USA > New Hampshire > Sullivan County > Charlestown > History of Charlestown, New-Hampshire, the old No. 4 > Part 42
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HOWARD-HUBBARD.
of Hiram and Emily (Griswold) Putnam) b. Oct. 6th, 1824-One son Horace Wesley, b. Nov. 12th, 1852. Nathan W. Howard was 2nd representative for the years 1875-6. He resides at North Charlestown.
SAMUEL AND PATIENCE HOWARD. Ch. I. Laura, b. June 26th, 1802; II. Melinda, b. Feb. 7th, 1804; III. Sabrina, b. July 4th, 1806; IV. John, b. Dec. 19th, 1808.
NATHANIEL HOWARD, (son of Benjamin and Sarah (Worcester) How- ard, of Lunenburg, Mass.) b., in Stoddard. N. H., Apr. 24th, 1803 ; m. in Nov. 1832, Mary Willard, (dau. of William and Elizabeth (Shepley) Willard) b. Sept. 3d, 1796. One child, Mary Elizabeth, b. Apr. 14th, 1837, in Langdon ; d. in her 6th year. Mr. Howard became a resident of Charlestown in April, 1848.
GEORGE W. HOYT, (son of Barnard and Elizabeth (Prescott) Hoyt) b. in Concord, N. H., March 24th, 1832; m. Sept. 1st, 1858, Martha Ann Hale (dau. of Charles and Mary Ann (Reed) Hale) b. in Wells River, Vt., Feb. 8th, 1831-died in Keokuk, Iowa. Ch; I. Charles Hale, b. in Concord, N. H. July 26th, 1859. II. George Albert, b. in Charlestown, April 6th, 1868; d. Feb. 16th, 1869. Mr. Hoyt came to Charlestown in 1865, and purchased the Robertson Hotel, which he kept for three years-He was 1st representative of the town in the Legislature in 1871-In his life before coming to Charlestown, he had been Mail Agent for six years on the Boston, Concord and Montreal Railroad, having received his appointment under Filmore-had had a large flour and grain store in Concord, and had kept hotel in New York city and at Lake Dunmore, Vt.
JONATHAN HUBBARD.
CAPT. JONATHAN HUBBARD, one of the Grantees, proprietors and early settlers of the town of Charlestown, was descended from John Hubbard, who came with a company of emigrants to Concord, Mass., with Rev. John Jones, about the year 1635. He removed from Con- cord to Glastenbury, Conn., thence to Hadley, Mass., thence to Hat- field, where he died in 1707. Jonathan (the 2nd son of John Hub- bard) who inherited the property of his uncle, Deacon Robert Merri- am, of Concord, m. Hannah Rice, of Marlborough, Mass., and died Ju- ly 17th, 1728, aged 70. Mrs. Hubbard, d. April 9th, 1747, aged 89. Both are buried in Concord.
Major Jonathan Hubbard, 1st son of Jonathan and Hannah (Rice) Hubbard, m. Rebecca Brown, and died April 7th, 1761. His wife d. Nov. 2d, 1751, both are buried in Townsend, Mass., where they have
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stones erected to their memory. Their children were 1. Rebecca, who m. Col. Joseph Blanchard, of Dunstable. 2. Hannah, who m. Col. Josiah Willard at first of Lunenburg, Mass., but afterwards of Win- chester, N. H. 3. Ruth, who married first, Rev. Mr. Stearns of Lunen . burg, and 2nd, Rev. Mr. Whitney, of Petersham. 4. Mary, who married 1st, Mr. Jennison of Lunenburg, and 2nd, Colonel Benjamin Bellows, the founder of Walpole. 5. Jonathan, the subject of this memoir. 6. John, who died in infancy. 7. John, father of John Hub- bard, Professor of Mathematics, and Natural Philosophy in Dart- mouth College.
