USA > New Jersey > Camden County > The history of Camden county, New Jersey > Part 32
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122 | Part 123 | Part 124 | Part 125 | Part 126 | Part 127 | Part 128 | Part 129 | Part 130 | Part 131 | Part 132 | Part 133 | Part 134
203
THE BENCH AND BAR.
John Newton, Jacob Haines, James Dobbs, Chalkley Haines, Randall Nicholson, Jacob Middleton, William Wannan. They found the defendant not guilty.
The records of the Circuit Court prior to 1852 have been lost, and hence. the exact date of its first session cannot be given, but one was doubtless held in 1845.
The present Court of Errors and Appeals, the last resort in all causes in New Jersey, was created by the new Constitution in 1844. It is composed of the chancellor, the justices of the Supreme Court and six other judges specially appointed for that court, who are usually laymen. John Clement, of Haddon- field, Camden County, has been a lay mem- ber of this court since the year 1864, when he was first appointed.
The Supreme Court is composed of nine justices, and the State is divided into the same number of judicial districts, allotted among the several justices. Camden County is in the Second District, at this time pre- sided over by Justice Joel Parker. Each Supreme Court justice is sole judge of the Circuit Court and ex-officio presiding judge of all the other County Courts in his dis- trict.
The Inferior Court of Common Pleas is presided over by the law judge appointed for the county exclusive of the justices. of the Supreme Court. Prior to the adoption of the new Constitution there was no limit to the number of judges appointed for the Court of Common Pleas, and in some counties they numbered thirty or more judges not learned in the law, any one of whom alone could hold the court. But Sec. 6 of Art. VI of the new Constitution provided that there should be no more than five judges of this court, and in 1855 the Leg- islature fixed the number exclusive of the justice of the Supreme Court at three.
The Court of Oyer and Terminer is com- posed of the justice of the Supreme Court and one or more of the judges of the Court
of Common Pleas. It cannot be held withi- out the justice of the Supreme Court. The Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace is composed of two or more of the judges of the Court of Common Pleas and does not require the presence of the Supreme Court justice.
The Orphans Court may be held by any two judges of the Court of Common Pleas.
Formerly all the county judges, excepting the justices of the Supreme Court, were lay- men, and it was then the practice of such justices to preside in all the County Courtsin all cases except some of the least import- ance.
March 9, 1869, the Legislature passed an act entitled, " An Act to facilitate Judicial proceedings in the county of Camden," em- powering any two judges of the Court of Common Pleas to try all persons charged with offenses (excepting a few of the highest) who were willing to forego the right of in- dictment and trial by jury. At the time of the enactment Asa P. Horner, a farmer of Camden County, was the senior lay judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Camden County, and to him fell the duty of com- mencing the work of the special sessions without the intervention of the jury, and for several years a very brisk business was done in the new special court which had no regular terms, but was called to sit whenever the prosecutor of the pleas had enough per- sons charged with offenses willing to be tried by the court withont a jury, to justify it, which was quite frequent.
The business of the several County Courts increased to such an extent that in 1872 a supplement was passed to the act of 1869, providing that one of the three judges of the Court of Common Pleas of Camden County should be a counselor-at-law, and since that date Camden County has had a special law judge to preside in the Courts of Common Pleas, the Orphans Court and the General and Special Courts of Quarter Sessions of
204
HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
the Peace. And now the Supreme Court justice seldom sits in any Camden County court except the Circuit Court and in the Court of Oyer and Terminer, in which he is required to sit for the trial of treason and criminal homicide cases, which cannot be tried in the Quarter Sessions.
The District Court of the City of Camden was created by an act of the Legislature passed March 9, 1877, entitled, “ An act for constituting courts in certain cities of this State." This court was given exclusive jur- isdiction in all civil causes prior to its crea- tion cognizable before justices of the peace. Richard T. Miller was appointed as the first judge of this court and on the expiration of the first term was reappointed.
JUSTICES OF THE SUPREME COURT.
Thomas P. Carpenter. 1845-1852
Stacy G. Potts. 1852-1859
John Van Dyke. 1859-1866
-
George S. Woodhull 1866-1880
Joel Parker. 1880-1887
PRESIDENT LAW JUDGES.
