USA > Kentucky > Henderson County > History of Henderson County, Kentucky > Part 58
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In 1852, the claims of Mr. Powell were fully recognized by the nominating convention of the Democracy of the State. He was again put forward by that Convention as its candidate for the office of Gover- nor of the Commonwealth. There were peculiar circumstances con nected with the canvass of this year that rendered it in the highest degree extraordinary. Mr. Powell's Whig competitor in the race, was the Hon. Archibald Dixon, a resident of the same town-his life-long personal friend, and at one time his partner in the practice of law. For not one moment whether before, during, or after the canvass, were the intimate personal relations between the two interrupted. They traveled together, spoke together, put up at the same houses, and had their meals at the same table, and, except when brought into contact in the exposition of their dissimilar political dogmas, they exhibited toward each other and before the public, a cordiality of de- meanor that is as rarely witnessed between political antagonists, as it was pleasant to contemplate.
It was in this canvass, most likely, that Governor Powell learned that perfection of self-control by which he was afterwards so greatly distinguished in the Senate of the United States. Both candidates
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had an all-sufficient motive in their personal friendship-to shun dis- plays of temper. Courtesy thus became a habit of their minds, and its influence lived long beyond the occasion that called it into activity. Mr. Powell secured his election by a small majority, while Robert N. Wickliffe, Esq., the candidate on the same ticket for the office of Lieutenant Governor, was beaten several thousand votes by his opponent, the Hon. John B. Thompson. Lazarus W. Powell was inaugurated Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky on the morning of September 5th, 1851. Accompanied by an escort, com- prised of three military companies of the city, and a large number of prominent citizens, he left Louisville early on the morning of the day named, and reached Frankfort before ten o'clock. At the Frank- fort depot, he was met by a large concourse of citizens and strangers, and, entering a carriage in waiting, with the Lieutenant Governor elect, the Hon. John B. Thompson, he was driven to the State House building, when he was formally welcomed to the seat of his future magisterial labors in a congratulatory address by the Hon. Judge Hewitt. The Governor- elect, having been introduced to the assembled multitude by the retiring Governor, the Hon. John L. Helm, replied briefly and appropriately to the address of Judge Hewitt and returned his thanks for the confidence reposed in him by the people.' He expressed his distrust of his ability to discharge properly the duties of the office to which he had been elevated, but declared his determination to use such powers as he possessed for the maintenance of good government. He would administer the govern- ment to the best of his ability, in accordance with the constitution and laws, and in the interests of the whole people of the State. The oath of office was administered by Judge Shannon.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth met on the third day of November, 1851, and, on the following day, the first message of Governor Powell was presented to and read before that body. The local issues and interests discussed in that document need not be here referred to.
During the entire term of Governor Powell's chief magistracy, his official duties were discharged with the most commendable fidelity and exactness. For the greater part of his term of office, the General Assembly of the State had in it a majority of Whigs, yet at no time did his relations with that body assume a partisan character. The most exacting among his political opponents were obliged to acknowl- edge that his entire policy was conceived and carried out with due reference to his responsibility to the whole body of the people and the best interests of the State.
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In the spring of 1858, through the intervention of Thomas L. Kane, Esq., of Pennsylvania, President Buchanan was induced to dispatch a commission to Utah with the hope of arresting the rebellion that had broken out in that Territory. The Commissioners named were Governor Powell, of Kentucky, and Major Ben McCul- lough, of Texas. On the arrival of these gentlemen at the camp of the military expedition, they immediately issued the proclamation of the President, offering pardon to all Mormons who should submit to the Federal authority. This offer was accepted by the heads of the Mormon church, and all trouble was arrested.
At the session of the General Assembly, which took place in 1859, Governor Powell was elected to the Senate of the United States for the full term of six years. Without extending this sketch to too great length, we find it impracticable to give the reader more than a general outline of Governor Powell's course while a member of the Senate. His speeches to that body would of themselves fill a large volume, and these are all to be found in the published reports of the congressional proceedings of the period. He entered the Senate at a time of great political excitement. A party had arisen in the country and was daily growing stronger, which had, for its main idea, the ex- tinction of slavery as a national institution, or as one recognized in the fundamental law of the land. By the governments of several of the Northern States, the fugitive slave law had been openly pro- claimed a measure which required from them no obedience. The Southern States, disgusted at what they conceived to be want of faith on the part of their Northern associates, and seeing, from the complexion of the Legislation of the country, that they would soon be powerless to protect their constitutional rights against the require- ments of a constantly increasing majority in the National Legislature, already were contemplating secession. In both houses of Congress, fanaticism ruled one part of the people's representatives, and, with but few exceptions, passion the remainder.
