Butler County, Alabama - Chapter 27, 1885

Butler County was the home of this distinguished jurist and cultured gentleman, both in his childhood and in his riper years. He was born in Richland District, South Carolina, November i, 181 5, but came with his father's family to Butler County about the year 1820. The early part of his life was spent near Greenville, in assisting his father on the farm and in attending such schools as were then taught in this locality. At the age of fifteen we find him serving an apprenticeship in a printing-office at Montgomery. After handling the composing-stick for one year, he abandoned the printing art to accept a position as salesman, which had been offered him by one of the dry goods merchants of Montgomery. Remaining in this store for three years, he left it in 1834 to estabUsh a newspaper in Greenville, which was called the Greenville Whig^ and was published by John W. Womack and Thomas J. Judge for about one year.

He volunteered his services in the Creek War, and remained with the army for several months. In 1837, at the age of twenty-two, he removed to Lowndes County and began the study of law in the office of Nathan Cook and John S. Hunter,

In 1842 Mr. Judge was appointed SoHcitor of the Second Circuit by Governor Benjamin Fitzpatrick. He held this position until the Legislature met, but was defeated before that honorable body by Franklin K. Beck, who was a Democrat, while Mr. Judge was a Whig. Having won the confidence of the people, Mr. Judge was elected by them to represent Lowndes County in the lower branch of the Legislature in 1844, and again in 1845. Two years later he was sent to the upper branch of the State Legislature from Lowndes and Butler Counties, but remained in this trust for only three years, when, in 1850, he removed to the city of Montgomery, which necessitated his resignation as a member of the State Senate. The next year he was a delegate to the National Convention, at Nashville, which nominated Winfield Scott for President.

In Montgomery, Mr. Judge formed partnership with Thomas H. Watts, in the practice of law, and gave his whole time as well as talent to the earnest prosecution of all cases entrusted to the firm. He was not, however, permitted to rest from public duty long, for in 1853 he was sent to the legislative halls from the county of Montgomery.

By this time Mr. Judge had won considerable reputation as a man of marked ability as well as a fluent speaker. In 1857 he was the candidate of the Whig party for Congressman from the Second District of Alabama against Hon. James F. Dowdell, of Chambers County. Although the canvass was conducted with particular reference to the fundamental principles of the two distinct parties then in the State, Mr. Judge was defeated at the ballot-box. Not content with this decision of the voice of the people, he solicited the support of his friends again in 1859 against Hon. David Clopton, the Democratic candidate. A second defeat showed his party that it was not due to the want of talent and confidence in Mr. Judge, but to the fact that the Democratic party was much the stronger in the Second Congressional District, for by this time Mr. Judge was generally recognized as a man of power throughout the State, and a man whose influence and prominence among the people was greatly envied by the most talented men of Alabama.

In i860 he supported John C. Breckinridge for President. When war was proclaimed against the Southern States, Mr. Judge entered the ranks of the Confederate Army as a private, but served only a short time at Pensacola, when he was appointed by Governor Andrew B. Moore as Commissioner to negotiate with the Government of the United States in reference to the forts, arsenals and custom-houses in Alabama, and was entrusted with other business of importance between the United States and the Confederate Government. The President of the United States, however, re- fused to recognize Mr. Judge in his official capacity, thereby rendering his mission of no service to his country. His services as a diplomatist being fruitless, Mr. Judge returned to Alabama to enter the military service in defense of the South. He soon succeeded in getting up a regiment, which was organized at Auburn, August i, 1 86 1, with Thomas J. Judge, as Colonel, in command. This regiment of infantry was composed of men from Chambers, Lowndes and Tallapoosa Counties, and entered the service as the Fourteenth Alabama. Colonel Judge remained with his command in Virginia in active service until April, 1862, when he was so severely injured by a railroad collision that he was forced to resign his position as colonel of the regiment and return home for recovery.

Shortly after Colonel Judge's return to Montgomery, President Davis appointed him judge of a military court in Virginia, with the rank of Colonel of Cavalry. This position was declined by Colonel Judge, because he was confident that the rheumatism, which he had contracted, would give him great trouble if he should expose himself to the cold climate of Virginia. The President, learning the cause of Colonel Judge's action, tendered him a similar appointment, with orders to serve in Mobile, which appointment was accepted. Colonel Judge discharged the duties of this office until the close of the war in 1865, and won much reputation as a distinguished tactician and a man well versed in military jurisprudence.

In 1865, when the Supreme Court of the State was reorganized, Colonel Judge was called to that high tribunal, and it is said that he graced the ermine with all the dignity of the judges of old. He only remained in this position of highest legal trust three years, when he was removed, in 1868, by the Reconstruction Acts of Congress. Shortly after this he removed his family back to his old home in Greenville, where he spent the declining years of his useful life among the friends of his childhood, enjoying the high esteem of all who knew him, and the happiness of being contented with the success with which he had met in life, with the world and all mankind. He paid the debt that every man owes to Nature on the 3d day of March, 1876, and his remains were buried beneath Butler's fertile soil, amidst a throng of his old acquaintances.

He married Miss Graves, of Lowndes County, and has two sons now living in Greenville, one of whom represented Butler County in the last session of the Legislature.

The career of Judge Judge is surpassed by that of but few men in Alabama. He began as a poor printer's boy, with but little mental training, but by his earnest application to business and to books, and a determination only excelled by his perseverance, he won a reputation among the people of his State for intelligence and ability that will not soon be forgotten.