Sketches of prominent Tennesseans. Containing biographies and records of many of the families who have attained prominence in Tennessee, Part 12

Author: Speer, William S
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Nashville, A. B. Tavel
Number of Pages: 1278

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Since his retirement from Congress he has given his attention exclusively to his private affairs.

From carly youth he has always been more keenly interested in political affairs than in all other subjects, and his many friends in Tennessee have never acqui- esced in his permanent seclusion from the business of the nation.

Gen. Whitthorne became a Mason as soon as eligible; was made a Master Mason in National Lodge, No. 12, at Washington, in 1846, by Gen. James Shields, W. M. He was made a Royal Arch Mason in Columbia, Ten- nessee, in 1850; a Knight Templar in 1870, and has served as W. M. of Columbia Lodge, No. 31, and held some Chapter offices. He joined the Knights of Pyth- ias in 1870.

He was an alternate delegate to the Charleston Dem- cratic convention in 1860. He was nominated to that convention through the influence of Andrew Johnson, and represented there the leading views of that states- man.

He was elector for the State at large in 1860, on the Breckinridge electoral ticket, and made a thorough canvass of the State, meeting on the stump such men as N. G. Taylor, John S. Brien, Henry S. Foote, John L. Hopkins, Harvey M. Watterson, J. Knox Walker and Reese Brabson.

Gen. Whitthorne is not a member of any church organization. Mrs. Whitthorne is a member of the Episcopal church.

The family of Gen. Whitthorne are generally sup- posed to have migrated into Ireland during the six- teenth or seventeenth century, from near the border line between England and Scotland. His father, Wil- liam J. Whitthorne, lost his father while he was yet an infant, and came to Richmond, Virginia, with one of his maternal uncles while very young, and when in his fourteenth year was apprenticed to the saddler's trade in Orange county, North Carolina. Upon reaching his majority, he settled at Carthage, in Tennessee, where

he worked at his trade with Mr. John Rains and Robert I. Chester, who were fellow -journeymen with him. Gen. Whitthorne's father died in 1875, at the age of seventy-eight years. He was a man of great firmness energy and exactitude of character, the latter quality being manifested in the form of punctuality and a noticeable neatness of person. He was a member of the Presbyterian church, though educated as a Catholic.

Gen. Whitthorne's mother was Eliza J. Wisener, who was remarkable for energy, industry and common sense. She was of mingled Welch and German descent ; her grandparents were in our Revolutionary war, and her father, Martin Wisener, was in the war of 1812. Iler brother, William II. Wisener, of Shelbyville, a lawyer, was a prominent politician in the ranks of the Whig and Republican parties. He was several times in the State Legislature, and once speaker of the House of Repre- sentatives; he was also a candidate for governor of the State, but was not elected.

Gen. Whitthorne's deceased brothers were: (1). James Whitthorne, died at home of disease contracted while serving in the Mexican war. (2). De Witt Clin- ton Whitthorne, killed in Nicaragua in 1851 or 1852, while serving as a lieutenant in Gen. Walker's filibus- ters. (3). Dr. G. M. Whitthorne, died recently in Fayette county, Tennessee. (4). Dr. A. J. Whitthorne, died at Pulaski from the effects of wounds received in the civil war. Ilis living brothers are: (1). Samuel HI. Whitthorne, who removed some eight or ten years ago to Benton, Arkansas; lawyer, politician and editor ; has shown ability in all three capacities. (2). W. J. Whitthorne, Columbia; held the position of 'circuit court clerk there for eight years; an active and efficient officer. (3). Bromfield R. Whitthorne, cashier of the National Bank of Shelbyville. Gen. Whitthorne has one sister, Miss Felicia Whitthorne, who resides with her brother Bromfield.

