Sketches of prominent Tennesseans. Containing biographies and records of many of the families who have attained prominence in Tennessee, Part 7

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

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Maj. Childress married twice: first, in June, 1831, near Murfreesborough. to Miss Sarah Williams, daugh- ter of Mr. Elisha Williams, a wealthy farmer in Ruth- erford county. Mrs. Childress's mother was a daughter of Mr. Philip Philips, of Pennsylvania, a large land speculator in Tennessee. By this marriage there were six children: (1). Mary, wife of Col. James M. Avent, a prominent lawyer of Murfreesborough, and mother of four children. (2). James K. Polk Childress, who mar- ried the daughter of Dr. Ben. W. Avent, and died in 1862, at the age of twenty-four. (3). Elisha, who entered the Confederate service in the famous Second Tennessee regiment, commanded by Col. Win. B. Bate, and died in 1862, just after the battle of Shiloh. (4). John W., jr., now a successful lawyer at Nashville, and junior partner of the firm of Colyar, Marks & Childress; mar-

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ried Miss Mary Lyon, daughter of Rev. Dr. James A. Lyon, an eminent Presbyterian minister of Washington county, Tennessee, for thirty years stationed at Colum- bus, Mississippi, and for ten years professor in the I'niversity of Mississippi, at Oxford; by this marriage there are three children. At the beginning of the war he was a cadet at the Western Military Institute, at Nashville, and left there to enter the Confederate army ; was given a commission as drill sergeant by Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston, and joined the command the day be- fore the battle of Fort Donelson, where he was cap- tured, being at the time not sixteen years of age. On being exchanged he was made adjutant of his regiment, with the rank of lieutenant; and held that rank until the battle of Bentonville, when he was made captain. On the several occasions during the war when his regi- ment was consolidated with other regiments he, though always the junior adjutant, was every time appointed adjutant of the new regiment. Capt. Childress since the war was for several terms chairman of the State Democratic Executive Committee of Tennessee, and filled the place with signal ability. (5). Bettie, now the wife of Ex-Gov. John C. Brown, and noted as one of the most elegant and highly cultivated ladies in the State; is the mother of four children. (6). Joseph, who joined the Confederate army near the close of the war at the age of fifteen; after the war marrried Mollie, the daughter of Hon. Edwin A. Keeble, of Murfrees- borough, at one time Speaker of the lower house of the Tennessee Legislature, and also a member of the Confederate Congress. Joseph died a few years after marriage, leaving three children.

The first Mrs. Childress died in 1851, and in October, 1852, Maj. Childress was married to Miss Mary Philips, daughter of Judge Joseph Philips, of Rutherford coun- ty, unele of the first Mrs. Childress. Judge Philips was a captain of artillery in the war of 1812, and at the close of that war settled in Illinois, and was made the first Secretary of the Territory of Illinois, and was af- terwards made Judge of the Supreme Court. He was

first married in Illinois to Miss Morrison, and after her death came to Tennessee and married again. Several years later he was made president of the People's Bank, at Nashville, and filled that position several years. He died in Rutherford county, in 1857, at the age of seven- ty-three.

By his second marriage Maj. Childress was the father of six children : (1). William, a farmer of Rutherford county; married Miss Inez Wade, daughter of Levi Wade, Esq., and has three children. (2). Horace, also a farmer in Rutherford county; married to Miss Shelley Maney, daughter of Maj. Louis M. Maney, of Murfrees- borough, and granddaughter of Ex-Gov. Newton Can- non ; has two children. (3). Eloise, wife of Edgar P. Smith, Esq., an able lawyer, who at one time was assist- ant attorney-general of the Murfreesborough district; has one child. (4). Annie, aged eighteen years. (5). Eu- gene, aged fifteen years. (6). Saline, aged eleven years.

Maj. Childress came of Presbyterian stock, and his wives have both been members of that church; but he was never connected with any church organization.

Maj. Childress began his life with but little of this world's goods, but by steady industry, energy, and close attention to business he worked his way to the front. He always dealt on a cash basis, never going in debt, especially after the late war. Pre- vious to the war he had amassed a handsome prop- erty, and was one of the largest land and slave owners in Rutherford county. He remained at home when the war began, but being harassed by the Federals he went South with his family, and on returning after peace was declared, found every thing swept away except his lands. But the same indomitable energy that characterized the struggles of his carlier manhood was brought to bear on his shattered fortunes.

