The Biographical encyclopaedia of Kentucky of the dead and living men of the nineteenth century, Part 10

Author: Armstrong, J. M., & company, pub
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Cincinnati, J. M. Armstrong
Number of Pages: 946

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finest manner, three sons, who are now honorable mem- bers of society. His oldest son, M. M. Benton, Jr., is a clergyman, now located at Maysville, Kentucky ; and his other sons, John C. and William K. Benton, are lawyers, of Covington, practicing with him under the firm name of Benton & Benton.

CCHORD, REV. JAMES, Clergyman, was born in 1785, in Baltimore, Maryland, and, at the age of five, was brought to Lexington, Kentucky. He received a fine education, and read law with Henry Clay; subsequently devoted himself to the ministry ; became first pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church, of Lexington, in 1815; removed to Paris, in 1819, and died in the following year. He was a man of splendid qualities, and a brilliant preacher. He was a fine writer, many of his works being pub- lished, among which were two volumes of sermons.

ISE, HON. ELIJAH, Lawyer and Judge, was born July 4, 1801, in Alleghany County, Penn- sylvania, and was the oldest son of Frederick Hise, who fought under the first Napoleon, came to this country during the Revolution, and participated in many of the hard-fought battles for American independence ; and, removing to Kentucky in the early part of this century, located for a time at Lexington, but finally permanently settled at Russellville, in Logan County, where he died. Elijah Hise obtained a fine education, early displaying great aptitude for learning, as well as being remarkable for his rhetorical powers, attracting, by his unusual ability, the generous favor of the community in which he was raised. He had a natural talent for music and the math- ematical and mechanical sciences, and was passionately fond of the drama, being one of the most popular delin- eators of the old stage classics. He chose the profession of law, and, in 1822, graduated from the law depart- ment of Transylvania University, under the presidency of Dr. Holley, and entered upon the practice of his pro- fession at Russellville, having great success, and rising to distinction as one of the first lawyers of the country, and succeeding, before his death, in amassing a consid- erable fortune. Under President Polk, he was ap- pointed Minister to Guatemala, and, while residing in Central America, his aid was solicited in the affairs of that country, becoming prominent in what was known as the "Hise Treaty." Returning home, after two years' service, he was appointed Associate Judge of the Court of Appeals, and took his seat in May, 1851, and, in August of the following year, he became Chief-

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Justice of that court. In 1866, he was elected to rep- resent his district in Congress, serving one term, and was re-elected; but his death, occurring May 8, 1867, prevented his taking his seat in that body. In politics he was a Democrat ; and, his county and section having a large majority against his party, he withstood the un- equal contest, with great pertinacity, for many years. When the revulsion came, brought about by the events of the civil war, the party, of which he had long been the leader in his section, made him its standard-bearer, and, for the remainder of his life, he was, probably, the most influential political leader in Southern Kentucky. As a lawyer, he was a man of uncommon ability, having few equals in his profession ; in politics, he was largely iden- tified with the history of the State, and his short Con- gressional career marked him with distinction among the first legislators of the country. He was a man of great independence of thought and action, and as a popular speaker was unsurpassed. His great interest in the sad condition of the country, as a result of the civil war, and his anxiety as to his ability to bring it relief, weighed heavily upon his mind, probably being largely instrumental in bringing about his untimely death. Few men held a higher position in the estimation of the people, and it seldom falls to the lot of a man to be more deeply mourned at his death. Judge Hise was married, October 8, 1832, to Miss Elvira L. D. Stewart, daughter of William L. Stewart, of Russellville, Ken- tucky, one of the first settlers of that town, who aided in building the first cabin there, and afterwards lived a long and useful life in the neighborhood. This af- fectionate and accomplished wife still survives. They had no children.

WING, JUDGE EPHRAIM M., Lawyer, was born December 4, 1789, in Davidson County, Tennessee, and was the son of Gen. Robert E. Ewing, a distinguished Revolutionary soldier. Judge Ewing received a fine literary education, and was trained in the law at Transylvania University. He lived at Russellville, Kentucky, where he became one of the most able lawyers and distinguished men of the State. He was many years Prosecuting At- torney, under Judge Broadnax, and was several times member of the Lower House of the Legislature. In 1835, he was appointed one of the Associate Judges of the Court of Appeals; in April, 1843, he became Chief- Justice of that Court, serving with distinction until June, 1847, when he resigned and returned to his pri- vate practice. In 1850, he was appointed, by Governor Crittenden, as one of the commissioners to codify the statutes. He was Presidential Elector in 1821 and 1833. As a lawyer, he was exceptionably successful and popu- lar, and managed to accumulate a large fortune. He