Few of our public men possessed a clearer understanding of the causes that led to the late conflict than Governor Powell. In a speech on the " Bill Giving Freedom to the Families of Negro Soldiers," delivered in the Senate on the ninth day of January, 1863, Mr. Powell remarked : " Some call this a war for the negro, but, in my opinion, those who look upon African slavery as the cause of the war are greatly mistaken. This war was not designed by the large slave holders of the South ; they did not want the war. It is not war of the negro ; it is not a war of tariffs; it is not a war of any particular line of
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policy, but it is a war of politicians who were faithless to their con- stitutional obligations, and there the responsibility will be placed by the philosophical historian in all after time. If I were to describe it in a sentence, I should say that it was a war of the politicians, both North and South-a war of ambitious, fanatical zealots, and they existed North as well as South. I speak of a class of politicians who are faithless to their oaths of office, and who claim to be governed by a law higher than and above the Constitution."
HON. GRANT GREEN was born in Henderson County on the third day of February, 1826. His ancestors immigrated from Eng- land and settled in Fauquier County, Virginia, in the year 1640. His grandfather raised a large family of children, many of whom held dis- tinguished positions in the country's service. All of the male mem- bers, old enough at the time, joined the army of the revolution and fought for American Independence with distinguished credit to them- selves and their country. His grandfather came to Kentucky with his family about the year 1815, and settled in this county. Mr. Green's mother was Martha Dixon, the daughter of Captain Henry Dixon, whose father was a Colonel in the Revolutionary War. She was born in Cas- well County in the year 1804, and brought by her father to Henderson County in 1805. Mr. Green and Miss Dixon were married in 1820, and after nine years of happy wedded life he died, leaving to the care of his widow four children, of whom, the subject of this sketch was the second son. Falling heir to but little realty, and a scanty allow- ance of actual cash, Mrs. Green was necessarily greatly embarassed ; yet, with superhuman endurance and self-denial, she most nobly met her allotted life, sacrificing all the pleasures thereof that her four children might be properly raised to a position in the social and busi_ ness world, her devoted interest so justly claimed for them. She managed to give them such an education as was afforded at that time by county schools, and this, coupled with her own great and good ex ample, sufficed to impress upon them the importance of determined effort. The subject of this sketch commenced business life by teach- ing a small country school-the same in which he had only a short time previous been a student-among whose pupils were numbered many of his old classmates equally of age with himself. He was a very successful teacher, giving more satisfaction perhaps to his patrons than his modesty allowed him to claim for himself. After teaching about one year and a half he reluctantly gave up his school to accept the position of deputy sheriff under his uncle, William Green, who was made Sheriff of the county in 1848. He rode deputy sheriff for two
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HON. GRANT GREEN.