CAPT. JONATHAN HUBBARD, was employed as a surveyor in No. 4, as early as March, 1743, and was the principal surveyor of the Town- ship for several years. He appears to have been a well educated, and very useful citizen. At what time he received his commission as Cap- tain has not been ascertained. He was a member of a company of twenty, under command of Benjamin Bellows, posted on Connecticut River in 1755. He died June 1st, 1759. Captain Hubbard m. Abi- gail Jennison of Lunenburg, Vt. and had four children ; I. Abigail, who married Richard Glidden, (see Glidden). II. Jonathan, m. Eunice Wheeler. (dau. of Moses and Elizabeth Wheeler) b. Oct. 8th. 1755. Ch. 1. Fanny, who m. Gideon Kidder of Weathersfield, Vt., 2. Samuel, b. August, 1782 ; m. Mrs. Mary Allen in 1811. He d. March, 18th, 1859, leaving three children. (1) George, b. April 4th, 1812; m. Feb. 21st, 1839, Martha Ann, daughter of Enos and Martha (Hunt) Stevens (see Stevens gen.) b. March 5th, 1821. Ch. [1] Ann Elizabeth, Hubbard, b. Sept. 7th, 1841 ; m. at Mapleton, Kansas, March 19th, 1861, E. J. George Orear, a lawyer in Owensville, Texas, b. in Ken- tucky, June 5th, 1827. Ch. [1] Sterling Price, b. March 11th, 1862 ; d. Aug. 16th, 1863; [2] George Hubbard, b. Dec. 16th, 1865; (2) Mary, b. in 1815, m. Dr. B. C. Parker, of Acworth, and died in 1868. (3) Huldah, b. in 1817 ; m. Howard Hubbard, and now lives in New Salem, Massachusetts. 3. Abigail, m. Godfrey Cook, of Claremont. 4. Sophia, m. Edward Reed, a Scotchman and lived in Dalton, N. H.
5. Jenison J. Hubbard, b. Dec. 4th, 1793; m. Oct. 27th, 1818, Eliza Fitch, (See Fitch ) b. Jan. 5th, 1800. Jenison J. Hubbard believed that no man had a right to be idle, as long as he was given strength to labor. He therefore, though possessed of ample property, continued to work with the utmost diligence till within a few days of the close of his life. At the time of his decease he was one of the most venerable of our citizens, and had perhaps a larger store of facts
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relating to the generation which had gone before than any other per- son in town, with perhaps the exception of Mrs. Hubbard, and it is to them, that the writer takes pleasure in acknowledging his indebted- ness, for many interesting facts and incidents in this work. Ch. (1) Henry Fitch, b. Oct. 26th, 1820, is married and has two children- resides in Stockton, California. (2) Sarah D., b. Sept. 14th, 1822; m. April 6th, 1848, Amasa Rice, of Chesterfield, Mass., and has had four children. [1] Robert A. ; [2] Henry H., killed on the railroad. [3] Martha E. [4] Mary E. Mrs. Rice resides in Pittsfield, Mass. (3) Gorham, h. April 16th, 1825; went from home in 1845, and was lost by explosion and burning of a steamboat on Ohio river. (4) Robert M., b. in C. Sept. 21st, 1830; m. at St. Louis, Aug. 5th, 1858, Sarah B. Ross, b. in Newburyport, Mass., Aug. 4th, 1831. Ch. [1] Henry F., b. Sept. 29th, 1859; [2] Eliza R., b. March 9th, 1862.
6. The sixth child of Jonathan, and Eunice ( Wheeler) Hubbard, was Lewis. III. The 3d child of Capt. Jonathan and Abigail (Jenison) Hubbard, m. - Giles of Newport, N. H. IV. David Hubbard, (son of Capt. Jonathan and Abigail (Jenison) Hubbard, m. Abigail Lab- aree, (dau. of Peter and Ruth (Putnam) Labaree) b. Dec. 21st, 1760, and settled in North Charlestown. Ch. 1 Jotham, b. Feb. 1779, died young ; 2. Roswell, b. Jan. 29, 1781 ; m. Jan. 22ud, 1807, Sophia Wil- son, (dau. of Joseph and Annes (Holden) Wilson), b. May 11th, 1789. Ch. (1). Samuel W., b. Nov. 8th, 1807; m. in N. Y. about 1829, and d. June 22d, 1865. He had one daughter Sarah who m. John Hunt ; (2) Josiah H., b. Dec. 8th, 1809; m. Louisa Brooks (dau. of Daniel Brooks of Charlestown,) b. March 