Gen. Whitthorne married in Columbia, Tennessee, July 4, 1848, Miss Jane Campbell, a native of Colum- bia, daughter of Col. Robert Campbell, a planter of a North Carolina family. Her mother was Elizabeth Polk, daughter of John Polk. Both her parents, who were cousins, were related to President Polk, who, as well as Robert Campbell, was a grandson of Ezekiel Polk. Mrs. Whitthorne graduated at the Columbia Female Institute; she still preserves much of the beauty for which she was noted when a young lady. She is remarkable for energy and industry, as well as for her dignity and urbanity in her social relations.

Gen. and Mrs. Whitthorne have had ten children in all, four of whom they lost within ten days by the dreaded children's epidemic, diphtheria. They have left to them three sons and three daughters: (1). Campbell W., now occupied with some mining property near Batesville, Arkansas. (2). Lily, married to Charles P.

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Cecil, a farmer and stock raiser near Danville, Ken- tucky ; they have three children, Charles P., Janie and Sarah. (3). Ella, married to Alexander Harvey, a manufacturer residing in Baltimore; they have one child, Janie. (4). The single daughter, Mary, attending Mount Vernon Institute, Baltimore .. (5). Washington C., jr., and (6), Harry, attending Center College, Dan- ville, Kentucky.

The earliest principle Gen. Whitthorne adopted for his conduct in life was to live within his income. He says that he has had many ups and downs in life, and that his circumstances have uniformly been prosperous or adverse according as he adhered to that rule or departed from it. In any undertaking, whether it was a lawsuit, a speech in Congress, or committee work, or a stump speech, he was always successful, provided he had previously made himself thoroughly familiar with all the details of the matter in hand ; on the other hand, whenever he has failed to do this, he has met with em- barrassment and uncertainty in the result. In all cases

it has been essential to success to give his undivided attention to the business before him.

The revising editor ventures on the opinion that an important element in this gentleman's political success has been fidelity to party leaders. In the earlier stages of his career he received valuable aid from President Polk and Andrew Johnson, and these services he repaid by devotion to the interests of his party chiefs. The writer is aware that such conduct is in the present day esteemed inconsistent with originality and independence of spirit, but he always suspects that independence which leads a young man to disdain the guidance of .. more experienced statesmen to arise much more from self-conceit than originality of intellect.

Gen. Whitthorne is five feet eight inches high ; weighs one hundred and sixty-three pounds, has gray eyes and hair, with features of a type partly Grecian, partly Trish ; his manners are graceful and easy, and may be pronounced those of the typical lawyer and congress- man.

HON. RODERICK . RANDOM BUTLER.

MOUNTAIN CITY.

T' IIIS gentleman, like his political associate, Mr. Houck, is one of the self-made men of East Ten- nessee. He was born in Wytheville, Virginia, April 8, 1830. Ilis father died while he was an infant, and he was raised in his mother's family till he was thirteen years old, when he was apprenticed to a tailor, John W. Haney, of Newbern, Virginia, with whom he served an apprenticeship of six years, and then emigrated to Johnson county, Tennessee, where he now lives. He states that he arrived there with a bundle of clothing tied up in a handkerchief, on his back, and seventy-five cents in his pocket. He commenced working at his trade at Taylorsville, the county seat of Johnson, which has recently adopted the more romantic name of Moun- tain City. Here he worked till he was twenty-one years old, when he commenced studying law with Carrick W. Nelson. He was called to the bar in November, 1853, being licensed by Chancellor Thomas L. Williams and Judge Seth Luckey. He was at once taken into part- nership by his preceptor, C. W. Nelson, with whom he practiced in Johnson and Carter counties from 1853 to 1861.

When the war broke out, he took the Union side and was commissioned by Gen. Burnside to raise a regiment of infantry. Col. Miller was at the same time similarly engaged, and when each had partially suceceded their respective contingents were consolidated into a single regiment, of which Miller became colonel, and Butler lieutenant-colonel. Hle resigned at Nashville, in 1861,

on account of impaired health. Prior to actual hostili- ties he was several times arrested by the Confederate authorities, and tried for treason at Knoxville, but ac- qnitted.

