Vanderburgh County, Indiana - Biographical sketches (6 of 6 so headed), 1889

Biographical sketches

Judge Asa Iglehart. - Levi Iglehart, the tifth son of John Iglehart, of Anne Arundel county, Maryland, was born August 13, 1786; married Anne Taylor, and about the year 181 5, crossed the mountains and settled in Ohio County, Ky., where their eldest son Asa, was born December 8, 1S16. In 1823, the familv moved to Warrick count}-, Ind. . In later life Judge Iglehart thus described southern Indiana as it was when he moved here: "The countr}' was wild indeed; there were no roads, mere paths, no wa<xon roads, no waifons to i"iin in them, and no houses but log cabins. There was not more than one or t .vo frame houses in Warrick count\-. The whole countrv was a wilderness, in which wild game was veiy plentiful. Wolves were so bad that the set- tiers - we could not call them farmei-s - could not raise pigs enough to furnish them pork, and could not keep sheep at all." Here he spent his youth, and lived to see great changes in the country; no one contributed more by sturd}' character and industrious habits to produce these changes. The educational advantages of the country in his youth were also described by him : " In that new country', where there were no books, and newspapers were very rare, opportunities for education were verv poor indeed; but father and mother, especialW the latter, were anxious for the promotion and education of their children. Stimulated by her precept, we all earlj' acquired a taste for books. We subscribed for weekly papers very early, and supplied ourselves with what few school books could be obtained, and went to school, a few months each winter in the impro\ised rude cabins, which were called school-houses in those rude days. But, in fact, our education was obtained more at home, from the scant}' supply of books we had, and from our application, and by stimulating each other. One of the sources of education and stimulation was the early Methodist preachers, who found their way as well to the wild woods of Warrick county, as every where in this country which has been reached by civilization. They were generall}' better educated than the most of the people in the country then were, and they stimulated us to seek for better educational opportunities; and though none of us ever went to college we obtained all the education which was attainable in those early days without going to college." At the age of twenty-four, he married Anne Cowle, a ladv of intelligence and culture, both literary and social, quite above her surroundings, whom he sought in associations, which he describes : " In the neighborhood adjoining to ^vhere the farm of the senior Iglehart was situated in Warrick county, across a neighboring creek in Vanderburgh county, were several families of English people, who were tradesmen in London. Around them were clustered two or three other families of northern Protestant Irish, constituting one of the most intelligent rural communities in all the western country." The influence of this community upon both the country and city of Evansville, may readily be seen to this da}-. x\fter his marriage, he says, "by seemingly irresistible passion for learning the law, I commenced the study while on the farm, and pursued it with great enthusiasm, little short of romance, and ha\ing been admitted to the bar at thirty-two, changed my location and life, and adopted the profession of the law." In 1849, ^^^ removed to Evansville, and immediately entered the firm of Ingle, Wheeler & Iglehart, where he remained until he was appointed common pleas judge to till a vacancy in 1854, and subsequently he was elected without opposition to the same position. In 1S58, he came again to the bar, after thorough elementar\- training and four years' experience on the bench, and his success came rapidly and certainly. His natural capacity, his reputation for learning in the law, his untiring industry, 'liis unyieldinrr will and inteirritv, which no one ever questioned, all combined to make his success full and complete. For many years his income from the practice compared favorabl)' with that of other leaders of the bar of tlie state. His personal ac(|uaintance with the leading law\'ers of the state was very great. He was active in organizing the first state bar association, and was its first president. He was an original promoter and member of the bar association of the United States. He was for many years an editorial contributor of the Central Lazv yonnial^ and his views on interesting legal questions were often expressed throu<rh this channel and attracted the attention of tiie bar throughout the west. lie revised " McDonald's Treatise" for justices in Indiana, which subsecjuently became known as " lyleliarl's Treatise." lie prepared with great labor an original work on "Pleading and Practice" in Indiana. His was a pioneer work in this state, wliere the code practice is in force. Subseijuently other works of the same general character followed; but the portion of his work on " Pleading," that is an adaptation of pleading as it exists at the common law, to the law in Indiana under the code, is a concise elementary discussion, wiiich has not been, and probabl}- will not be superseded, and is valuable especially to students of law in this state. These, with minor literary labors, were performed in the midst of active practice. Judge Iglehart's practice in the supreme court of Indiana for many years was great, and his opinions were always received by that court with respect. Before the federal court was established in Evansville, he practiced regularl\- in the federal court at Indianapolis, with men like Hendricks and McDonald, and he conducted successfully a number of ver\- important cases through the supreme court of the United States. Judge Iglehart's mind was distinguished bv clearness of perception, incisiveness and discrimination of thought; and such (|ualities always indicate a superior order of intellect. Not onl}- was his. reach and grasp of thought clear and incisive, but it was at the same time broad and comprehensive. lie very naturally, therefore, took his place as a jurist at the head of his profession. There are certain principles of law that Judge Iglehart traced more fully, and understood more thoroughU', it is believed, than an\' jurist in our state. lie was vast in labors, patient and profound in his researches.