31st, 1819. Ch. [1] Daniel B., b. June 29th, 1842 ; m. Sept. 1st, 1869, Roena A. Tuttle, of Framingham, Mass., and has one son Lyman J. [2] Edward R., b. Aug. 21, 1844; m. Oct. 2nd, 1866, Lucilla A. Gibbs of Framingham, and has one son Edward Albert. [3] Josiah E., b. June 11th, 1855. Josiah H. Hub- bard was one of the seleetmen of Charlestown in 1848 and Post Master for a time. He removed to Framingham, Mass , where he d. 1874, and was buried in Charlestown. (3) William HI., b. Aug. 8th, 1812; n. Dolly Griswold, of Weathersfield, Vt., March 1st, 1810; one daughter Elizabeth, m. Hoyt Blackwood, Springfield, Vt. Mr. Hubbard was drowned at the mouth of Little Sugar River, 1861. (4) Luman F., b. in Claremont, Apr. 19th, 1815. (5) Annes, b. in Charlestown, Aug. 9, 1819. 3. John, b. March, 1783 ; d. young ; 4. Josiah, b. Jan. 24th, 1785; d. Jan. 17, 1828; m. Nov. 1812, Peggy Allen, (dau. of Nathan and Deborah Allen) b. Oct. 27th, 1788; d. Feb. 26th, 1868. Ch. (1)
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John A., b. Aug. 31st, 1813 ; d. March 22d, 1858 ; m. Aug. 31st, 1857, Sophia E. Raymond, of Fair Haven Mass., (2) Horace, b. March 20th, 1815; m. March 3d, 1846, Marcia W. Putnam of Unity, N. H., (see Putnam). Ch. [1] Albert A., b. Nov. 17th, 1846 ; [2] J. Frank, b. March 6th, 1850; m. Nov. 24th, 1875, Emma Arnold, of Springfield, Ill. [3] Robert M., b. July 29th, 1855. [4] Charles P., b, Sept. 2d, 1864. Horace Hubbard was 2nd Representative in 1864 and 1st iu 1865; 1st selectman in 1866 and 1870 ; resides at North Charlestown. (3) Martha, b. July 11th, 1819; m. Apr. 16th, 1868, Edwin Whipple, (see Whipple). (4) Sophia, b. Feb. 29th, 1824; d. March 29th, 1849. 5, Asa, b. Apr. 1787 ; d. young ; 6. Abigail, b. May 17th, 1789; m. Jan. 25th, 1810, Moses Judevine, (see Judevine). 7. David, b. July 10th, 1791; m. Nov. 9th, 1815, Rosalinda Westcott. He was 2d se- lectman in 1847 and 48. 8. Susan, b. Nov. 14th, 1794; m. Oct. 1813 Lemuel Grow; Ch. (1) Abigail ; (2) Elizabeth ; (3) Rosalinda ; (4) Lucinda. 9. Jonathan B., b. March 30th, 1796; m. 1820, Annes Whip- ple. Ch. (1) Henry L. (2) George, d. young ; (3) David ; (4) George; 10 Rebecca, b. Aug. 1st, 1798; m. Levi Farnsworth. Ch. (1) David ; (2) a daughter. 11. Hugh, b. Sept. 1800; d. young.
HON. JOHN HUBBARD.
The earliest known ancestor of the HON. JOHN HUBBARD, the first settler in Charlestown of a distinguished branch of the Hubbard fam- ily, was George Hubbard, who, it is supposed, emigrated from Massa- chusetts, and settled in Weathersfield, Ct., as early as 1638. He sub- sequently removed to Guilford. Ct., and thence to Milford in the same State, where he died. John Hubbard, the son of this ancestor, usually designated as John the first, on account of there being several of the same name in the line of descent, resided, at first, in Weathersfield, but removed to Hadley, Mass., about the year 1660; in which place he spent the greater part of his life; but ultimately died in Hatfield, in the family of his son, Isaac, in 1705 or 6.
Isaac Hubbard, the 4th son, and 8th child of the above, was born in Hadley, Massachusetts, Jan. 16th, 1667-married Ann, daughter of Daniel Warner, and settled in Hadley, whence he removed in 1714, to Sunderland, where he became a deacon in the church. He died, Aug. 7th, 1750. His wife also died the same year.
John the eldest son of Dea. Isaac and Ann (Warner) Hubbard, was born in Hatfield, April 20th, 1693-married Hannah Cowles, of East Hartford, Ct., and died Aug. 25th, 1778. He was deacon of the
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church in Hatfield, and was a most substantial and much respected man. The old homestead, the writer is told, is still in possession of the family.
