished intention for the last few years of his life. cratic party made an earnest appeal to Mr. Nash to permit them to use his name as their candidate, to which he yielded, and although all the odds were against him, and his opponent was a gentleman in every respect qualified to
Such was the elastic spring of his dis- represent the county creditably, his per- position that he delighted most in the sonal popularity and weight of character company of the young, and when in the were such that, after an animated and association with those whose tastes and active canvass, he was elected. His polit- feelings were congenial with his own, he ical life here ended. He never took his would, with those fine colloquial powers seat in the general assembly, but in a few and ease of expression, which character- weeks afterward he was appointed, by Governor Smith, judge of the second
ized him, relate in the most captivating manner those touching and striking inci- judicial circuit, to supply the vacancy dents of the former and better days of occasioned by the death of Judge Ghol- Virginia, which history has never re- son. Although he did not reside within corded, and which tradition is now failing the limits of the circuit, the next ensuing to recall. He possessed to a large extent session of the legislature unanimously confirmed his appointment, and a special trom books, but only from experience act was passed, annexing Powhatan, the county of his residence, to the circuit, for his especial accommodation; which facts show, in a brighter light that any others could do, his great popularity in all parts that knowledge which cannot be derived and intercourse with men, assisted by quick perception and close observation. He had not only a large stock of practical information, but in a remarkable degree a knowledge of mankind, and could in a of the state. In the year 1852, after the majority of cases, apparently intuitively, adoption of the new constitution, the divine the secret springs of human con- bounds of the circuit were somewhat duct and then sum up and act upon, altered-some new counties added and almost infallibly, the various ramified others omitted. The people in many of motives of his fellow-men. About the the counties in primary meetings, irre-
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spective of party, passed resolutions approving his former discharge of his duties and declaring their intention to continue him in the occupancy of the position. At the ensuing judicial election he was elected by a large majority over Hon. R. Kidder Meade, who was at that time the representative in congress from the congressional district nearly the same in extent with the judical circuit; and to show the appreciation of his merits, by those who knew him best, we record the fact that in the county of his residence he received every vote cast, save six, and in the county of Amelia, formerly his residence, every vote save twenty.
After the adoption of the constitution, and the election of the judiciary, the leg- islature created a special court of appeals, for the purpose of relieving the regular court from the accumulation of unfinished business. Under the organization of this court, Judge Nash became one of its members, and for the manner in which he discharged these duties, in addition to those of his large and laborious circuit. we refer to the testimony of the members of the bar who practiced before him. Many cases were decided by this court involving the settlement of the most difficult and important questions. On many occasions, Judge Nash delivered at its request the opinion of the court; and all the decisions made by him and reported, we find marked by that clearness, per- spicuity and accuracy of expression which always characterized him. As a speci- men of his judicial style, we refer to the opinion of the court in the case of Roberts vs. Kelly, reported in 2d Patten and Heath's Reports, in which that cardinal rule of equity, requiring two witnesses, or one witness and strong corroborating cir- cumstances, to outweigh the answer of
the defendant, responsive to the plaintiff's bill, is examined, discussed and defined. In this important tribunal, composed of the most experienced of the circuit judges of the commonwealth, Judge Nash ranked " Primus inter pares," and enjoyed the confidence and respect of the court and bar.
The circuit over which he presided con- tained some of the largest and most populous and wealthy counties of the state, and in addition to them a thriving commercial city; consequently no judge in Virginia was oftener called on to de- cide intricate questions of criminal and maritime jurisprudence. In conclusion, we say that he wore the ermine of a Vir- ginia judge in a manner worthy of the dignity, the intellect, the integrity and spirit of the Old Dominion. He contin- ued indefatigably to discharge his duties up to the time of his last illness, although his health had been delicate for some years. His mental energy and vivacity never forsook him, and up to the period of his death, in tones scarcely audible, he continued, in his characteristic manner, to converse with his family and a few friends. He died at his residence in Powhatan on the morning of the 17th of July, 1859, in the sixty-seventh year of his age; and his remains were, at his especial request, interred by the Masonic fraternity, of which he was a member. He was followed to his grave by one of the longest processions ever seen in the county, in which were persons of all ages and conditions, not only from the neigh- borhood, but also from adjoining coun- ties - all desiring to pay the last tribute to the memory of such a man.