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years, at the end of which time he was tendered a deputyship under William D. Allison, at that time Clerk of both the Circuit and County Courts, and Trustee of the Jury Fund. In Mr. Allison he found a fast friend, and his life with him was one continued sunshine. He appreciated his great worth and influence, and is no doubt more in- debted to his training and general knowledge gained while in the office, for his success in life, than to all other sources combined. In 1851, Mr. Green's personal popularity gained for him the Democratic nomination for Representative of this county. Inflexible in his political opinions, he was yet averse to taking an active part in politics, and only after much persuasion accepted the nomination thus tendered him. The issue that year was fought by Governor Powell, the Democratic nominee for Governor, and Governor Archibald Dixon, a cousin of Mr. Green and the Whig nominee for the same office, and both of Henderson County. These were two of the most distinguished men of the State, and, of course, the contest was made warm throughout the entire Commonwealth, and particularly so in this county. Mr. Green was elected by a respectable majority, and took his seat at the beginning of the session of 1851-'52. This was the second session of the General Assembly after the adoption of the present Constitution, and as the laws then in existence had to be modified and new laws enacted in conformity to the terms of the new Constitution, the work necessarily required the keenest foresight and unrestrained wisdom of the members. This Legislature was one of the'ablest the State had ever had, and did its work in a most super- ior and satisfactory manner. After the adjournment of the Legisla- ture, and on the twenty-sixth day of February, 1852, our subject was appointed Secretary of State by Governor Powell, and served in that capacity until the expiration of the Governor's term of office, Septem- ber 3d, 1855. During this time he was a member of the Democratic State Central Committee. In 1855 he received the Democratic nom. ination for the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, but this was the year the "Know Nothing" party swept the State and the entire Democratic ticket, after a most gallant fight, was defeated. On the twenty-eighth day of February, 1855, Mr. Green was united in marriage with Miss Katie S. Overton, a most accomplished lady, and at the expiration of his term of office as Secretary of State, returned to Henderson, commenced the practice of law in partnership with the Hon. H. F. Turner, and continued to practice until the summer of 1858, when he was elected County Judge. In the year 1859 he received the Democratic nomination for the office of Auditor of
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Public Accounts, and at the August election was declared elected by a handsome majority. He then resigned the office of County Judge, returned to Frankfort, and on the first day of January 1860, entered upon the duties of his new and most important office, and served the State with most commendable fidelity and zeal for four years. Dur- ing the trying times of the war, he managed the State's finances, so far as the same was to be controlled through his official position, with eminent ability, giving entire satisfaction to all parties. At the expir- ation of his term of office, and at his request, the Legislature appointed a Committee whose duty it was to give his office a thorough examina- tion. This was done and a very complimentary report returned. He was re-nominated for a second term, and notwithstanding the in- terference of Federal troops in many of the counties of the State, he was defeated by a comparatively small vote. He then returned to Henderson in 1864, and engaged in the tobacco business for two years. At the expiration of that time, a co-partnership was formed by and between himself, W. J. Marshall and Edward Atkinson, under the firm name of Green, Marshall & Co., and engaged in the general banking business. He continued in this firm until May, 1868, when he received the appointment as cashier of the Farmers' Bank (mother bank) of Kentucky, at Frankfort, and returned again to that city, and is to-day filling the same position. The stock of the bank when he was elected Cashier was worth only eighty-three cents on the dollar. At this time 122 has been offered and refused. The bank to-day stands in credit among the very best of the leading banks of the country.
Mr. Green, many years ago, united with the Episcopal Church, and has proven a faithful, consistent member, always ready with his good advice and purse to advance its interests. His life has been a brilliant one, alternating between Henderson and Frankfort, his present home. His promptness in business, his integrity in action, and his clear judgment have been, and are yet, shining traits in his character, and by these has he been actuated throughout his entire business and social life.
CAPTAIN HENRY DIXON, better known as Capt. Hal., was born in Caswell County, North Carolina, in the year 1777, during the Revolutionary troubles. His grandfather, Henry Dixon, was a distin- guished Colonel in the Revolutionary War, and was killed at the battle of Eutaw Springs. He was also highly complimented for gallantry at the battle of Camden. Captain Dixon was a brother of Wynn . Dixon, father of Governor Archibald Dixon. He immigrated to Ken- tucky in 1808 and settled upon the land now owned by Joshua Staples.
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Subsequent to that he purchased the farm now owned by Thomas Buckman, lying on the Madisonville road, and built the house that is yet used as a residence by MrBuckman. In 1853 he sold his farm and removed to Union County, settling at the Sulphur Springs. In November, 1858, he died. Captain Dixon was a remarkable man, large, muscular and weighing ordinarily from two hundred and twenty- five to two hundred and fifty pounds. He was a man of indomitable will and absolutely fearless. He was an industrious worker, ever active in attending to business matters. He was never much of a politician, yet he possessed unbounded influence and was a power when he chose to exercise it. He was an unflinching Jackson Democrat and took an active interest in his race against Henry Clay. He was elected and served one term in the Kentucky Legislature, and in this connec- tion several good stories are told. It is said that when the Captain approached the polls to cast his vote and the usual question, " How do you vote ? " had been asked him, he good humoredly, yet positively, re- plied, "I like Captain Dixon better than I do the other feller, so put me down for Dixon." It is a traditionary statement that up to that time the vote between the Captain and his opponent was a tie, and that the Captain voting for himself decided the election. Again another good story is told of him while a member of the Legislature. It is said that he was no speaker, and for a man of his courage and good sense was remarkably timid upon such occasions, even though he knew every man in the house.