John, the 2nd son, and 4th child of Dea. John and Hannah (Cowles) Hubbard, often designated as John the 3d, was born in Hatfield, Nov. 5th, 1726. He graduated at Yale College in 1747-entered the ministry ; settled May 30th, 1750 over the Congregational church, in Northfield, Mass., to which he continued to preach with great acceptance for nearly forty-five years ; when he died, greatly lamented by his people, on the 28th of November, 1794.
Rev. John Hubbard married Dec. 26th, 1753, Anne, daughter of Capt. Samuel Hunt, of Northfield, and Ann Ellsworth of Windsor, Ct., by which marriage, he had ten children, of whom John the eldest, settled in Charlestown, where he became a distinguished citizen, and was much employed in public life.
John Hubbard, often designated as John the 4th, was baptized in Northfield, Oct. 13th, 1754. The date of his birth has not been ascer- tained, nor the exact time of his coming here to reside. On coming to Charlestown, he established himself in business as a merchant, which became as long as he lived, his permanent employment. His store was at the lower end of Main street, where most of the business of that kind was transacted at that early day. He was so successful in trade, that he was able to accumulate no inconsiderable wealth for that day, by which he was able to give his children the best advantages of edu- cation, which the times then furnished.
Allusion has been made to Mr. Hubbard as having been much em- ployed in public life. The following is a list of the offices which he held in town and county. He was one of the selectmen in 1779-80- 81-82-84 and 85; town treasurer in 1785-86-87 and 88; representa- tive in 1782-84-86 and 87. He was county treasurer from 1796 to 1802; and Judge of Probate from 1789 to 1801, with the exception of the year 1797, when the office was held by Sanford Kingsbury, of Claremont.
Mr. Hubbard married soon after settling in Charlestown, in 1776 or '77, Prudence, the 8th child of Capt. Phineas Stevens, born in the fort Nov. 6th, 1750. By this marriage he had the following children. I. Nancy, b. May 4th, 1779; m. Hon. John C. Chamberlain. (See Cham- berlain). II. Laura, b. Feb. 22nd, 1781; m. Vryling Lovell, Esq. (See Lovell). III. Henry, b. May 3d, 1784. (See sketch of). IV. John jr., b. - -1789 ; d. July 6th, 1841 ; Harriet, wife of John, d.
HENRY HUBBARD.
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April 23d, of the same year. Nancy H., daughter of John and Har- riet Hubbard, d. Nov. 11th, 1842, aged 20. Richard, son of John and Harriet, drowned June 5th, 1842, aged 20. These were all the chil- dren of John, jr., so that this branch of the family is extinct. V. Elizabeth, b. - 1792; m. Henry H. Sylvester. VI. Richard, re- moved to the west and died early.
HON. HENRY HUBBARD.
Henry Hubbard, the eldest son of Hon. John Hubbard, became not only one of the first citizens of Charlestown, but by the public offices to which he was elected, a statesman, extensively known through the nation. A more particular account of his life, will therefore be ex- pected, than of those of our citizens, who held less important positions. From his boyhood, without any marked precocity of mental develope- ment, he was a quick scholar, especially in those branches of knowl- edge, which depend to a considerable degree on the exercise of memory and the perceptive powers. He thus early exhibited the same mental characteristics, which distinguished him in his maturity; so that in him it may be appropriately said, that " the child was father of the man," as, in the highest manifestations of his manhood, there were no disclosures of peculiarities, which might not have been anticipated from a careful observation of his earlier life. We have, therefore, in him to speak of no marked changes, or remarkable transitions, such as have been exhibited by other men of distinction, in passing from one period of life to another, but instead there appears to have been a nat- ural and. harmonious development of his powers, continuously, from the early portion of his life to its close.