The reports of the decisions of our highest court of appeal will preserve the conclusive evidence of all this down into future generations. The following testimonial was, among others, gi\-en h\ a resolution of the Evansville bar: "It was, however, at the bar that he excelled. It was there he made for himself the name which we cherish. As a commercial and corporation lawyer he was without a peer in Indiana. As a special pleader he had no rival. He was master of all the branches and intricacies of our jurisprudence. For twenty-five years he was the leader of a bar, made famous by the namt^s of Blythe, Jones, Chandler, Baker, Law and others, dead and living. In the history of Indiana, Asa Iglehart wil always rank with Willard, Judah, Morton and Hendricks, as one of her great men." The following estimate of Judge Iglehart'sl character as a lawyer has been given by one who was capable of describing it: "He was no ordinary man. In nati\e breadth and strength of mind, in his accurate and extensive, I might say overwhelming, knowledge of the law, in his unrivaled capacity for work - a qualit}- which often supplies the place of genius, which is genius - he was one of the most remarkable men with whom I have, ever met. This was my deliberate conviction when I first met him, more than fourteen years ago, and years of association with him only strengthen this conviction. The privilege of conversing with_ Judge Iglehart, of hearing him discuss legal questions in the courts, was in itself, if improved, a liberal education in the law. I never left him, after even a casual conversation upon legal topics, but what I felt I had been the , gainer. His grasp upan legal principles was sure and Hrm. In this day, when the multiplication of report;; has become an intolerable burden, the tendency in all of us is to become rnere case-lawyers. Too many of us bow down to the authority of a case, or a dictum, no matter how ill-considered it may be, with almost cringing servility. Judge Iglehart, without the advantage of early education, who was a self-taught man, might have been pardoned had he shared this tendency. But of all men, he was freest from this bondage. He sought always to found his contention upon the bed-rock of legal principles, and when he had found his sure foundation, he brushed aside the decision, or even the text-writer, which stood in the way of his maintenance of those principles with little ceremony." On one occasion he persuaded the supreme court of Indiana to overrule Judge Redlield, one of the leading American text-writers. Judge Gi-esham, several years after he had sat as judge - of the United States circuit court, and before whom the leaders of the bar of the country had practiced, wrote of Judge Iglehart after his death: "All things considered, his career was a remarkable one. * * I have met few men who had greater power of analysis, and, just now, I can recall no one who examined and briefed a case better. * * * His life was honorable and blameless." In his case the man was greater than his profession. Professions, institutions and. states are the work of man, but man himself is the work of God. In the underlying personality of Judge Iglehart were embodied the largest gifts and rarest qualities of a rich and noble manhood. There are immutable moral forces, certain primal virtues upon which family, society and the state must rest; with these he was richly endowed, and these were the sources of his great power. To him patronage and official recognition could give nothing. His claim to distinction, his titles of nobility, his royal investitures came direct from the hand of God. His faith in the great fundamental principles of revealed religion was as the faith of a little child. He believed that the great verities of religion were established facts, and in those facts his soul rested with utter confidence. To him religion was a matter to be verified by the test of experience, and hence, his was a practical religion. The church of his choice and her interests was ever before him and her prosperity was dear to his heart. He was generous in her support, loyal to her doctrines, and gave, as a most trusted and faithful official, wise counsel and cheering words. His home was ever open to his pastor, and anj- visiting minister of his church. He enjoyed the services of his church, and was devout and faithful in his attendance. When called upon, he could alvva3S in fitting and earnest words give a reason for his faith, and while not demonstrative in words or manner, yet a close observer could catch a glimpse of a heart touched and fuU of feeling, and see his eyes fill as emotions strong and deep would touch his inmost soul under the spell of speaker or song. He took an early and abiding interest in educational affairs in Evansville and abroad. He was for several 3-ears trustee of Evansville public schools and for many years a trustee of De Pauw University, and gave freely of his time, counsel and money to its support. He carried into his daily life^ at home and abroad, a pure Christian character, untarnished and unstained. No man's life was more unselfish. His unbounded liberality aided much to extend the sphere of his influence. In personal appearance Judge Iglehart was commanding. He was very stout in frame, and his massive head was for many years covered with silver white hair, crowning the impressiveness of a noble presence. Ill health compelled him to retire from his work several years before his death, which occurred February 5, 1S86.