Charles P. Stratton. 1872-1877
David J. Pancoast. 1877-1882
Charles T. Reed. 1882-1885
John W. Westcott. 1885-
LAY JUDGES .- Following is a list of the lay judges from the organization of tlie county to 1886 :
1844 .- Isaac Cole, James W. Sloan, Joseph C. Collings, Joseph C. Stafford, Nathan M. Lippin- cott, William Brown, Joel Wood, John K. Cow- perthwaite, Joel G. Clark, Joshua Sickler.
1846 .- Richard Stafford, Isaac Donghten, Philip J. Grey.
1847 .- Jesse Smith.
1848 .- Richard W. Snowden, Jesse Peterson, Charles H. French.
. 1849 .- James W. Lamb.
1850 .- Philip J. Grey, Benjamin W. Cooper, Richard W. Snowden, Jesse Peterson, James W. Lamb.
1851 .- Philip J. Grey, Richard W. Snowden, Jesse Peterson, Benjamin W. Cooper, John K. Cowperthwaite.
1852 .- Jesse Peterson, Philip J. Grey, Ben- jamin W. Cooper, John K. Cowperthwaite, William Brown.
1853 .- Philip J. Grey, Benjamin W. Cooper, John K. Cowperthwaite, William Brown, Joseph C. Stafford.
1854 .- Philip J. Grey, John K. Cowperthwaite, William Brown, Joseph C. Stafford, John Clem- ent, Jr.
1855 .- John K. Cowperthwaite, Joseph C. Staf- ford, John Clement, Jr.
1856 .- John K. Cowperthwaite, Joseph C. Staf- ford, John Clement, Jr.
1857 .- John K. Cowperthwaite, Joseph C. Staf- ford, John Clement, Jr.
1858 .- John K. Cowperthwaite, John Clement, Jr., James D. Dotterer.
1859 .- John K. Cowperthwaite, James D. Dot- terer, Joseph B. Tatem.
1860 .- John K. Cowperthwaite, James D. Dot- terer, Joseph B. Tatem.
1861 .- John K. Cowperthwaite, James D. Dot- erer, John Clement.
1862 .- John K. Cowperthwaite, James D. Dot- terer, John Clement.
1863 .- John K. Cowperthwaite, James D. Dot- terer, John Clement.
1864 .- John K. Cowperthwaite, James D. Dot- terer, Joel Horner.
1865 .- John K. Cowperthwaite, James D. Dot- terer, Joel Horner.
1866 .- John K. Cowperthwaite, James D. Dot- terer, Joel Horner.
1867 .- James D. Dotterer, Joel Horner, Ralph Lee.
1868-72 .- Joel Horner, Ralph Lee, Joshua Sickler.
1872 .- Joshua Sickler, Asa P. Horner.
1873-76 .- Asa P. Horner, Joseph B. Tatem. 1877 .- Joseph B. Tatem, Joel Horner. 1878-84 .- Joel Horner, Isaiah Woolston.
1884-86 .- Isaiah Woolston, John Gaunt.
PROSECUTORS OF THE PLEAS.
Abraham Browning. 1844-1849
Edward N. Jeffers,1. 1849-1852
Thomas W. Mulford 1854-1859
George M. Robeson 1859-1864
Richard S. Jenkins. 1864-1884
Wilson H. Jenkins. 1884-
LIST OF ATTORNEYS.
Dates of. admission.
William N. Jeffers November, 1814
Thomas Chapman. November, 1815
Jeremiah H. Sloan February, 1821
Morris Croxall .September, 1821
1 Edward N. Jeffers died io 1852, aod the county was without's prosecutor until 1854.
205
THE BENCH AND BAR.
Richard W. Howell. September, 1827
Robert K. Matlack.
November, 1827
C. V. D. Joline
June, 1874
Abraham Browning
September, 1834
Edward Dudley
November, 1874
William D. Cooper
.February, 1841
Alexander Gray
.February, 1875
John T. Woodhull.
.February, 1875
William C. Dayton
February, 1875
Thomas E. French
February, 1876
Thomas H. Dudley
May, 1845
Peter V. Vorhees
June, 1876
Isaac Mickle.
May, 1845
John K. R. Hewitt.
June, 1876
Charles H. Hollinsbead.
April, 1846
Samuel D. Bergen
.June, 1876
Daniel E. Hough
July, 1849
Augustus F. Richter
November, 1876
Joseph W. Morgan.