Maj. Childress died at Murfreesborough, October 6, 1884, since this volume was begun, universally regretted, and followed to his grave by an immense concourse of his fellow-citizens, who now cherish the memory of his upright life and sterling integrity.

GEN. ALEXANDER W. CAMPBELL.

JACKSON.

T' HIE subject of this sketch was born in the city of Nashville, June 4, 1828, being descended, on his paternal side, from a member of the colony, bearing the family name, which emigrated from Scotland and the north of Ireland, in 1825, settling first in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, but removing after a few years to Amelia county, Virignia. His great grandfather, with others of the same colony, afterwards moved from Amelia county to western Virginia, and settled in the

territory now embraced in Washington and Wythe counties. His grandfather, Maj. William Campbell, was born in Wythe county, and his grandmother, Miss Anne Campbell (a distant relative), was born in Wash- ington county, where they were married. Soon after their marriage they removed to Lexington, Kentucky, where Gen. Campbell's father was born, in 1799. Maj. William Campbell was a cousin of Col. Arthur Camp- bell, and his wife a nicee of Gen. William Campbell,

PROMINENT TENNESSEANS.

who fell in the Revolutionary battle of Eutaw Springs. Maj. William Campbell was at one time one of the largest pioneer merchants west of the Alleghanies, his business connections extending from the falls of the Ohio to New Orleans, and embracing every important business point on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. The business disasters growing out of the great financial crisis of 1817 so impaired his fortunes that he retired from commercial pursuits and accepted the position of superintendent of the mineral lands of the Northwest, tendered him by Gen, Jackson, who was his intimate personal and political friend, bis headquarters being fixed at Galena, Illinois. While residing here the Black Hawk war broke out, and he was elected to com- mand a battalion of volunteer's from the State of Illi- nois. While the father of our subject was a youth Maj. William Campbell moved from Lexington to the Green river country, in Kentucky, and made his home in Greeneville, where he established the first bank in that part of the State, of which he made his son, then only nineteen years old, the cashier. After a considera- ble period of most acceptable service in his father's bank, the father of Gen. Campbell, who had received a good preparatory education at Hopkinsville, Kentucky, entered Dickinson college, Pennsylvania, from which he was graduated in 1825. In the meantime, Maj. Campbell had moved to Nashville, to which place his son returned upon leaving college, and studied and commenced the practice of law, being associated, both in the study and practice of his profession, with such subsequently distinguished men as Bailey Peyton, Henry A. Wise, Dixon Allen, Thomas Washington and Francis B. Fogg. In 1827 he was married to Miss Jane E. Porter, daughter of Alexander Porter, one of the pioneer merchants of Nashville. Before he had well established himself in his profession, in which his talents and excellent training promised a brilliant ca- reer, the Union bank was chartered, and there being in those days so few who had any experience in the bank- ing business, he was offered and accepted the position of cashier of the branch of the new bank at Jackson, in West Tennessee, to which point he proceeded and opened the bank on the first day of July, 1833, his young family following in the succeeding November. He continued in charge of the affairs of the bank for sixteen years, until 1849, when he retired and devoted himself to his planting interest, dealing largely also in wild lands in West Tennessee. He died on his planta- tion, near Jackson, in June, 1874. He had one brother and one sister. The former, Robert C. Campbell, lived for many years at Ashport, Tennessee, engaged in plant- ing, where he raised a large family of children, and from which place he removed to Paducah, Kentucky, just previous to the civil war. He died while on a visit to a daughter in Texas, in 187 -. His sister, Cynthia Ann, married first Dr. Samuel R. Campbell, who lived but a short time. She then married Lieutenant George W.

MeGehee, of Georgia, a graduate of West Point, who died at an early age. She afterwards married Mr. John Siddall, of Illinois, who died of yellow fever in New Orleans, in 1853. She is still living with her only child, John O. McGehee, in Concrete, Texas.