was a man of finely balanced mind, solid judgment, and possessed the remarkable faculty of conducting his busi- ness in the court, and anywhere else, without the least sense of disturbance from any source; and, although probably not ranking as one of the most brilliant men of his State, his solid qualities and intrinsic worth made him a leader. He was a man of noble sentiments, and great liberality of heart. His conscientious convictions led him to free his slaves, and start them well in life for themselves. He died June 1I, 1860, and in his will left a handsome bequest to Bethel College, at Russellville, and Cumberland University, at Lebanon, Tennessee. He was a learned and able lawyer, and one of the most just, upright, and valuable men who ever lived in South- ern Kentucky. Judge Ewing married the brilliant and accomplished Jane McIntyre, and the fruits of this union were Presley and Quincy Ewing, who arose quickly into great distinction, and died before reaching the zenith of their fame.

RUCE, HON. HORATIO WASHINGTON, Lawyer and Judge, was born February 22, 1830, on the banks of the Ohio, in Lewis County, Kentucky. His father, Alexander Bruce, was a native of Garrard County, of Virginia parentage, and by occupation lawyer, farmer, and mer- chant; his ancestry were Scotch; his mother, Amanda Bragg, was a native of Kentucky, also of Virginia parent- age. He was educated at Manchester, Ohio, and under private tutors in his native county. At the age of fifteen, he entered a dry-goods store in Vanceburg, as a clerk ; after spending some years in that capacity, he engaged in teaching for a time, and finally, in 1850, began the study of the law under Leander M. Cox, at Flemings- burg; was admitted to the bar, in 1851, and in the fol- lowing year entered upon the practice of his profession, at Flemingsburg, Kentucky, meeting with great success from the outset; in 1855, he was elected to the Legisla- ture; in the following year, was elected Commonwealth's Attorney from his district ; resigned, and moved to Louis- ville, in 1858, where he has since remained, actively and successfully engaged in his profession, and was, for a time, associated with his brother-in-law, Gen. Ben. Hardin Helm. In 1861, he was Congressional candidate of the State Rights party, from the Louisville district; the same year he was elected member of the famous Southern Provisional Government of Kentucky; was re-elected, in 1862, and, in 1864, was sent to the Confederate Con- gress. After the close of the war, he resumed his legal practice in Louisville; in 1868, was elected Judge of the Ninth Judicial District; resigned, in 1873, to accept the appointment of Chancellor of the Louisville Chancery Court, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Chan- cellor Cochran; at the succeeding election, was elected

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by the people to the same position; and, in 1874, was re-elected for the full term of six years. He has taken a prominent and active part in the educational and other interests of Louisville; was, for a time, President of Board of Trustees of Louisville Medical College; and is now Professor of History and Science of Law in the University of Louisville. He is a man of fine legal attainments; stands deservedly high for his ability as a judge; is an attractive speaker; a man of easy, affable, yet dignified manner; is over six feet in height; of de- cidedly commanding appearance; and is, undoubtedly, one of the most able and successful self-made men of Kentucky. Judge Bruce was married, June 12, 1856, to Miss Lizzie Barbour Helm, the accomplished daughter of Gov. John L. Helm, and granddaughter of Hon. Ben. Hardin. They have five living children.

UDLEY, REV. THOMAS PARKER, Clergy- man, was born May 31, 1792, in Fayette County, Kentucky, six miles east of Lexington, and is the only surviving child of Elder Am- brose Dudley and his wife, Miss N. Parker, who removed from Spottsylvania County, Vir- ginia, in 1786; was, for thirty years, pastor of the Bap- tist Church, at Bryan's Station; served as captain in the Revolutionary army, receiving his appointment from Patrick Henry, Governor of Virginia; and was one of the most remarkable men of his time, in Kentucky. He reared a family of fourteen children, eleven sons and three daughters, who filled prominent places in the history of the State. He died at the age of seventy- two, and his wife at the age of seventy-one; and, at the time of their death, their children were not only grown and married, but they had nearly a hundred grandchil- dren, and quite a number of great-grandchildren, and even some great-great-grandchildren. Thomas P. Dud- ley, received his education at the private schools in Fayette County, and, in 1808, went to Frankfort, and was employed as a clerk in the store of J. and P. Dud- ley, until the Fall of 1812; he entered the army, and at Fort Defiance became commissary to the left wing of the North-western army, and was engaged in the battles at Frenchtown and the river Raisin; and, in the last battle, was severely wounded ; was taken prisoner by the Indians, and carried to Detroit; the ball lodged in his shoulder, at the fatal battle of the Raisin, was extracted in the Fall of 1820. In the Fall of 1814, he was appointed Quartermaster-General of the detachment sent to re-en- force Gen. Jackson, at New Orleans, and was in the battle of January 8. In 1815, he was appointed Quar- termaster-General of Kentucky, by Governor Shelby, but resigned the position in 1817. In 1816, he was elected cashier of a branch of the old Bank of Ken-