John Law, an eminent jurist, whose life work made him a conspicuous figure in the history of Indiana, was a native of New London, Conn., born October 28, 1796. His ancestry was no less notable, his grandfather being a member of the first continental congress, and his father, Lyman Law, as a lawyer and as a congressman, was a prominent man in Connecticut. He was careful in the education of his son John, and the latter received his earlier training in the school of Jonathan Pomero}-, an enthusiast in an educational way, who devoted a culture shaped at Yale college to the training of students for that institute. John Law entered Yale at the age of fourteen and graduated in usual time, distinguishing himself especially as a classical student. He then read law in his father's office, and was admitted to the bar in 181 7. The fall of the next year he opened an office at Vincennes, and within a 3-ear after his arrival n Indiana, stood prominent as a successful practitioner. As a criminal lawyer he was especially famous, and his fame spread rapidly throughout a wide region. For several years he was prosecuting attorney in nearly all the courts of the old first congressional district, and he served for a considerable period as circuit judge. His powers of analysis and clear mental inspection rendered him an able judge. The gravity and dignity that he well assumed in his official capacities gave wa}- in social life to a bright animation that always drew about him an interested circle, and aided no little in his advancement. During the administration of President Pierce he was register of the land office, previously having served as receiver of the public money. In 185 1 he removed to Evansville, and at this time was ensracred in several land-title controversies, by the conduct of which he won renown. In 1861 he was elected by this district as representative in congress, for which he was the democratic candidate, and was re-elected in 1863. He was an able congressman, though in the minority exerted a powerful influence, and numbered among his friends the " great commoner " Thaddeus Stevens.

TiioMA.s Edgar Garvin, attorney at law, Evansville, Ind., was born at Gettj'sburg, Adams county, Penn., September 15, 1826. He is a son of John and Providence Garvin, of Presb}'terian faith, and of Scotch-Irish extraction. At the age of fourteen he entered Mount Saint Mar}''s College, at Emmettsburg, Md., where he completed the course of stud_v, after four j-ears' diligent application, and graduated June, 1844. In the autumn of the same year Mr. Garvin removed to Evansville, Ind., where he has ever since resided. He has seen the city of his adoption graduall}' grow and increase in commercial importance till it ranks among the great industrial places of the country', and second in population to none, except the capital, in the state of Indiana. Soon after Mr. Garvin came to Evansville he began the study of law in the office of Hon. Conrad Baker, ex-governor of the state of Indiana, and one of the leading lawvers of the country. Destitute of patronage it became necessary for Mr. Garvin to make his own way, and raise funds by his own efforts to pursue the study of law. This he did by accepting a position as teacher in the public schools. Here he realized all the experiences of the early schools of Indiana made so famous by Edward Eggleston in his " Iloosier School Master." Mr. Garvin has a vivid recollection of the pioneer times, which he now considers as forming an interestmg epoch in his career. March 27, 1846, after an examination, he was licensed by Judge James Lockhart and John Law, of the fourth and seventh judicial circuits, respectively, and entered regularly upon the practice of law. Immediately after this event Mr. Garvin formed a partnership with ex-Gov. Baker, before mentioned, under the firm name of Baker & Garvin. This partnership was pleasantty and profitably continued for eleven years, and wliile it lasted these gentlemen were employed as counsel in some of the most important cases ever adjudicated in the state. Mr. Garvin has always been esteemed as a careful and vigilant attorney, in whose hands it was safe to trust the