The Legislature was in session, and the Captain in his seat. He desired to introduce a bill and to preface it by a few remarks. When he arose, he imagined that one or two of the members offered him an indignity and bringing himself to the full extent of his majestic proportions and forgetting what he had arisen for, he addressed the speaker in the following laconic language: "Mr. Speaker, I am no speaker, but sir, I can whip any infernal scoundrel in this house who dare insult me."
This raised a breeze and the Captain took his seat, never again to be intentionally or humorously joked.
Captain Dixon was twice married. His first wife was Miss Mary Johnston, of Virginia ; his second wife Mrs. John Talbot, of Henderson County. Twelve children resulted from his first marriage, to-wit: Roger, Martha, Henry, Mary, Eliza, John, Robert, Niel, Susan, George, Judith and Francis.
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ROGER married Miss Elizabeth Brown, who after his death mar- ried Thomas P. Lambert. They had one child.
MARTHA married John Green, father of Hon. Grant Green, and had four children, Henry, Grant, John and Mary Ann. Henry mar- ried Miss Lambert, of Arkansas, and died leaving children ; Grant married Miss Katie S. Overton, of Virginia, and has quite a family of bright, promising children ; John married Miss Randolph, of Hender- son County, and has several children ; Mary Ann married Theodore Hall ; she died leaving three children.
HENRY married Miss Ann Mariah Ashby and had two children, John E. and Mary; John married Miss Mary Sugg and they have children; Mary married George W. McClure and they have three children.
MARY married Gabriel Grant Green, by whom she had three children, Henry Dixon, Gabriel and Ann. Subsequent to Mr. Green's death, she married Dr. A. H. Bailey, by whom she had three children, Cornelius, John, and Eliza, who married Hon. C. C. Ball, Mayor of the City of Henderson.
ELIZA married William Posey, by whom she had thirteen children, Reuben, Mary, Thomas, Lucy, Henry, John, Eliza, William, George, Robert, Addison, Sallie and one other whose name is unknown to the writer.
REUBEN studied law, practiced his profession for a number of years in Louisiana, and for many years last passed has held the office of Circuit Judge in one of the parishes of that State. He has been twice married, first to Miss Kavanaugh and second to Miss Russell, of Texas ; he has children. Mary married John N. Lyle and re- moved to Louisiana, they have several children ; Thomas married Miss Augusta Alves, died a few years afterwards, leaving two or three children ; Lucy married William J. Marshall and has a large family of children ; Henry married Miss Emma Butler and has several children ; John married Miss Sarah Taylor and has several children ; Eliza married Cornelius Bailey and has children ; William married Miss Addie Alves and has children; Addison is a leading physician in San Francisco, California ; he recently married a lady of that State. Sallie, married twice, first, Dr. Ross and again Dr. Doyle, of Madison- ville. Thomas, Sallie, George and Robert are dead.
JOHN married Miss Sarah E. Powell, of Henderson County, by whom he had eleven children, Charles, Henry, Thomas, John, George, Mary, Joseph, Simmeon, Robert, Roger and Thomas. Of this num- ber, Charles, Thomas, George, Robert and Roger are dead ; Henry
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married Miss Mary Ellen Grayson, John married Miss Amanda Watson, George married Miss Julia Taylor, Mary married twice, first Weston Anderson, second William E. Powell ; Joseph married Miss Blanch Pennell, Simmeon married Miss Harriet Arvin. They all have children.
ROBERT married Miss Mary Ann Clay, a distant relative of Henry Clay, by whom he had seven children, Ann Eliza, Henry, Mary, Amelia, Robert, Georgiana and Sallie ; Ann Eliza married Hon. S. B. Vance, of Evansville, and has several children; Amelia married William Payne, and died a few years afterwards without issue ; Mary married Andrew Clark and has one daughter, Mrs. T. W. Buckner; Robert married Miss Alice Young and has quite a family of children ; Georgiana married Thomas Posey and has three children ; Sallie is yet unmarried ; Henry died when young.