The maternal grandfather of Gen. Campbell, Alex- ander Porter, was born in Ireland, and first settled at Jonesborough, in East Tennessee, where he married Miss Susan Massengill. While living at Jonesborough, the Irish rebellion of 1798 broke out, and his eldest brother, Rev. James Porter, a Presbyterian minister, one time professor of chemistry in the University of Dublin, became involved in the troubles of the country," which determined him to return to his native island to look after the welfare of his relatives. His brother James was tried on a charge of treason, convicted and executed. His younger brothers, Robert and William, succeeded in making their escape from the country, and came to America with him. He afterwards brought over two sisters and two nephews, Alexander and James, sons of his brother James. His brother Rob- ert died unmarried. His brother William first lived at Carthage, in Smith county, from which place he re- moved to Maury county, where he died, leaving three children, Louisa, Mary and William. Louisa married John Morgan, and Mary married Samuel Mayes, mer- chants of Columbia. William Porter, jr., died during the civil war, leaving a widow and several children in Co- lumbia. Alexander and James Porter, sons of Rev. James Porter, both read law while living with the grand- father of Gen. Campbell, in Nashville, and after the ac- quisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States, removed there and commenced the practice of their profession. Upon the organization of the State gov- erment of Louisiana, Alexander was appointed one of the judges of the Supreme Court, and his brother James was made Attorney-General. They both engaged in sugar planting and acquired large estates. Alexan- der Porter represented the State of Louisiana in the Senate of the United States, and was an intimate friend of Henry Clay. His only child, a daughter, married Mr. Alston, a son of Gov. Alston, of South Carolina. Both died young, leaving no children. The widow of James Porter, and two daughters, are now living in Attakapas, Louisiana. Alexander Porter's sister, Re- becca, married Mr. Allison, who left, surviving her, Maj. Alexander Allison and Mr. Andrew Allison, of Nashville, and Dr. Robert Allison, of Lebanon.

Gen. Campbell's maternal grandfather, Alexander Porter, and his wife, Susan Massengill, had seven chil- dren, to-wit: James A. Porter, Matilda Porter (who married Robert W. Green), Penelope Porter (who mar- ried James Woods), Jane Eliza ( who married John W. Campbell, his father), Alexander M. Porter, William Porter, and Robert M. Porter. James A. Porter first married Miss Sally Ann Murphy, of Louisiana, by whom he had one child, Capt. Alexander J. Porter, now living

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in Nashville. His second wife, Miss Amanda MeNairy, is also living in that city. Mrs. Matilda Green died in 1531, in Decatur, Alabama, and left four children, Susan, Jane, Alexander P., Robert W., and Matilda P., all of whom are dead except. the last, who married James W. Armstrong, and now resides in Abilene, Texas. Jane Eliza, the mother of Gen. Campbell, died in December, 1819, leaving ten children, viz .: Alexan- der W., Susan Ann, Ann Matilda, Penelope Porter, Jane Eliza; Cynthia Roberta, Mary Madeline, John James, Robert Porter, and Allison Woods. Ann Matilda died single; Penelope Porter, who married Col. Robert Sterling, died in 1872, leaving two children, Jane P. and Carrie M ; John James was killed at the battle of Shiloh when nineteen years old; Robert and Allison died in 1850, of cholera, in Nashville; Jane Eliza mar- ried Dr. Preston B. Scott, of Louisville, Kentucky, where she now resides ; the others live in Jackson, with the exception of. Mary, whose home is in Washington C'ity.

The subject of this sketch received his primary and collegiate training at the Jackson Male Academy and West Tennessee College, and his professional education in the law department of Cumberland University, at Lebanon. Before entering the law school he had pur- sued his legal studies for more than a year under the late Judge A. W. O. Totten.

On January 13, 1852, he married, at Lebanon, Miss Ann Dixon Allen, a native of Nashville, daughter and ouly child of Dixon Allen, a lawyer, who had greatly distinguished himself, and gave promise of a most bril- liant career, but who died at the early age of twenty-six years. Mrs. Campbell's grandfather, Col. Robert Allen, a wealthy merchant of Carthage, was for several terms a member of Congress from his district. Her mother was a daughter of George W. Gibbs, who settled at Sparta, Tennessee, at a very early day, and removed to Nashville about 1812, where he was distinguished as a land holder and as a land lawyer, standing at the head of his profession in that department. Gen. Gibbs' father was a native of Germany, who came to America in early life, and settled in East Ton- nessee as a farmer. Mrs. Campbell is a niece of Joseph W. Allen, a retired banker of Nashville. Her mother first married Judge William L. Brown, of Nashville, one of the leading lawyers of the State, She afterwards became the wife of Dixon Allen, and after his death married the father of Gen. Campbell. Mrs. Campbell received her education at the Jackson Female Institute, and the Columbia Female Institute, having graduated at both of these schools. She is a lady of finished edu- cation, fine literary taste, and possesses an extensive knowledge of books. Her acquirements in this respect are so thorough and accurate as to enable her to serve as a ready reference for her husband when he wishes to recur to a forgotten historical fact or a classical quota- tion. She is noted for her devotion to the duties of

religion, being ever foremost in all the charities of her church and city. She is a member of the Episcopal church, as are also her husband and the younger mem- bers of the family.