most intricate and complicated litigations, and in consequence his clients have been among the most pronunent and influential citizens of Evansville and contiguous country. November II, 1S49, ^^ "'^^ married to Miss Cornelia M. Morris, at Penn Yan, Yates county, New York. Mrs. Garvin is a direct descendant of the Morris family of Morristown, New Jersey, and of revolutionary fame. In 1862 Mr. Garvin was elected to represent Vanderburgh count}' in the state legislature, where he served his constituents with credit to himself and the communitjwhich had elected him. Mr. Garvin was among the first stockholders of the First National Bank of Evansville, and for many j'ears one of its directors, a position he still holds. In 1S76 his alma mater. Mount St. Mary's college, conferred upon him the degree of LL. D., a distinction rarely granted, and of which Mr. Garvin should feel justly proud. The later j'ears of his life have been mainly spent as a real estate attorney and in speculation. He is a man of much application and greatly devoted to the interests of those who intrust their business to him. It is not alone in the legal profession that Mr. Garvin has distinguished himself. In the department of polite literature and natural historj^ he takes high rank. He was one of the original trustees of the Willard library, and one of the board to whom the property was deeded. He has always taken a lively interest in the welfare of this institution, and has been for manj' years one of its chief executive officers. He is well known in Indiana, and has many warm personal friends. As an example of self-made men Mr. Garvin furnishes us a rare type. All in all his career has been one of uniform success and there are few citizens in the state more entitled to a place in American biography than Thomas Edgar Garvin.

John J. Chandler, who in his prime stood among the foremost lawyers of Indiana, was born in New York city, November 17, 181 5, and died at Evansville, April 15, 1872. The less than thirty-six years of manhood within those limits were crowded with achievements in his profession which won for him a wide renown and made him one of the most prominent men of Evansville. He was the son of Asaph Chandler, a native of Vermont, who moved to New York at an early da}-, and obtained command and ownership ot a ship in the New York and Liverpool and New York and Havre lines, and was also at one time a merchant in the cit\'. The son soon distinguished himself bv a great interest in books and studv, and when the family removed to Nashville, Tenn., in 1834, he was ready to enter the university there. This institution was then under the presidency of the late Dr. Philip Lindsey. Here the 3-oung student soon attracted notive as an essayist on political econom}- and mental philosoph}', and as a skillful debater. He graduated in 1836 at the head of his class, and as the Seminole war was then the most prominent thing to attract the energy of a young man he raised a company and went to the scene of action. He participated in several important engagements, and was distinguished for braverj- and abiht}- as a fighter and captain against a treacherous enemy. On the close of the campaign he returned to Nashville and began the study of law. In 1838 he came to Evansville and entered the office of Amos Clark, where he continued his studies. In the spring of the 3'ear following he was admitted to practice in all the courts of the state, and became a partner of his preceptor. As a lavv3'er he was untiring in the study of his cases, shrewd as a counselor and powerful as an advocate. Though often abrupt in asserting his opinions, and sometimes personal in the course of a warm argument, his most bitter opponents would forgfet their cha<rrin in admiration of the audacity and skill of his management of the case on trial. His disposition was scholarly, and he was in all respects a gentleman, genial and generous, esteemed as a friend as well as admired as a brilliant man of affairs. Mr. Chandler was married in 1851 to Mrs. Ann Hann, a sisterof the late Dr. Casselberry, by whom he had three children. His son, John J. Chandler, is now a leading citizen of Evansville.