Judge Nash of Powhatan, as he was called from the name of the county with which he was so long and intimately con-
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nected and to distinguish him from that pure Christian and brilliant jurist, his friend, Judge Nash of Hillsborough, N. C., possessed those ennobling traits of character which endear one to his fellows more than ordinarily falls to the lot of man. In the private walks of life, as well as in the performance of public duties, he exhibited them in strong relief. He had a devotion to truth and justice; he was the lover of his whole race; he possessed a generous sympathy for the friendless and unprotected; he was a sincere friend, a kind neighbor, a humane master, a de- voted husband, a most affectionate father. Although dead, his memory will endure; his example will continue to be felt; his virtues still survive and he will take his place among
"The mute but sceptered sovereigns, who still rule Our spirits from their urns."
THE NEWTONS OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.
The present representatives of this old and well known family, in the sixth generation in Virginia, are Mr. George Newton and his sister, Mrs. Martha Tucker Newton, widow of the late C. W. Newton. The first member of this English family to settle in Virginia was George Newton, who appears, from the land grants and deeds books, to have been in possession of large tracts of land as early as 1670. In 1677, he was married to Frances Mason, daughter of Col. Lemuel Mason, of Norfolk, and died prior to January 16, 1694-5, as at this date letters of administration were granted to his wife, Frances. George, son of the above, was born in 1678, and died June 20, 1762. He married, in 1706, Aphia, daughter of Col. James Wilson. He was a member of the Virginia house of bur- gesses in 1723-1726. He was named, in letters-patent of King George II, incor-
porating the borough of Norfolk, as one of the aldermen; was mayor of Norfolk in 1736-1742, and first recorder of the borough after Sir John Randolph. Thomas, son of above, was born March 14, 1713, and died December 13, 1794. He married Amy, daughter of Col. John Hutchins, late of Bermuda; was mayor of Norfolk in 1747, and member of the house of bur- gesses in 1769. Thomas, son of the above, was born May 15, 1742, and died Sep- tember 11, 1807. He married Martha, daughter of Col. Robert Tucker (late of Barbadoes), October 7, 1767; was mayor of Norfolk in 1780, 1786, 1792; member. of the house of burgesses in 1774; Vir- ginia house of delegates in 1780, 1784; Virginia constitutional convention of 1776; committee of safety in 1774-1776. Thomas, son of the above, was born November 21, 1768, and died August 6, 1847. He was a member of the senate of Virginia in 1798-1799; member of congress from 1801 to 1829 and 1831-1833; he married Mar- garet Jordan. The sons of this marriage who left issue were C. W. Newton (who married Martha Tucker Newton) a lawyer by profession, a member of the Virginia legislature several sessions, and a Con- federate presidential elector in 1861; W. I. Newton, United States army, mar- ried Cornelia, daughter of Gen. Walker Keith Armistead, United States army; John Newton, United States army, colonel of engineers and major-general of United States volunteers, who married Anna Starr, of New London, Connecticut; George Newton, son of Thomas and Martha Tucker Newton, was born July 2, 1786, and died July 28, 1835. He served in the Virginia legislature in 1811, was president of the United States bank and Virginia bank in Norfolk, also of the Dismal Swamp Land company (of which
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George Washington was first president), colonies, immigrating to America from and recorder of Norfolk at the time of the north of Ireland early in the year his death. He married October 26, 1809, 1700. Joel L. Nixon was a man of much Courtney Tucker Norton, daughter of more than local reputation, having served as sheriff of his county for a period of twenty-five years, and for some time prior to the war between the states served as colonel of the Fifty-seventh regiment of Virginia militia. For a period of twenty years he has held the office of magistrate in Loudoun county, and few men in the community where he resides possess in as eminent a degree the esteem and con- fidence of his fellow-citizens. He was united in marriage in 1843 to Miss Mary J. Turner, daughter of Judge George Turner, of Fauquier county, Va., and to their union have been born seven chil- dren, of whom the following are living: George H., Florence, Ada, wife of Alex- ander H. Spinks, William W. and Lewis Nixon. Mrs. Nixon, a woman of many noble qualities of mind and heart, de- parted this life in June, 1891. Daniel Norton, of Winchester, Va. The children of this marriage who left issue are, Thomas (died of wounds received at battle of South Mountain while serving in the Confederate army), who married, in 1842, Margaret, daughter of Alexander P. Darragh, United States navy; Martha Tucker, married to C. W. Newton, afore- mentioned, in 1836; George Newton, the present male, representative of the sixth generation, now living in Norfolk, who married Celestia M., daughter of William Loyall, Esq., of same city, February I, 1855. The children of C. W. and Martha Tucker Newton are: Georgia, now living and unmarried; Margaret married to Col. A. W. Stark; Norton, died in 1886, un- married; Florence, died July, 1890, mar- ried to Dr. H. L. Byrd, of Baltimore; Virginius, married Mary Heath Daven- port, of Richmond, Va .; May, died in 1877, unmarried; Julian, died in 1858; George Hatley married Elizabeth Taylor, of Norfolk, died June, 1891; Courtney Neville married Samuel Floyd Clarkson, United States navy. The children of George and Celestia M. Loyall Newton are: William Loyall, Edward Valentine, Courtney Norton, Celestia Loyall, mar- ried to George L. Arps; Virginia Farragut, Mary Augusta, Kate Anderson and George Farragut.