.November, 1877
Samuel W. Sparks.
November, 1877
John C. Ten Eyck, Jr.
June, 1878
Timothy J. Middleton. June, 1878
Peter L. Voorhees.
November, 1851
Charles P. Stratton
November, 1851
George M. Robeson
.February, 1854
Richard S. Jenkins.
November, 1855
Lindley H. Miller.
November, 1855
Marmaduke B. Taylor
November, 1856
James M. Scovel
November, 1856
Alden C. Scovel
November, 1856
Gilbert G. Hannah
February, 1857
Philip S. Scovel.
February, 1857
Samuel H. Grey
.November, 1857
Jacob Mulford.
June, 1858
John T. F. Peak
.November, 1861
Caleb D. Shreve
.November, 1861
Benjamin D. Shreve
1862
George W. Gilbert.
February, 1863
Samuel C. Cooper
.February, 1863
Joshua L. Howell.
November, 1863
Charles T. Reed.
June, 1865
Charles S. Howell.
June, 1865
J. Eugene Troth
June, 1866
Martin V. Bergen.
November, 1866
Christopher A. Berge
November, 1866
George F. Fort
November, 1866
Robert M. Browning.
November, 1867
Howard M. Cooper
.November, 1867
Richard T. Miller
November, 1867
David J. Pancoast.
November, 1868
Samuel Davies
February, 1869
James P. Young.
November, 1869
George N. Conrow.
November, 1870
Alfred Flanders.
February, 1871
Herbert A. Drake
.June, 1871
James E. Hayes
November, 1871
John W. Wright
1871
Robert F. Stockton, Jr.
.February, 1872
James H. Carpenter ..
November, 1872
Wilson H. Jenkins.
February, 1873
John H. Fort.
June, 1873
John F. Joline.
November, 1873
Lemuel J. Potts
June, 1878
John W. Westcott.
June, 1878
Charles G. Garrison
November, 1878
William S. Hoffman
November, 1878
Henry A. Scovel.
February, 1879
William S. Casselman.
June, 1879
Jonas S. Miller
June, 1879
Franklin C. Woolman
June, 1879
Karl Langlotz.
June, 1879
Edward A. Armstrong.
.February, 1880
Samuel K. Robbins
June, 1880
John L. Semple.
November, 1880
Samuel P. Jones.
November, 1880
Edmund B. Leaming.
.February, 1881
John J. Crandall
February, 1881
Floranc F. Hogate.
.February, 1881
John J. Walsh.
June, 1881
John Harris.
June, 1881
Henry M. Snyder.
June, 1881
Benjamin F. H. Shreve
June, 1881
Charles I. Wooster.
June, 1881
William W. Woodhull June, 1881
Alfred L. Black.
November, 1881
Howard J. Stanger
June, 1882
John W. Wartman
June, 1882
Howard Carrow
June, 1882
Edmund E. Read, Jr
June, 1882
Samuel W. Beldon.
June, 1882
John F. Harned
November, 1882
Edward H. Saunders.
November, 1882
Joseph R. Taylor
November, 1882
Thomas P. Curley.
November, 1882
Robert C. Hutchinson
February, 1883
Walter P. Blackwood
.February, 1883
Richard S. Ridgway
November, 1883
Israel Roberts
November, 1883
George Reynolds.
February, 1884
Samuel N. Shreve
February, 1884
Ulysses G. Styron
February, 1885
.. L. D. Howard Gilmour
February, 1885
Morris R. Hamilton.
September, 1842
Thomas W. Mulford
November, 1843
James B. Dayton.
September, 1844
Alfred Hugg.
October, 1849
Charles W. Kinsey
.October, 1849
Isaac W. Mickle
January, 1850
Philip H. Mulford.
January, 1851
Thomas B. Harned.
June, 1874
206
HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
George A. Vroom June, 1885
Joshua E. Borton November, 1885
William P. Fowler. November, 1885
Schuyler C. Woodhull. .February, 1886
Pennington T. Hildreth June, 1886
JUSTICES OF THE SUPREME COURT.
THOMAS PASTOR CARPENTER was a lin- eal descendant of Samnel Carpenter, promi- nent in the early history of Pennsylvania. He was born April 19, 1804, at Glassboro', New Jersey.