Hon. William F. Parrett. - Judge Parrett, the son of Robert and Martha Parrett, was born on a farm near Blairsville, Posey county, Ind., August 10, 1825. In 1826 his father moved to Vanderburgh county, and purchased a farm adjoining the village of Evansville, then containing but few inhabitants. The Parrett homestead embraced all of the present city limits lying south of Washington avenue and east of Parrett and Third streets. His early youth was passed on a farm and going to school. He spent three j-ears at Asbury (now De- Pauw) University, at Greencastle, under the renowned Matthew Simpson, who was then its president, and he obtained the substantial benefit of a college course. He was eighteen months under John Douglas, president of the old Evansville branch bank, in a position of trust, and readily learned accurate business habits and ideas, which were of value to him in his professional life. He began the study of law with Conrad Baker, later governor of Indiana. April 7, 1847, at Boonville, he was admitted to the bar after examination. He remained at Boon- \-ille till 1852, when he went to the Pacific coast and spent two years and a half in the practice of the law in Oregon, when he returned to Indiana and continued in the practice in the firm of Lockhart, Parrett & Denby, at Evansville. In 1855 he removed to Boonville and continued successfulh' in his profession until August, 1859, when he was appointed by Gov. Willard, judge of the 15th judicial circuit, composed of the counties of Crawford, Perry, Spencer, Warrick,Vanderburgh, and Posey. In October, 1859, he was elected for six years to the same position, when he removed to Evansville, where he has since resided. In 1865 he was reelected for another term of six years. After serving three years of this term, he resigned and entered into the practice of the law with Gen. James M. Shackelford, and- subsequently formed a partnership with Luke Wood, the firm name being Parrett & Wood. In 1873, upon the formation of the first circuit of Vanderburgh and Posey counties, Judge Parrett was appointnd judge by Gov. Hendricks, and later was again a candidate, and re-elected over Judge Edson of Posey county by a large majority. In 1879, he was again elected to the same position without opposition, his name being printed on all the tickets. By a change in the law, the next election came one year earlier, and in 1884, Judge Parrett was again elected judge over Mr. Ernest Dale Owen, of New Harmony, and he remained on the bench until December, 1888, when after his election to congress, he was succeeded by Judge

Bench And Bar

Robert D. Richardson, of the Evansville bar. Judge Parrett, upon his retirement from the bench, entered into partnership with Mr. W. M. Blakev, at Evansville, the tirm being Parrett & Blake\'. He was for several years trustee of the Evansville public schools, with H. W. Cloud and others, under whose management the schools continued to thrive and grow upon their liberal foundations, under a policy which had placed the best citizens in that office. Judge Parrett was presidential elector for the first judicial district of Indiana in 1856, and cast the vote of Indiana for James Buchanan. In 1858, he was elected to the legislature of Indiana from Warrick countv and served the regular and a special term. In 1888, he was chosen by the democratic party as its candidate for congress in the first district, and in November was elected over Mr. F. B. Pose}' of Petersburgh. In politics he has been a leading democrat, although during his entire career upon the bench, he has alwa\'s risen superior to any political prejudices, and his politics have only been prominently recognized when he was a candidate for office. In November, 1852, Judge Parrett married Miss Harriet W. Hinman, who died in 18S8, leaving surviving two daughters, Mar}^ and Eva, who reside with their father in Evansville. The retirement of Judge Parrett from the bench was an epoch in the history of the bar of Evansville and vicinity. Though yet in full mental and physical vigor, he is one of the few remaining of the bar of this section as it existed thirty years ago. Judge Parrett's career begins after that of Lockhart and Law, both of whom served in congress; contemporaneous with Baker, who later became governor of Indiana; Jones, attorney general of Indiana; Shanklin, who died young, in the beginning of great promise; Robinson, whose unique originality and sarcasni and great natural power gave him high reputation as an advocate; Chandler, of superior education, mental culture and high forensic power; Harrow, able and brilliant; Blythe, stately and eloquent; Iglehart, with broad intellect, a comprehensive lawyer and a jurist of extensive reputation; Pitcher, of marked ability; Garvin, learned in the law, classic in his tastes, and genial in his social life; Hovey, who has held high positions, military and civil, now governor of Indiana; Denby, able, eloquent and successful at the bar, now' United States minister to China; Foster, United States minister to Mexico, Spain and Russia; Hynes, than whom none was more eloquent, brilliant and charming. These and others composed the bar which practiced before Judge Parrett in the earlier days. They were men of strong, broad natures, robust manhood and sturd\- characters. Comparing favorably in natural ability with these men, with whom he associated, (juick to feel the inspiration wliich these surroundings produced, with a natural aptitude to the law, Judge Parrett has in a life of continuous labor earned the tribute, which was paid him bv the Evansville bar, upon his retirement from the bench. It contains a just estimate of his personal and professional traits, by those who know him most intimately, and is given elsewhere.