GEORGE H. NIXON
is a son of Joel Lewis Nixon, who was born in Loudoun county, Va., in the year 1818. The Nixons have been well known residents of Loudoun county for many generations, the family having located in this part of the state in the time of the | Hattie Milbourn, of Loudoun county.
George H. Nixon grew to manhood in his native county, where the greater part of his life has been spent. In the fall of 1862 he entered the Confederate service, enlisting in White's battalion (Thirtieth), with which he served gallantly until the close of the war, and with which he par- ticipated in all its varied experiences in many of the most noted campaigns and battles of the great civil struggle. Among the battles in which he bore a gallant part were Winchester, Trevilian, Brandy Station, and High Bridge, in the last of which he was twice seriously wounded. At the close of the war he returned to Loudoun county, where he has since re- sided, being at this time one of the well- known and highly respected citizens of Leesburg. He was married in 1878 to
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LEWIS NIXON.
Europe, in order that he might become as Prominent among the names of the practical in his profession as he had young men whom Loudoun county de- shown himself theoretical. As soon as lights to honor is that of Lewis Nixon, this duty was completed Ensign Nixon who has already won a national reputa- was appointed a naval constructor and tion in naval circles as the designer of our great battle ships, which were con- structed under his immediate supervision. He is the youngest son of Joel L. and Mary (Turner) Nixon, and was born in the little town of Leesburg, in the year 1861. During his early youth he was known as a reckless youngster, but even at the age of nine years displayed a fond- ness for mathematics, and mechanical studies. On the 21st of June, 1878, in his eighteenth year, he was appointed as a cadet midshipman to the Naval academy at Annapolis, Md. From the day Nixon entered the Naval academy to the day of have constructed the most formidable bat- his graduation, four years later, he stood first in a remarkably brilliant class. About this time, through the courtesy of the English government, the United States was allowed the privilege of send- ing two of her most promising young officers to pursue a post-graduate course in higher mathematics and shipbuilding at the Royal Naval college. Ensigns Nixon and Shock were selected to repre- sent our government at this, the most advanced school in the world, the students
ordered to join a board that had instruc- tions to settle up the complicated relations between John Roach and the government. Following this, he was sent to New York, where he performed the first rolling ex- periment ever made on a large vessel in this country. From there he went back to Roach's yard on duty connected with the construction of the Boston. From this time until Nixon was ordered to the New York navy yard he served in responsible positions on various boards that had in view the building of a new navy. When Secretary Tracy decided to tle ships of modern times, Chief Con- structor Wilson immediately ordered Nixon to Washington and intrusted this duty to him. As soon as this work was completed and our design was so highly spoken of abroad, the Cramps, who had been watching closely this designer's career, made him a substantial offer to sever his connection with the government and become the naval architect of their firm. The secretary of the navy was not inclined to part with the services of so of which are considered the flower of the valuable an officer, however, and did not English service. In addition to these, entertain the idea of accepting his resig- Great Britain, desiring to bring together nation. Upon being convinced that in in competition the most brilliant minds of such a responsible position Nixon could the day, extended the privilege of having better serve his country and that his two representatives to all the civilized genius could better expand there than it nations of the world. Even among such could behind the walls of a government a galaxy of talent young Nixon took a office at Washington, the navy depart- high stand, and after a three years' course ment reluctantly gave up this promising constructor. He designed the plan of the great war ship New York, one of the won the honors of his class. After this he was instructed by our government to visit all the great shipbuilding yards of largest vessels of the United States navy,
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