His father, Edward Carpenter, was the owner of the glass-works at that place for many years, which he and Colonel Hes- ton, as the firm of Carpenter & Heston, es- tablished. His mother was the daughter of Dr. James Stratton, a leading physician of his day at Swedesboro'. His father died when he was quite young and he grew to manhood in the family of his grandfather, at Carpenters Landing (now Mantua). After obtaining a liberal education he studied law under the instruction of Judge White, of Woodbury, and was admitted as an attorney in September, 1830. On October 26, 1838, he was appointed prosecutor of tlie pleas of Gloucester County and took a prominent part in several important trials.
He soon won prominence at the bar and on February 5, 1845, he was appointed by Governor Stratton one of the associate jus- tices of the Supreme Court of New Jersey, his circuit comprising Camden, Burlington and Gloucester Counties. On his retirement from the judgeship, after serving a term of seven years, he devoted himself to the prac- tice of his profession, principally as a coun- selor, and was eminently successful.
At the breaking out of the Rebellion he joined the Union League of Philadelphia, and during the war was an ardent supporter of the Union cause. In 1865 he was active in promoting the success of the Sanitary Fair, occupying as he did the position of president of the New Jersey Department. Jndge Car- penter married Rebecca, daughter of Dr.
Samuel Hopkins, of Woodbury. He was an earnest Christian and in the church always held an honored position, being for many years vestryman, warden and deputy to the Diocesan and General Conventions of the Protestant Episcopal Church.
He was not only an able lawyer, but was well versed in the classics and in general lit- erature. He was greatly respected through- ont the State of New Jersey, of which he was at the time of his death one of her best- known citizens. As a judge of the Supreme Conrt he was held in high esteem by his as- sociates and by the bar of the State for his ability, learning and for the uniform good judgment which he brought to the consider- ation of cases. In the connties where he presided at circuits, and which he visited during his term of office at regular periods, his genial manners and kindly intercourse with the people made him very popular. He died at his home in Camden March 20, 1876.
By his marriage with Rebecca Hopkins, who still survives, he had four children, viz. : Susan M. Carpenter, Anna Stratton Carpen- ter (who died in December, 1869), Thomas Preston Carpenter (who died during infancy), and James H. Carpenter, now a member of the Camden bar.
STACY GARDINER POTTS was born in Har- risburg, Pa., November, 1799. He was the great-grandson of Thomas Potts, a member of the Society of Friends, who, with Mah- lon Stacy and their kindred, emigrated from England in 1678, and landed at Burlington, N. J. The two families of Stacy and Potts intermarried. Stacy Potts, the grandfather of Judge Potts, was a tanner by trade and was engaged in that business at Trenton.
His son removed to Harrisburg, and in 1791 married Miss Gardiner. Judge Potts entered the family of his grandfather in 1808, who was then mayor of Trenton. He attended a Friends' school and then learned the printer's trade. At twenty-one he began to edit the Emporium, of Trenton. In 1827
207
THE BENCH AND BAR.
he was admitted to the bar as an attorney. He was elected to the Assembly in 1828 on the Jackson ticket, and was re-elected in 1829. In 1831 he was appointed clerk of Chancery, held the office for ten years, and during that time published his " Precedents in Chancery." He next visited Europe with his brother, the Rev. William S. Potts, D. D., of St. Louis. In 1845 he served on a commission to revise the laws of the State. In 1847 he was appointed a manager of the State Lunatic Asylum. In 1852 he was nominated by Governor Fort as a justice of the Supreme Court and was confirmed by the Senate. His circuit comprised Camden, Burlington, Gloucester and Ocean Counties. He served as judge one term of seven years with great acceptability and then retired to private life. He was a conscientious judge and a decidedly religious man, serving as a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church for many years. He died at his home in Tren- ton in 1865.
JOHN VAN DYKE was born in New Jer- sey and obtained a thorough academical ed- ucation, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1836. He commenced practice in New Brunswick and at once gained promi- nence in his profession. He was elected a Representative from New Jersey to the Thirtieth Congress in 1846 as a Whig, against Kirkpatrick, the Democratic oppo- nent. He was re-elected to the Thirty-first Congress, receiving seven thousand two hun- dred and eighty-two votes against six thou- sand six hundred and twenty-three for Bill- ian, Democrat, serving in Congress from December, 1847, to March, 1851. He was appointed judge of the Supreme Court of New Jersey by Governor William A. New- ell, and assigned to the district composed of Camden, Gloucester and Burlington Coun- ties in February, 1859, and served one term of seven years, until 1866. He was a man of fine legal attainments and was recog- nized as a good judge.