Prior to the war he had attained the following posi- tions: (1). Elected major of first battalion of Tennes- see militia, about 1850, before he was. of age. (2). Appointed brigade inspector on fien, James T. Carter's staff. (3). Elected judge of the county court in 1855, and held the office two years. (4). Elected to the Leg- islature from Johnson county, and served in the session of 1859-60. (5). Re-elected and served in the session of 1861-62. and was one of the sixteen who voted against the military organization and the other meas- ures which resulted in the secession of the State. As soon as the war was over and the Legislature re- established, he was elected (6) State Senator from the counties of Johnson, Sullivan, Washington and Carter, and served in the session of 1865-66. During that session he was appointed by Gov. Brownlow (7) judge of the first judicial circuit, comprising the coun- ties of Sullivan, Washington, Johnson, Carter, Greene, Hawkins and Hancock. This post he held till (8) he was elected to Congress, in 1867, from the first congres- sional district, comprising the counties of Johnson, Carter, Sullivan, Washington, Greene, Hawkins, Han- cock, Grainger, Cocke, Jefferson and Sevier. (9). Elected to the four cusuing Congresses, serving eight years. Throughout this period he acted steadily with

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the Republican party, and served on many important committees, those on Indian affairs, elections, educa- - tion, labor, and the revision of the laws ; he was the youngest member on the last-named committee, and was also chairman of the committee on military affairs: (10). In 1878 he was again elected to the State Legislature from Johnson and Carter counties, and served in the sessions of that year and 1879. He was re-elected in 1880, 1881, 1883, and (11) in 1884 he was elected floterial representative from the district composed of the counties of Johnson, Carter, Sullivan, Washington, Greene and Unicoi.

In all he has served fourteen years in the State Legisla- ture and eight in Congress. He was successively dele- gate to the national Republican conventions which nominated Lincoln, Grant, Hayes and Garfield, though he was prevented attending the latter by ill health. He was a Whig before the war, and as such was ap- pointed postmaster of Taylorsville, and held the office for four years. When not serving in Congress or in the State Legislature he practices law, being a member of several law firms, such as Butler & McDowell, in Bris- tol; Butler & Donelly, in Mountain City; and Butler & Emmert, at Erwin, in Unicoi county.

Judge Butler is a man made for popularity, and has been recognized since his first entrance into public life as a political leader of consummate ability, second only in East Tennessee to Andrew Johnson, whose origin and early start in life present a remarkable parallel with his antecedents. In his own county there was. but one vote cast against him in each of two elections. He has a commanding presence, being six feet high, with a weight of two hundred pounds; upright in atti- tude and jovial in bearing, always ready to express his views and able to defend them ; knowing the people and known of them. In political work he is indefatigable, never resting while there is an end to be accomplished to which he can contribute his efforts. In the State Legislature, while his influence is supreme with his own party, there is no man with whom his political an- tagonists are so ready to discuss points of comnon interest, and he enters into such discussions with an engaging frankness that disarms political animosity. Ho drinks no whiskey, uses no tobacco, sleeps barely six hours, and is never idle when awake. His rule of life may be expressed in his own words: " Never de- sert a friend or pander to an enemy; especially never desert an old friend for a new one-rivet your friends to you and let your enemies go."

Judge Butler said to the editor, "If my time were to go over, I would attend to my profession and nothing else ; I would never go into politics ; there is no money in it, it is a dog's life ; the politician is a pack-horse for everybody, has to go everybody's security and neglect one's private affairs."

To all which this editor is profoundly skeptical, firmly believing that, if the time were to go over, if' R. R.