CORNELIUS married Miss Isabella Clay and had eleven children, Roger, Betty, Henrietta Charles, Susan, Henry, Robert, Wynn, Belle, Clay and Mary. Bettie, Charles and Belle are dead; Roger has been three times married, first, Miss Todd Butler, of Henderson; second, Miss Mary Singer, of Evansville ; third, Miss Carrie Dike, of Posey County, Indiana. First two wives died soon after marriage. He has several children by his last wife. Henrietta married Caleb F. Ruggles and has children ; Susan married Rich Posey and has children ; Henry, a practicing physician in Evansville, married Miss Amelia Wilson, of Louisville ; Robert married Miss Rosa Green, of Henderson, and has two children ; Wynn married Miss Mattie Randolph, of Henderson, and has two children ; Clay married Miss Mattie Wilson, of Louisville, no children; Mary married John J. Towles, she has no children.
SUSAN married Col. William P. Grayson and had five children, namely, Mary Ellen, Sophy, Susan, Hebe and Roger; Mary Ellen married Captain Hal Dixon and has children; Sophy married J. Mon- roe Watson and has children ; Susan married William T. Norment and has children; Hebe was three times married, first, Col. DeMiller; second, William Butler, and third, Col. Grimes, of Arkansas ; Roger married Miss Grimes.
GEORGE married Miss Sallie Hardin, who died several years after- wards. He then married Miss Helm, a near relative of Gov. Helm. Mr. Dixon was a lawyer of distinction, and was at one time Judge of the Memphis Tenn. Circuit. He died several years ago, leaving children.
JUDITH married Thomas Towles, Jr., the brightest mind ever born in Kentucky and a lawyer of signal ability. She had five children,
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Mary, Ann, Martha, Bettie and Thomas. Mary married Phelps Sas- seen, an expert accountant and most excellent gentleman; they have several children. Ann died soon after arriving at her twenty-first birthday ; Martha married John T. Moore and several years after- wards died, leaving children; Bettie married William Arvin and has children; Thomas is unmarried. Many years after the death of Thomas Towles, his widow married Dr. James Beatty and raised one daughter, Fanny, who married Ira Ball, of Corydon. She has children.
FRANCES married Dr. James B. Allen, of Shelby County, Kentucky, and moved to Union County. She had six children, namely: Mary, Drucilla, Georgiana, Fanny, Henry and Sallie; Drucilla married a Dr. Jones, and died some year afterwards; Joseph married a Miss Matting- ly; Sallie married in Virginia; Fanny married Dr. Neal, of Evansville; Georgiana married Dr. Stone, of Union County, and died; Henry D. married Miss Mattie Hughes, daughter of Hon. D. H. Hughes, of Morganfield, and has children. This completes the long line of Capt Dixon's progeny.
GEORGE ATKINSON-George Atkinson, who was for many years one of the most conspicuous characters in the social and busi- ness life of Henderson, was born at Church Hill, in County Down, Ireland, on May 17th, 1793. Being left an orphan at an early age, he came to America in the year 1805 and was reared by an uncle in Richmond, Virginia. He was sent to the best schools within reach, but when a mere youth went into the counting-house of his uncle as a clerk, and there acquired the knowledge of business and of men which in his later life was of great advantage to him.
While so engaged, and during the War of 1812 with Great Britain, he had some experience of military life, serving for a time in a com- pany of volunteers, commanded by William Wirt, who was afterwards Attorney General of the United States, and was often thrown into contact with Chief Justice Marshal, John Randolph, of Roanoke, and other men then prominent in public life, whose influence upon his ob- servant and ambitious character was strongly felt and always remem- bered.
In the year 1817 Mr. Atkinson removed from Richmond and settled in Henderson, then a mere village, and began the tobacco busi- ness which has since increased to such vast proportions. For many years he applied himself diligently to that business and to merchan- dise, and by his pluck, judgment and integrity, attained large success financially, and acquired the confidence and respect of all who had any intercourse with him.
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