GEORGE SPOFFORD WOODHULL, associate judge of the Supreme Court of New Jersey from 1866 to 1880, was born near Freehold, Monmouth County, in 1816, and died at his residence, No. 104 Arch Street, Camden, in 1881. His grandfather, John Woodhull, D.D., was pastor of a church at Freehold for a period of forty years, and was a man of fine ability, excellent scholarship and noted piety. His father, John T. Woodhull, M.D., was a skillful physician of Mon mouth County, and well known throughout the State. The early education of Judge Wood- hull was obtained in the schools of his na- tive place, and in 1830 he entered the Col- lege of New Jersey, at Princeton. By assid- uous study and great natural endowments he completed the course in three years and was graduated in 1833. Desiring to take up the study of law, he began a course of reading under the direction of Richard S. Field, Esq., of Princeton. In 1839 he was admitted to practice and three years later he became a counselor. He practiced his pro- fession at Freehold until 1850 when he re- moved to Mays Landing, and for fifteen years was prosecutor of the pleas of Atlantic County. He has been credited with chang- ing the political complexion of Atlantic County during his residence in it. For ten years of the time included above he was pros- ecutor of the pleas of Cape May County. In 1866 he was appointed, by Governor Ward, as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey, and was assigned to the Sec- ond District, comprising the counties of Cam- den, Burlington and Gloucester. He soon gained the reputation of being a fearless, up- right and honest judge, and was character- ized for superior legal attainments. He de- veloped so much strength and popularity as a judicial officer that, in 1873, Hon. Joel Parker, then Governor of New Jersey, though differing from Justice Woodhull in politics, appointed him assistant justice for another term of seven years, and he continued;
208
HISTORY OF CAMDEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.
on the bench until 1880. During his long term of service as a judicial officer his decis- ions were characterized by fairness and great legal ability.
Upon his retirement from the bench he resumed the practice of law in Camden, which he continued until his death.
In April, 1847, Judge Woodhull was married to Caroline Mandiville Vroom, a niece of ex-Governor Vroom, by whom he had five children. He was a man of excel- lent standing in the State of New Jersey, possessing an exemplary character, and was highly honored and respected by the mein- bers of his profession as well as by all people with whom he was associated or by whom he was known.
JOEL PARKER, now one of the justices of the Supreme Court of New Jersey, was born November 24, 1816, near Freehold, Mon- mouth County, N. J. Both his parents were natives of that county. His father, Charles Parker, was a man of excellent business ca- pacity, and, at the time his son was born, was sheriff of the county, and subsequently he was a member of the Legislature, and in 1821 was chosen treasurer of the State, an office which he held for thirteen years, through annual appointments. In 1821 Charles Parker removed to Trenton with his family, and in that city Joel, his son, passed most of his childhood and yonth, attending school at the old Trenton Academy. In 1832 Joel was sent to Monmouth County, to manage a farm belonging to his father, where he re- mained two years, doing all kinds of farming work and laying the foundation of a vigor- ous constitution, which, during a long life of busy toil, has enabled him to perform his onerous duties. In 1834 he quit farming and entered the Lawrenceville High School, where he remained two years. In 1836 he entered Princeton College, whence he was graduated in 1839, and then entered the law- office of Hon. Henry W. Green, a distin- gnished lawyer in Trenton, afterwards chief
justice, and later chancellor of the State. In 1843 Joel Parker, having been admitted to the bar, removed to Freehold and opened a law-office. He has since maintained his resi- dence there, and for forty years has lived in the same house. Within a year after he en- tered on the practice of his profession he married Maria M., eldest daughter of Samuel R. Gummere, then of Trenton, but formerly of Burlington, N. J.