Butler were again only twenty years old, and a political opening were visible, he would jump in, even as young ducks take to the water; yes, though he knew all he does now"; if he knew, as he does know, that politics involves much loss and but little profit; if he knew that he should meet with treacherous friends and un- serupulous enemies; if he knew, as he well knows, that the politician's merits are constantly nibbled at by de- tractors and his errors proclaimed from the house-top, he would still be a politician and nothing but a politi- cian. The strife of parties is the only element in which his faculties can find their field of action, the storm of political agitation, the only atmosphere in which he can breathe. R. R. Butler is a politician by nature aud Naturam cepellas farca tamen usque recurret.

Judge Butler married in Johnson county, Tennessee, January 7, 1849, Miss Emeline Donelly, daughter of Richard Donelly, an old-style Virginian gentleman who emigrated from Albemarle county, Virginia ; noted in his day as a splendid horseman. His father emigrated from Dublin to Albemarle county, Virginia, and settled there ; he was a soldier in the war of 1812. Mrs. Butler's mother, Rebecca Doran, was a daughter of Maj. Alexander Doran, a large farmer of Washington county, Virginia. He, too, was a soldier of 1812. He served as a member of the Tennessee Legislature from Carter county, the first representative of that part of the county which lies east of the mountains. He was brig- ade inspector under Gen. Taylor.

By his marriage with Miss Donelly, Judge Butler has seven sous and two daughters: (1). Richard HI., has been county court clerk ; is a farmer and merchant at Mountain City. (2). James . G., married a Miss Gray- son, and is a physician of high reputation. (3). Geo. ()., now in Oregon sheep farming. (4). William R., a prominent physician ; married a Miss Grayson. (5). Samuel S. D. G., a farmer in Johnson county ; married a Miss Kiser. (6). John Bell, sheep farming in Oregon, with his brother George. (7). Edward East, reading law. (8). Virginia, wife of James HI. Church, a lawyer at Mountain City. (9). Bessie, wife of W. R. Keys, a teacher and propriecor of the Tennessee Tomahawk.

Judge Butler's father, George Butler, was born in Maryland, raised and married in Virginia, and died in Wytheville, Virginia, in 1829, at the age of forty. He was a school teacher, a graduate of a German college ; tall and handsome; an independent man of decisive character. He was the only man in his county who voted for Adams against Jackson for the presidency, he being sheriff of the county at the time.

The grandfather of Judge Butler, the Rev. John George Butler, of Cumberland, Maryland, was a minis- ter of the Lutheran church. A grandson of his, the Rev. Dr. Butler, is known as pastor of the Memorial Lutheran church at Washington City, which was "dedicated to Almighty Good for the preservation of the union of the United States." The Butlers are a Ger

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man family, of which United States Senator Butler, of South Carolina, is a member; another branch of the family emigrated to Ohio.

Judge Butler's mother, was of Scotch-Trish origin, born in Tyrone county, Ireland, near Newton Stewart, daughter of Dr. Samuel Leitch, of Edinborough. Her mother, Rebecca Hay, of Tyrone county, Ireland, died at . Wytheville, Virginia, 1817, leaving two children, Nancy, mother of Judge Butler, and Rebecca.

Judge Butler's mother died in 1859, leaving four children, George, Gustavus, Oliver and Roderick Ran- dom, all of whom are now dead except the last named, subject of this sketch. He has succeeded by hard work and indomitable resolution ; has given his chil- dren a good education and trained them to work for their living. By industry and economy he bas accumu- lated a respectable fortune in spite of the loss of fifteen thousand dollars security debts. Without disregarding public opinion, he has never yielded his leading opin- ions, policy or principles to it ; he accepts flattery for what it is worth and laughs detraction out of countenance.

He became a Master Mason at Taylorsville, in 1852.

Hle has good health and great constitutional vigor, and promises to be a man of influence in political af- fairs for many years.