tucky, located at Winchester; continued to hold that office until 1824, when, all the branches being with- drawn, he was appointed to wind up the business of five of them, which occupied his time for seven years. For fifty-six years he has been pastor of the Church of Par- ticular Baptists, at Bryan's Station, in Fayette County, and, for fifty-three years, has preached to Elizabeth Church, in Bourbon County; for forty-six years, to Mount Carmel Church, in Clark County ; and, for forty- four years, to the Georgetown Church, in Scott County. He has seen several generations pass away, even in his own family. In the family of his brother, Gen. James Dudley, he, himself, officiated at the marriage of thirty couples. Bryan's Station Baptist Church was organized in 1786, and his father and himself have been its only pastors; and, although probably the oldest acting min- ister in Kentucky, he possesses, to a great degree, the mental and physical vigor of youth; still attends his churches regularly, and from his home, at Lexington, goes out daily in the discharge of the duties of a lifc which has been one of the most remarkable in the his- tory of the men of Kentucky.

OOKE, JOHN ESTEN, M.D., Physician and Surgeon, was born March 2, 1783, in Boston, Massachusetts, while his parents were on a visit to that city. His father, Dr. Stephen Cooke, was a leading physician of Virginia; served his native State as a surgeon during the Revolu- tionary War; while acting in that capacity, was taken prisoner by the British, and carried to the Island of Ber- muda, where he met and married Miss Catherine Esten, a lady of a distinguished English family; and of their six sons and two daughters, the subject of this sketch was the oldest. One of the family, John R. Cooke, rose to eminence as a lawyer in Virginia, and another brother, St. George Cooke, was an officer of reputation in the United States Army. His parents resided on the Island of Bermuda until 1791, when they removed to Alexan- dria, and afterwards settled in Loudon County, near Leesburg, where his father died, in 1816. Dr. John E. Cooke was an accurate English scholar; read Latin with perfect ease, and had considerable knowledge of Greek. He early chose the profession of medicine ; studied under his father; went to Philadelphia to complete his medical education, and graduated in the University of Pennsyl- vania, in the Spring of 1805, and settled in Warrenton, Fauquier County, Virginia; in 1821, removed to Win- chester, where his reputation had preceded him, which he soon increased by an able essay on Autumnal Fever, published in the "Medical Recorder;" and, in 1827, issued the first volume of his treatise of Pathology and Thera- peutics, and, in the same year, became Professor of The-

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ory and Practice of Medicine at Transylvania University, at Lexington, Kentucky, to which place he removed his family, and continued to reside, in connection with the University, for ten years. He was the first professor in Transylvania University to prepare a systematic work on any branch of medicine. His treatise on Pathology and Therapeutics formed two octavo volumes, of five hundred pages each, and his essays in the "Transylvania Jour- nal" would make another volume quite as large. He came to Transylvania with a theory and practice of his own, which immediately brought him into notice, and, although attracting great attention, was, in the main, un- favorably received, the dissatisfaction finally becoming so decided as to make his retirement necessary, as a teacher in the medical field. While residing in Lexington, he made up his mind, in 1829, suddenly, to leave the Meth- odist Church, with which he had been connected for eighteen years, and joined the Episcopal Church. His defense of his course was widely circulated by the Epis- copal Church, as one of the most powerful arguments on Church government. In 1832, he was elected Professor of History and Polity in the Theological Seminary at Lexington, and devoted himself, with great energy, to accumulating a theological library for the institution. He finally fell into the scheme for organizing a medical college at Louisville, and, in 1837, removed to that city, having been elected Professor of Theory and Practice of Medicine in the institution. Although the institution grew rapidly, his peculiar theories did not become popu- lar, and, after a considerable struggle, in the Winter of 1843, he retired from the institution, and, in the follow- ing Spring, purchased a farm in the neighborhood of Louisville. He afterwards exchanged that for a tract of land on the Ohio river, thirty miles above the city, where, in the improvement of his estate, in the bosom of his family, and the consolations of religion, he spent the closing years of his life. He died, October 19, 1853. His medical philosophy was of the heroic school; and, as a lecturer, he was not decidedly pleasing, his voice wanting clearness and force; but he laid no claim to ora- tory, and only aimed to make his views clear. His views were exceedingly lucid and simple, and he was noted and esteemed for his gravity and dignity, and his great can- dor and earnestness; and, although laboring under some disadvantages, the lectures of his most eloquent col- leagues were not listened to with greater admiration than his. He never jested, never trifled, never exaggerated, and was always sincere; and whatever were his convic- tions in any line of life, he carried them out, without reference to the opinions of the world. In his writings on medicine and Church polity, he exhibited his usual depth and sincerity of conviction; on no serious subject had he any half-formed notions; in his friendships, he was exceedingly warm; was gentle and tender in the do- mestic relations, and a warm-hearted, genial companion;