Joel Parker has always been a member of the Democratic party. In 1840 he cast his first vote for Martin Van Buren for Presi- dent. In 1844 he commenced his career as a political speaker, in the Presidential cam- paign which resulted in the election of James K. Polk. From that time till his appoint- ment as justice his services on the stump were sought and given, not only throughout this State, but in adjoining States. In 1847 he was elected a member of the House of Assembly. The Whig party had a large majority in the House. Being the only law- yer on the Democratic side, he was forced into the leadership of the minority, espe- cially on all subjects of a legal or political bearing, and, although the youngest member of the body, he sustained his position with discretion and ability. He framed and intro- duced a series of reform measures, the most important of which was a bill to equalize tax- ation, by which, for the first time in the his- tory of the State, personalty-such as notes, bonds, mortgages and money -- were to be taxed. At that time taxes were assessed only on land and property, called certainties, suclı as horses and cattle, so that the farmers were paying nearly all the taxes. This measure, advocated by Mr. Parker, was popular, and when his speech on the subject was publish- ed, public attention was attracted to him as a rising man. At the next gubernatorial elec- tion, in 1850, George F. Fort was elected Gov- ernor by the Democrats on a platform which had adopted those reform measures. In the following year Mr. Parker declined being a
209
THE BENCH AND BAR.
candidate for State Senator (the nomination to which he was solicited to accept), because it would interfere with his law business, which was increasing. Soon after the in- auguration of Governor Fort he appointed Mr. Parker prosecutor of the pleas of the county of Monmouth. His duties growing out of this position brought him in contact and conflict with some of the ablest lawyers of the State. In the celebrated Donnelly case (which is the leading case on dying decla- rations) he was assisted by the Hon. Wil- liam L. Dayton, then attorney-general of the State, while the prisoner was defended by ex-Governor William Pennington and Jo- seph P. Bradley, now a justice of the Su- preme Court of the United States. In 1860 Mr. Parker was chosen a Presidential elector, and voted in the Electoral College for Ste- phen A. Douglas.
From an early date he had taken an inter- est in military matters. Several years before the Civil War he had been chosen by the field officers of the Monmouth and Ocean Brigade a brigadier-general. Before hostili- ties began he had a fine brigade of uni- formed men, and he was accustomed, at stated periods, to drill them. After the com- mencement of the war Governor Olden (Re- publican) nominated General Parker to be the major-general of militia for the Second Military District, composed of five counties. He was confirmed unanimously by the Senate, accepted the appointment and assist- ed in raising men for United States' service, to put down the Rebellion. He aided ma- terially in raising several regiments, princi- pally composed of men who had belonged to his brigade. In 1862 General Parker was nominated by the Democratic Convention as Governor of the State, and was elected over a very popular opponent by nearly fifteen thou- sand majority. He adhered, during his term, to the principle of the platform on which he was elected, to wit,-" The suppression of the Rebellion by all constitutional means."
He was very active in obtaining volunteers and in equipping them thoroughly for the field. By this promptness he won the good opinion of all loyal men and was thanked by telegram from President Lincoln and Sec- retary Stanton and Governor Curtin. In commendation of his course, he has received the appellation of " War Governor" of New Jersey. When the Confederate army invaded Pennsylvania in 1863, the national authori- ties and also Governor Curtin called on Gov- ernor Parker for troops to repel the invaders. He responded with such great alacrity as to bring forth from the Federal authorities thanks and commendation. Governor Cur- tin wrote, " Permit mne to thank you for your prompt attention," and again on the 24th day of June, 1863, "I cannot close this com- munication without expressing to you the thanks of the people of Pennsylvania for your promptness in responding to our calls," and on the 30th of the same mouth President Lincoln sent to Governor Parker the follow- ing telegram : "Please accept my sincere thanks for what you have done and are doing to get troops forwarded." The next year, when the State of Maryland was invaded, Governor Parker acted in the same spirit of promptness. The communication with Wash- ington was cut off by the enemy and a call could not officially be made upon him for troops, but he anticipated a call and sent troops forward in time to render valuable aid. At the close of his administration the State Gazette, the central organ of the Re- publican party in the State, used the follow- ing language, viz .: "Of the retiring Gover- nor it is proper to remark that in many re- spects he has discharged his duties in a man- ner beyond censure. He was nominated on a platform that pledged support to the United States government in the war for the sup- pression of the Rebellion, and he was faithful to the pledge he gave in accepting the nomi- nation," and in the same article " efforts were made to induce him to resist the con-
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.