Charlestown, in the boyhood of the subject of this memoir, presented many inducements, to excite in the minds of the young, the desire of mental culture. It was not surpassed in its eminent men, by any town in the State. Hon. Benjamin West, was at that time at the height of his reputation, and stood forth preeminently as the first advocate in the State ; and inspired not only the admiration and homage of the bar, but the highest respect and regard of all who truly knew him. As one says, "It was a respect, which genius and virtue united, only can command. It was an homage, which wealth, power, talents or even virtues could not separately inspire." Hon. Simeon Olcott had also at that time, no inconsiderable prominence both in the State and na- tion. He had successively, held the highest positions in all the courts of the State, and had been elected to the Senate of the United States,
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which then, as now, was esteemed one of the highest positions of honor and influence. Nor were these the only persons of more than ordinary distinction of the time ; for to them could be added, Hon. Samuel Stevens, Col. William Heywood, Col. Samuel Hunt, Hon. Samuel Hunt, jr., Dr. William Page, and Dr. Samuel Crosby, who, though men of less reputation, would in any community have passed for most intelligent citizens. There were also Mr. West's and Olcott's law stu- dents, Joseph Dennie, Peleg Sprague, Mills Olcott, John C. Chamber- lain and Thomas Hammond, who were all young men of great prom- ise, and who subsequently made their mark in the world. Whether it was the constant mingling with such men, and in such associations in his boyhood, that excited the desire to obtain an education, in the mind of young Hubbard, or whether it sprung out of promptings from some other source ; the desire was early awakened, and so early that we find him entering Dartmouth College, at the age of fifteen, and gradu- ating at the age of nineteen, in 1803. His preparatory studies were pursued under the tuition of Mr. Hedge, who is said to have been an excellent tutor, and Rev. Dan Foster, who for some years officiated as the minister of Charlestown. On graduating at Dartmouth, he im- mediately decided on the profession of law, and entered upon its study in Portsmouth, N. H., in the office of the Hon. Jeremiah Mason, after- wards so extensively known as one of the best judges of law in the American union. On completing his profession, he immediately re- turned to Charlestown, where he opened his office, and soon gained such a share of public favor, as to obtain a very extensive practice. From the time of his establishing himself in the town, he took an effi- cient part in all its affairs, and was soon honored by his townsmen, by election to important offices. In 1810, he was chosen moderator, which office he held in all, sixteen times. He was 1st selectman in the years 1819-20 and 28, in which last year, he was also moderator and town clerk. He represented the town in the legislature in 1812- 13-14-15-19-20-23-24-25-26-27, eleven times in all. June 16th, 1825, he was chosen speaker of the house of representatives, in place of Hon. Levi Woodbury, who had been elected to a seat in the United States Senate. He was also chosen to the same office in the years 1826 and 27. In 1823, he was appointed solicitor for Cheshire coun- ty, in which capacity exhibiting rare qualities as an advocate, he served the term of five years. On the incorporation of Sullivan coun- ty, he was appointed Judge of Probate, the duties of which office he
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continued to discharge till 1829, when he was chosen a representative to Congress.
In Congress, to employ the language of Chief Justice John James Gilchrist, " He at once distinguished himself by the possession of those qualities which characterized him through life. Always willing to la- bor; never disposed to throw upon others what belonged to himself; indefatigable in the transaction of all business intrusted to him ; an ar- dent political friend, but a courteous antagonist, he had the entire confi- dence of Gen. Jackson and the kindly regard of his opponent. He was a most active member of the Committee of Claims, upon whose de- cision such important interests depended, and signalized himself by his untiring support of the pension act of 1832, which gave their long de- layed recompense to the soldiers of the revolution. In 1834 he was elected to the Senate, where, for the period of six years, he had the im- plicit confidence of the administration, and the democratic party. * In 1842 and 1843 he was elected Governor of New Hampshire. With this office his political career closed, although at every successive elec- tion no one in the state rendered more efficient service to the democratic cause."
It may be added to the above, that soon after leaving the gubernato- rial chair, he was appointed sub-treasurer at Boston, to which city he for a time removed.