Conrad Baker, who practiced law in Evansville twenty-five years, from 1841 until 1867, when he was called to the highest office of the state, was a native of Pennsxlvania, born in Franklin county, Februar}' 12, 1 81 7. He was educated at the Perm- SN-lvania College at Gett^-sburg, and studied law in the office of Stevens & Smyser, the senior member beino- the illustrious Thaddeus Stevens. Mr. Baker was admitted to the bar at Gettysburg in the spring of 1839, and practiced there for two years. In 1841, he came west and settled at Evansville, which was his home and the theater of his professional activity, until his removal to Indianapolis. He was elected in 1845 to represent Vanderburgh county in the general assembly, and served one term. He was the first judge of the court of common pleas for the first district, as has been noted in the account of that court. At the birth of the republican party, in 1856, his was the second name on its first state ticket. He was nominated for lieutenant-governor, without his knowledge and without effort on his part, on the ticket headed by Oliver 1'. Morton. They were defeated, and Willard and Hammond elected. In the next campaign, in which Morton was elected, he was not a candidate, but in the war, which soon j afterward broke out, he did an honorable and valuable part. In 1861, he was commissioned colonel of the First Cavalry (Twenty-eighth regiment), and served in that position over three years. From August, 1861, to April, 1863, he commanded either his own regiment or a brigade in the field in Missouri, Arkansas and Mississippi. At the latter date, the times demanding men of his stamp in the work, he was summoned by telegraph, the order from the secretary of war reaching him at Helena, Ark., and required to repair at once to Indianapolis and report to the provost marshal general. On his arrival at Indianapolis he was detailed to act as assistant provost marshal general for Indiana, and as such to organize the provost marshal general's bureau in tliis state. lie |-)erformed the duties of this place, superintending volunteer recruiting and acting as chief mustering ofilcer until August, 1864, when his term of service having expired, he was relieved at his own request and with his regiment was mustered out a few weeks later. In 1864 the republicans renominated Gov. Morton, and Gen. Natham Kimball having declined the nomination for the second place, the central committee tendered the nomination for lieutenant-governor to Mr. Baker. Early in the year following their election, Gov. Morton was stricken with disease, and he called the legislature in special session and went to Europe in search of health, leaving Gov. Baker in charge of the executive department durmg five months. At tlie next session of the leefislature Gov. Morton was elected United States senator, and Mr. Baker again assumed the duties of governor. He was unanimously nominated for governor by the republican convention of 1868, and was elected after a memorable campaign by the small majority of 961 o\-er that formidable competitor, Thomas A. Hendricks. In that intense political struggle, when every possible failing of a candidate that could be used to his discredit was eagerly sought for, it was a remarkable fact that against Conrad Baker, who had been acting chief executive for some time, no charge of misconduct as a man or as an ofiicer was laid. His succeeding administration of four ^-ears was likewise honest and conscientious. After the retirement of Mr. Baker from the gubernatorial chair, he became associated in the famous law firm of Baker, Hord & Hendricks, and made his home in Indianapolis during the remainder of his life.