In 1852, soon after completing his law course, Gen. Campbell opened an office in Jackson, and entered upon the practice of his profession. In 1855, he formed a partnership with the late T. P. Seurlock, which con- tinued until the breaking out of the civil war. He was appointed United States district attorney for the West- ern district of Tennessee, in 1854, by President Pierce, and reappointed in 1857, by President Buchanan. Ile resigned the position in 1860, after six years of accept- able service.

Gen. Campbell's record during the civil war is a most creditable one. Having always been a Democrat of the Jeffersonian school, and believing that the political doctrines and constitutional interpretations taught by the immortal author of the Declaration of Indepen- dence and his great contemporary, Mr. Madison, to be the true theory of our government, and the correct ex- position of the relations between the Federal govern- ment and the States, he did not hesitate for a moment upon which side he should take his stand when the war between the sections was inaugurated. On the first call for volunteers to repel the proposed invasion of the South, he enrolled himself as a private in the Inde- pendent Guards, a company raised at Jackson, which afterwards became a part of the Sixth Tennessee regi- ment. Before this regiment was mustered into service, however, he was appointed by Gov. Harris Assistant Inspector General in the provisional army of Tennes- see, and was engaged for some time in mustering in and organizing the West Tennessee troops. In June, 1861, he was assigned to duty on Gen. Cheatham's staff, and remained on staff duty until October of the same year, when he was elected colonel of the Thirty-third Ten- nessee regiment. The first battle in which he was en- gaged was that of Shiloh, fought on the 6th and 7th of April, 1862, where his regiment distinguished itself for gallantry, being the last that fought in the battle, and the last to leave the field. At this battle Gen. Campbell was shot through the left arm, just below the shoulder, by a minnie ball, but did not leave the field. Later ou in the fight he was wounded in the right foot, and bad his horse killed under him. He was at the head of his regiment at the battle of Perryville, fought on the 10th and 11th of October, 1863, where he was slightly wounded in the thigh. At the battle of Murfreesbor- ough, he was attached to the staff of Gen. Polk and served as Assistant Inspector General. After that battle, at the request of Gov. Harris, he was placed in charge of the conscript bureau of a portion of Middle Tennessee, with headquarters at Fayetteville, where he continued until July, 1863, when Geu. Bragg evacuated that territory and fell back towards Chattanooga. He was then sent to West Tennessee by Gen. Bragg to col-

PROMINENT TENNESSEANS.

leet up and organize the desultory cavalry in that portion of the State. While engaged in this service he. was captured near Lexington, Henderson county, in August, 1863, and sent as a prisoner to Johnson's Island in September following. He remained at Johnson's Island until September 16, 1861, one year to a day, when he was taken with others to City Point and ex- changed. While a prisoner at Johnson's Island, the authorities at Richmond, not having been informed of his capture, promoted him to the rank of Brigadier General. After his exchange was declared, he was assigned to duty as commander of one of Gen. Forrest's brigades, and served in that command until the surren- der of Gen. Forrest's troops at Gainesville, Alabama, May 5, 1865.

This brief record of the part taken by Gen. Camp- bell in the war between the States needs no comment. It tells the simple story of a brave man trying to do his duty, and who had made up his mind to die, if neces- sary, in its accomplishment. It is doubtful if any man is prepared for the battle of life, either in peace or war, in any business or profession, until he has first answered to himself affirmatively the question : "Can you die if' duty calls in the line of your profession or calling?" This question answered in the affirmative, all the troubles incident to the battle of life are easily sur- mounted.