A prominent lawyer of East Tennessee writes to the editor as follows: " I have known Judge Butler inti- mately ever since the war .. He went on the bench in 1865, and presided with dignity and impartiality. Af- terwards he was four times elected to Congress. Asalaw- yer, he stands at the head of the profession ; as an advo- cate, he is superior ; as a man, he is noble and generous, faithful to his duties, true to his friends, and liberal to his enemies; as a politician, he is shrewd and cunning, and most generally carries his point. Socially, he has few, if any, superiors. He is now, as he has been ever since I have known him-twenty years-a consistent but firin, unflinching Republican, and a strong advocate for temperance in all its forms. He is a member of no church, yet attends church services more regularly than many professed Christians. In manners and in social life, he is an exceptionably pleasant gentleman, and a man who commands the respect of all with whom he comes in contact.

HON. HENRY J. LIVINGSTON.

BROWNSVILLE.

T ILE immediate ancestry of Hon. Henry J. Liv- ingston were of South Carolina stock. His father, Thomas . Price Livingston, was born on James Island, in front of Charleston, South Caro- lina, March 29, 1807. Ile was a cotton planter and slaveholder; a class-leader and steward in the Metho- dist church; a man of uncompromising integrity and a strong advocate of the South during the war. He removed to Tennessee in 1847, locating first in Henry county, and in 1848 settled in Haywood county, where he died, April 19, 1875.

Judge Livingston's mother was Rachel Livingston nee Shuler. The Shuler family are of German extraction and one among the oldest German fami- lies in the Pahnetto State. Her father was Daniel Shuler, and her mother, Catharine Rhodes, also of South Carolina. Mrs. Livingston was born in Orange burg district, South Carolina. December 21, 1800; was married there ; and died in Haywood county, Tennes see, June 17, 1853. She was an excellent and most pious Christian woman.

By this marriage there were six children: (1). James L., now a farmer in Haywood county, Tennessee. (2). Henry J., subject of this sketch. (3). Lawrence W., who was a Confederate soldier under Gen. Price, and was killed in Arkansas. (4). Adaline A., now

the wife of J. N. Carlton, a farmer in Haywood county. (5). Thomas O., deceased. (6). Caroline E., wife of W. C. MeConico, a farmer in Haywood county.

Henry J. Livingston was born in Orangeburg district, South Carolina, February 20, 1834. He was brought up to work on his father's farm, picked cotton and plowed corn there until 1817, when his father removed to Tennessee, and the young man continued the same occupation, gaining in health, muscle and industry, as he grew in years. His literary education was obtained at the best schools in Brownsville, and included a fair knowledge of Latin, Greek and mathematics, with an especial fondness for the latter and subsequently for the study of law, as early as his twentieth year. He began reading law January 1, 1856, under Gen. L. M. Camp- bell, of Brownsville, and after eight months' active and studious preparation, entered the middle class in the Law Department of the Cumberland University at Lebanon, Tennessee. He remained at Lebanon from September, 1856 to June, 1857, at which time he gradu- ated under Profs, Nathan Green, Sr., Nathan Green, Jr., Abram Caruthers, and President Robert L. Ca- ruthers. After graduating he was licensed by Chan- cellor B. L. Ridley and Judges Robert L. Caruthers. Robert J. Mckinney and William R. Harris, of the Supreme bench. He began practice at Brownsville, in

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November, 1857, and practiced there up to the war, and also, after the war, until he went on the bench- thus evincing the possession of staying power which must be reckoned always as a factor of success. Dur- ing nearly all this time he was a partner of Attorney- General Benjamin J. Lea, the firm being Lea & Livingston.

In August, 1872, Gov. John C. Brown appointed the Hon. Henry J. Livingston chancellor of the teuth chancery division of the State of Tennessee, compris- iug the counties of Hardeman, Lauderdale, Fayette, Madison, Tipton and Haywood, and under this commis- sion he served two years at a salary of two thousand five hundred dollars per annum. He has since been twice elected to the same place: first, in 1874, to fill out the unexpired term of Judge James Fentress, who had resigned; and, secondly, in 1878, for a term of eight years, which expires September, 1886.