and was one of the most able men of his Church, as well as one of the most learned members of the medical pro- fession.

ROWN, JUDGE MASON, Lawyer, was born November 10, 1799, in Philadelphia, Pennsyl- vania, while his parents were temporarily there, during the session of Congress, and died at his residence in Frankfort, Kentucky, January 27, 1867. He was the son of Hon. John Brown, and Margaretta Mason, his wife. (See sketch of Hon. John Brown.) No efforts were spared to give him a thorough education, and, after a careful home training, he became the pupil of the celebrated Kean O'Hara, under whom he was prepared for college. He entered Yale College, and graduated in the class of 1820. He chose the profession of law, and deter- mined to devote himself solely to its pursuit. From this purpose he departed for a short public service. .After a most successful career at the bar, he accepted the appointment to the Circuit Bench, in' 1839, and resigned the office in 1849, again resuming the practice of his profession. From 1855 to 1859, he was Secretary of State, under Gov. Morehead; and from that time gradually relinquished the more arduous labors of his profession. He wrote, with Charles S. Marshall, a Di- gest of the Statute Laws of Kentucky ; was fond of litera- ture and science, and, eschewing politics, and devoting himself unremittingly to his profession, became one of the most able and scholarly lawyers in the State. Judge Brown was twice married; first, to Miss Judith A. Bledsoe, daughter of Hon. Jesse Bledsoe, by whom he had one son; and, afterward, to Miss Mary Yoder, daughter of Captain Jacob Yoder, of Spencer County ; and they had six children.

ART, JOEL T., American Sculptor and Poet, was born, in 1810, in Clark County, Kentucky. His parents were poor, and the actual time he spent in school was not over three months. But he was, throughout his life, a hard stu- dent, and succeeded in becoming, by his own efforts, one of the most refined and cultured men of his times. His first efforts at obtaining a livelihood were as a laborer, in building chimneys and fences, in his na- tive county. In 1830, he located in Lexington, where he worked in a marble yard for a time; studied anatomy in the old medical college, and soon after began to turn his attention to modeling busts in clay. His first pro- fessional effort was in a bust of his friend, Cassius M. Clay; and then followed those of Andrew Jackson, John J. Crittenden, and Henry Clay; and, in 1846, the La-

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dies' Clay Association, of Richmond, Virginia, commis- sioned him to execute a statue of Henry Clay, on which he spent three years. In 1849, he went to Italy to put the work in marble; in the passage, his model was wrecked in the Bay of Biscay, after having waited a year in Europe for its arrival there; a duplicate model was ordered from home; and, finally, after years had. rolled away, the finishing touches were added, and the beautiful statue set up, August 29, 1859, at the Capitol, in Richmond. The cities of Louisville and New Or- leans also gave him orders for statues of Henry Clay. He executed many portrait busts, and duplicates of his previous busts, of fine workmanship. His ideal produc- tions have been greatly admired, and have placed his · name high in the niche of fame. Among these, are his "Venus de Medici," "Angelina," and "Il Penseroso," and his last and greatest work, known as the "Triumph of Chastity." At this last work he has been engaged for over twenty years, and, when chided by a friend on not finishing it at once, replied: "The Almighty does not see fit to make a perfect woman in less than eighteen years, and can I hope to make a perfect model in less?" A few months ago, a letter from Mr. Hart stated that the work was complete, and ready to be transferred to marble. He visited his old home, at Lexington, in this State, in 1860, and was received with every token of respect. He wrote some exquisitely beautiful poetry, and was a man of rare refinement and culture, and was, doubtlessly, one of the first sculptors of the world. He died, March 2, 1877, at Florence, Italy; and nothing is known as to the cause of his death, or the disposition made of his remains.