Politically, the life of Gov. Hubbard must be divided into two eras : the first, in which he earnestly supported the federalistic or whig party, the second, in which he as earnestly sustained the democracy. His early political education was under the eye and in the midst of the old fed- eralistic leaders, whose characters for probity were unimpeachable, and whose judgments in political matters he appears to have regarded as so entirely worthy of confidence, that the idea of questioning their correct- ness scarcely occurred to him. They were men of refined tastes, culti- vated manners and comprehensive and far-reaching intellects, and had the advantage of occupying both the highest political and social posi- tions. Some of them were frequent visitors at his father's house, where their superior culture and wisdom had so profoundly impressed him, that he had been accustomed to look upon them with a feeling little short of reverence. In this stateof things under the influences generat- ed by respect on the one hand, and by prejudices from early education on the other, that he should drift on in the political party in which he had started for a number of years, was not anything unnatural nor re- markable. It is as one says, "There is probably no me of thember
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community, whatever now may be his views, who cannot recall the time when the political opinions of his immediate friends appeared to him to be incontrovertibly true. Our political as well as our social views are determined as much by temperament as by reasoning,", and we may add that the idea of change is not ordinarially awakened in the minds of men of principle, except through the most powerful convictions. With such convictions Gov. Hubbard, after having thoroughly studied the constitution and the condition of the country professed to have been impressed, and the result was an entire change, both in his political principles and associations ; for, without any hestitation or demurring he suddenly abandoned his whig connections, and went over to the democ- racy. This change was just in season for him to take part in the can- vass which preceded the election to the presidency of General Jackson. The season was opportune, as it related to his future political career. Of course the cry of inconsistency was raised against him, as it always is when one who has been pursuing a particular course abandons it for another; but such are the complicated interests of a great government like the one under which we live, that an independent consideration of the principles on which it ought to be administered, it is reasonable to suppose, may result, and that not unfrequently, in very great and yet honest differences of opinion. And certainly, he who acts in accordance with his convictions, though his conduct may be in direct controversion of his previous course, is more to be commended than he who preserves an apparent consistency at the expense of his moral responsibilities. There is no demand, then, for the accusation of inconsistency, when one who has believed and acted with one political party finds the ground on which he has stood untenable, and changes it for a different one, nor to account for such change is the supposition of mercenary motives any more necessary ; sinee to whatever subject it may relate, every change of opinion which is founded on conviction of right, is not only reasonable, but ought to be made ; and that Governor Hubbard believed he was right, under the circumstances of the nation, in going from the whig party over to the democracy, was not in the slightest degree questioned by those who knew him best. As one says " He sincerely believed that the doctrines of the federal party, were not ex- pansive enough to embrace the rapidly increasing interests of our coun- try." They had had their time and place in the establishment and promotion of our institutions, in which they had been instrumental in accomplishing no unimportant results, in checking the tendency to ul- traism, by which democracy in its early stages had been characterized.
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But in his estimation, their day had gone by, and all the objects which they had been adapted to answer, having been attained, the government in order to reach the true ends for which it is adminis- tered, demanded an infusion of more progressive principles into its ad- ministration. He therefore allied himself to the democratic party, from the doctrines of which it does not appear that he ever swerved. He therefore never hesitated to advocate them, and though his manner of doing it, was often ardent and impassioned, he was still not forget- ful of the courtesy which is always due to political opponents. Politi- cal enemies, says Judge Gilchrist, " of course he had many, but during his long and fearless defense of General Jackson, and his measures, while he was in Congress, his kindness of heart and agreeable manners, placed him on terms of personal intimacy with the most distinguished whigs of the time. The senate, then contained a variety and extent of political capacity, to which hardly an approximation has since been made. Webster, Clay, Crittenden, and Davis, Buchanan, Cass, Cal- houn, Van Buren, Benton and Wright and others, whom to name were only to praise, adorned it by their vigorous eloquence and admin- istrative ability. To have been the associate and friend of such men, is something on which any one may look back with pride."
As a lawyer it is not pretended that Gov. H. had an extensive knowl- edge of books, nor that he was legally learned so far as the quality of such learning depends on the examination of authorities, for he was not constitutionally adapted to the continuous and persevering application which is absolutely essential to one who would excel as a student of books. But his mind was still endowed with the true elements of a law- yer to a remarkable degree. There are few, it is believed, who have had a clearer insight into the fundamental principles of law, or a truer ap- prehension of their application to the administration of justice. Added to this, his logical powers were of a superior order. The whole bearings of a case seemed to be presented before him at one view, when, almost as if by intuition, he would seize on its strong points and present them before the jury in a series of such artful deductions as to make the best possible impression on their mind for his client. He never allowed him- self to give prominence, in presenting a case, to what was merely collat- eral or secondary, but had a most happy faculty of gathering all minor matters into their appropriate relations around those points which were of primary importance. It was his great object to accomplish the most he could under the circumstances for his client, and at this he so direct- ly aimed that he never in any ideal which he had formed to himself of
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