The war over, Gen. Campbell returned to his home at JJackson, and took up the practice of his profession in partnership with Judge A. W. O. Totten, the part- nership continuing until the death of the latter, in June, 1867. He continued the practice alone until 1870, when he associated with himself II. W. MeCorry, formerly a law student under him, and practiced with him until 1875, when he formed a partnership with Hon. Howell E. Jackson, with whom he practiced until Judge Jackson's election to the United States Senate, in 1881. After this he was for a short time in partner- ship with John 1. Brown, but since April, 1883, he has practiced alone. During his professional career he has been engaged as counsel in a number of important bank - ing, railroad and criminal cases of some celebrity in the State, but as these things go without saying, it is deemed unnecessary to make special mention of them here. Although he has enjoyed a large and lucrative practice,

he has not grown rich, but is in comfortable circum- stances. Being most liberal and generous by nature, he never set himself to the accumulation of wealth, but always used his income freely. Besides being charged with ahnost the entire support of two or three families, he has paid twenty thousand dollars of his father's debts. His motto through life has been : " Be honest; do your duty, and let the consequences take care of themselves."

Gen. Campbell has always possessed in a marked de- gree the esteem and confidence of the community in which he has spent his life. Jackson has been his home ever since his father moved there from Nashville, in" 1833, when he was five years old. He was mayor of the city in 1856; was president of the Bank of Madison from June, 1866, to February, 1881 ; was a director in the Mobile and Ohio railroad company from 1868 to to 1872; and is a director in the Jackson Gas-light company. In 1868, in New York, and in 1876, at St. Louis, he was a delegate from Tennessee to the National Democratic convention. In 1870, he was a delegate from Madison county to the State constitutional con- vention, and served on the judiciary committee of that body, of which the late Chief Justice Nicholson was chairman. He has on several occasions served as special judge on the Supreme bench of the State.

Gen. Campbell is a man of spare build, with keen black eyes and a face and forehead thickly corrugated with the lines of thought. His mind is one of great pow- er, capable of intense concentration, and while possessed of the keenest sensibilities, he has about him that air of self-possession and collectedness that Virgil expressed in the words,

" Librata suis ponderibus."

By his marriage with Miss Allen have been born six children: (1). Dixon Allen; died in infancy. (2). Louisa Jane ; educated at JJackson Female Institute ; married Dr. Samuel B. Carey, of Union City, Tennes- see ; burned to death in 1877, by her clothing accident- ally taking fire. (3). Anne Allen; educated at Jackson ; married W. R. Melntosh, a merchant and general southern freight agent of the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad company ; has one child, Campbell. (4). John W .; born June 2, 1866. (5). Katharine Fenner. (6). Alexander W.

HON. ARCHELAUS M. HUGHES.

COLUMBIA.

A MONG the many distinguished lawyers who made the bar of Columbia famous during the middle of the present century, no reputation was more brilliant than that of A. M. Hughes.

He was born in Stokes county, North Carolina, November 21, 1811. His father having moved to Maury

county in 1828, the son, then seventeen years of ago, accompanied him, and that county has been his home ever since. He was principally educated at the Patrick Henry Academy, Henry county, Virginia, where he studied two years.

After leaving school he engaged in teaching at Cedar

PROMINENT TENNESSEANS.

Springs, then in Maury county, but which is now included in the newer county of Marshall, and was afterwards employed as clerk in the firm of Frierson & Stratton for four years. He then became the partner of Gardner Frierson in mercantile business. This partnership lasted six years, from 1836 to 1812, but did not prove successful.

He had been privately studying law in his leisure hours, even while engaged in business, having evidently looked forward to that as his ultimate profession. And here the editor would call attention to the fact that almost all our lawyers who have attained pre-eminence in their profession have, in their early years, engaged in general business as merchants, bankers' clerks, book- keepers, or in other occupations which gave them practical acquaintance with the routine of business transactions, a knowledge which could not fail to be useful in a profession which brings men in constant contact with business in all its forms.

lle now devoted his entire time and attention to the study of law in the office of Madison S. Frierson, and was admitted to the bar about 1846-47, at the age of thirty-five, by Judge Dillahunty. He commenced practice at Columbia, which has been his residence ever since, and where he still occasionally takes part in the conduct of important cases.

In 1847 he was elected attorney-general for Columbia judicial circuit, and re-elected in 1853. A year and a half after this the constitution was changed, and he was thrown out of office, but was re-elected in 1860, holding the office altogether for thirteen years; He was elected judge of the same court in 1866, and pre- sided therein, till 1870, when the adoption of the revised constitution of that year again remanded him to private practice. From 1873 till 1877 he was United States district attorney under appointment from Presi- dent Grant.

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Sketches of prominent Tennesseans. Containing biographies and records of many of the families who have attained prominence in Tennessee, Part 7

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