ODDARD, WILLIAM H., D. D. S., was born June 28, 1808, in Boston, Massachusetts. His father, Thatcher Goddard, was an extensive and successful merchant of that city, and had for- merly been a physician. His ancestry came from England about 1667. His mother was Lucy Wiswell. His parents had twelve children, of whom he was the youngest. He received a good En- glish education, and also became a fair Latin and Greek scholar. At the age of twenty, he began to study den- tistry, and, after completing a thorough course of prep- aration, began the practice of his profession, in New York City, where he continued with success for several years, and, in 1834, moved to Louisville, and estab- lished a large, influential, and lucrative practice. He has been one of the leaders in every movement in that city, and throughout the State, for the advancement of the interests of his profession, and is not only the oldest practitioner, but is also, doubtlessly, the most influen- tial, widely known, and prominent member of his pro-

fession in Kentucky. In 1856, he engaged in manufac- turing agricultural implements, connected with the firm of Munn & Co., in which he continued actively engaged until after the commencement of the war, when the Government was compelled to use their establishment as a hospital, which greatly reduced his circumstances, and compelled him to renew his profession at the close of the war. During the rebellion, he took an active inter- est in the cause of the Government, and both himself and wife devoted much of their time, in the hospitals and otherwise, toward mitigating the suffering of the soldiers, and lessening the "hardships of the times. He was Deputy Collector under Wm. D. Gallagher, and handled large sums of money for the Government dur- ing the war, and was one of the most active and persistent supporters of the Union. Religiously, he is associated with the Unitarian Church, and is promi- nently connected with some society organizations. Dr. Goddard was married, in New York City, May 12, 1830, to Miss Cecilia Graham, and had three children by that marriage. He was married, in 1841, to Anna M. Brown, of Dublin, Ireland, and had two children. He was again married, in 1851, to Eliza R. Harrington, daughter of Joseph Harrington, of Roxbury, Massachu- setts. He has two living children by his last marriage, and one by his second.

RIGGS, JOHN M., M. D., was born April 9, 1798, in Nelson County, Kentucky. His father, Thompson Briggs, was a gentleman of Scotch ancestry ; native of Nelson County; moved to Warren County in 1800. The early education of John M. Briggs was obtained at the country schools, during the Winter terms, the rest of the year be- ing passed in working on his father's farm; from his eighteenth year to his majority, he worked upon the farm; he then commenced the study of medicine, with Dr. P. R. Beauchamp, of Bowling Green, remaining with him three years, graduating in the Spring of 1821, at Transylvania University, Lexington, Kentucky. Re- turning to Bowling Green, he began practicing; his suc- cess was speedy, and beyond all experience in that part of the State; his services were called for night and day, he often being days without rest. The older members of the profession will remember his having been the first physician on record who performed the operation of hys- terotomy, a history of which appeared in a medical journal published at Lexington, exciting considerable notice at the time. Dr. Briggs also had much experience with cholera, and the other epidemics, which, time and again, visited his section of the country; his success in the treatment of these forms of disease being unusual, and his opinion upon their manner of treatment was

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highly valued. His ability in surgery and obstetrics has been acknowledged wherever his name is known. Dur- ing the war he was, by appointment, contract surgeon at Bowling Green, from the early time of the war through a large portion of its continuation, the town of Bowling Green being, by its natural location, a basis of military operations, and continually occupied by soldiers. Dr. Briggs has been a practicing physician in Warren County for more than a half-century; a man of high position, and undoubted integrity; as a physician, faithful, sympa- thetic, self-denying, and hopeful, carrying to the sick- room of his patient the faith of a good Christian, to cheer him even with Divine medication. In short, a no- ble physician of the old school, his virtues as a man and physician may well be imitated. He has, for years, been an active member of the Baptist Church, giving willingly and liberally to the aid of all worthy charities. He was married, March 5, 1822, to Harriet, sister of Gov. Charles S. Moreland, and has two children living. His oldest son, Charles M. Briggs, a prominent lawyer of Louisville, died in 1875. His youngest son is associated with him in his office, at Bowling Green. His oldest son, Dr. W. T. Briggs, of Nashville, Tennessee, is known as one of the most prominent physicians and surgeons of the South.

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The Biographical encyclopaedia of Kentucky of the dead and living men of the nineteenth century, Part 10

Author: Armstrong, J. M., & company, pub Publication date: 1878 Publisher: Cincinnati, J. M. Armstrong Number of Pages: 946

Author: Armstrong, J. M., & company, pub
Publication date: 1878
Publisher: Cincinnati, J. M. Armstrong
Number of Pages: 946