Judge Livingston also served with credit and bravery as a Confederate soldier. He entered the army in May, 1861, at Jackson, Tennessee, as a private in the " Hay- wood Rangers," a cavalry company, commanded by Capt. R. W. Haywood, and served in that company until the close of the war. . This company formed a part of the Seventh Tennessee cavalry regiment, Forrest's com- mand. Livingston was made a lieutenant soon after joining the company, and remained a lieutenant therein until its surrender at Gainesville, Alabama, May 10, 1865, after seeing service in Tennessee, Missouri, Ken- tucky, Mississippi and Alabama, and in all the various battles where Forrest led. Hle commanded hisregiment in the fight at Wyatt, on the Tallahatchie river, in Mississippi. He was taken prisoner November 8, 1862, at Lamar, Mississippi, and exchanged at Vicks- burg, December 3, 1862. At Columbia, Tennessee, November 25, 1864, in the fight when Hood was moving upon Nashville, he was wounded in the left shoulder by a minnie ball, and in every engagement in which he par- ticipated he bore himself' with the gallantry of a good soldier.

In politics Judge Livingston is regarded as an un- wavering Democrat. He was a Democrat in childhood, a Breckinridge Democrat when the war came on, and since the war a regular, straight party man, voting the square ticket. In the Democratic State couvention of' 1872, which nominated John C. Brown for governor, Judge Livingston opposed the nomination of Greeley for president. In that convention he was with Hon. John M. Fleming, of Knoxville; Hon. D. M. Key, of Chattanooga ; Gen. William A. Quarles, Hon. T. B. Ivie, Col. M. C. Gallaway and others, placed on the committee on platform, and advocated a square Demo- erat as the national nominee of the party. Messrs. Quarles, Ivie and Livingston opposed the majority of the committee and presented a minority report, Judge Livingston making an able speech on it, but the minority report was voted down Since that time he

has attended no State convention ; but he has many times since been congratulated by men who opposed him in that convention for the firm stand he took against the Greeley nomination. He has never believed in shams or half-way measures.

Judge Livingston has never belonged to any order or secret society of any kind. In religion, he is a Metho- dist, having joined that church in 1873. He was raised in a Methodist family, and always had a reverence for religion, being fully persuaded of its propriety and necessity, and never once doubted the truth of Chris- tianity.

Judge Livingston married, at Stanton, Haywood county, Tennessee, November 28, 1872, Miss Tempe J. Somervell, who was born at White Sulphur Springs, North Carolina, November 10, 1850. Mrs. Livingston's father was Joseph Brehon Somervell, a large planter, of firm character and unquestioned integrity, the son of James Somervell, a lawyer of ability and note in North Carolina. James Somervell was the son of John Som- ervell, who was the son of John Somervell, son of James Somervell, of Kennox, the last being a lieneal descendant of Walter Somervell, who came from Nor- mandy with William, the Conquerer, about 1066. Her mother, nee Mary Eliza Jones, was the daugh- ter of William Duke Jones, a prominent citizen of North Carolina. William Duke Jones was a direct descendant of the famous "grandmother Cook," the first white woman that ever crossed Roanoke river. Among " grandmother Cook's " descendants in Tenes- see are Judge Carthell, of Trenton, Hon. John HI. Freeman, and Judge Thomas J. Freeman, the latter of the Supreme Court of the State, Mrs. Livingston graduated at the Memphis Conference Female Institute under Dr. Amos W. Jones. She is also a member of the Methodist church, and is beloved as a most excel- lent Christian lady. Among other accomplishments, she is a fine musician, and, indeed, is one of those in- telligent, dignified and practical women, all devotion, who make the world bright and man's life a delight.

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Sketches of prominent Tennesseans. Containing biographies and records of many of the families who have attained prominence in Tennessee, Part 12

Author: Speer, William S Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Nashville, A. B. Tavel Number of Pages: 1278

Author: Speer, William S
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Nashville, A. B. Tavel
Number of Pages: 1278