Morris Stanberry Johnson, for four years judge of the common pleas court of the first district of Indiana, was a choice spirit in tlie earlier history of Evansville as a city. He was a man in whom the elements of intellect and heart were well commingled, who was as conspicuous as a genial and hospitable gentleman as he was notable as a barrister and judge. He was a native of the state of New Jersey, born at Morristown March 15, 18 17. His mother was a daughter of the Col. Stanberry who fought at the battle of White Plains, in the war of the revolution, and she was a cousin of Henry Stanberry, of Newport, Ky., who was attorney general of the United States during the administration of Andrew Johnson, and who acted as one of the attorneys for the defense in the impeachment trial. In early life Mr. Johnson turned his studies in the direction of the law, but owing to the desires of his family he devoted himself to business until his thirty-fifth year. In 1844 he came to Evansville, and in that year the firm of Johnson & Crane, Isaac A. Crane being the junior partner, began doing business in the line of wholesale and retail dry goods. The firm was dissolved after a few years, and Mr. Johnson continued the business alone. He removed for a short time to Nevvburgh, but soon returned to Evansville, and revived his stud}- of law m the office of Gen. James E. Blythe. He soon afterward began the practice of law and formed a partnership with John Law and Charles I. Battell. He was successful from the beginning as a lawyer, and gained a large and lucrative practice. In 1848 he took an active part in the presidential campaign, as a supporter of Taylor and Fillmore, the whig candidates. After the demise of that party, however, he allied himself with the democrats. His first appearance as a candidate in the political arena was when he was nominated for mayor in 1862. He made a gallant canvass, but was defeated by William Baker by fifty votes. In 1867, Mr. Johnson was elected judge of the first common pleas district, to fill a vacancy. His competitor was Maj. A. L. Robinson, who held the office by appointment of the governor. The following year Judge Johnson was elected over Isaac S. Moore, of Boonville, for a full term, and held the office until December, 1 87 1. In 1840 he had been married to

Colonel Jacob S. Buchanan, attorney and counselor at law, was born in Jefferson county, Ind., in February, 1822. His paternal grandfather was a native of the north of Ireland and of Scotch descent; his maternal grandfather was a German. His father, a native of Westmoreland county, Penn., was reared in Lexington, Ky., and about the year 1800, settled on the Ohio river, about twenty miles above Madison, Ind. Some two or three years afterward, with three of his brothers, he went into Jefferson count}', Ind., where they built a blockhouse and stockade as a defense against Indian attacks, and became pioneer farmers. Jacob S. Buchanan was reared on a farm, near Vevay, Switzerland county, Ind., to which his father had removed with his famih' when he was a child. His early education was received at the common country schools during the winter months, and was supplemented by a year's study with a private tutor, after he was twenty-one years old. He had begun to read law at the age of eighteen years, more to satisfy a natural fondness for study than with a view of taking it up as a profession, and he continued this until he was admitted to practice in 1849. In the following year he opened a law office at Versailles, Ind., and succeeded in obtaining a good practice in the two 3-ears of his stay there. He then removed to Charlestown, Clark county, Ind., where he soon acquired a good practice, which he retained until the breaking out of the civil war. Then, abandoning his profession, he went to his old home at Vevay, raised a company, and entered the United States cavalry service. Subsequently this company became a part of the Third Indiana cavalry, a regiment distinguished in the an- nals of the country for its lieroic achievements. Captain Buchanan was promoted to the Heutenant colonelcy of the regiment and was in command of it during the most of his military service. Col. Buchanan in November, 1862, was then taken sick for the third time during his service and by the advice of the surijeons resigned and returned home to his family at Vevay. After his partial recovery he removed to Greensburg, Decatur count}', Ind., but was unable, on account of continued ill health, to remain there, and in about a year, b}' the advice of physicians, removed to Arkansas. There for two years and a half he managed a plantation, recuperated his health, and, in 1S66, removed to this city, where he again commenced the practice of law. Within a year he succeeded in gaining a considerable patronage, and has gradually acquired a large practice. He is now the senior member of the law firm of Buchanan & Buchanan, and is regarded as one of the most successful lawyers in the city. He has a strong lo\e for the practice of law, but detests technicalities. In the trial of his cases he is absolutely fair to all parties concerned; is very frank and candid in all his dealings with every one, and to this may be attributed, to a great extent, his success. As an advocate, he is earnest and effecti\'e, a fluent speaker, and powerful in argument before both court and jury. In his early jears he was a whig, and upon the formation of the republican party allied himself therewith, but has never been, in any sense of the word, a partisan. He has invariably refused to accept any elective ollice, having on various occasions declined nominations. He was married injanuary, 1 848, to Miss Julia A. Sauvain, a descendant of one of the French families that settled at Gallipolis, Ohio, t(j\vard the beginning of the present centurw Three children, now living, are the fruits of tills marriage: Cicero, the oldest, who is the junior partner in the firm of Buchanan & Buchanan, himself distinguished as a lawyer and citizen because of his natural brilliancy as a speaker, his thorough conversancy with every branch of law, and his aggressive public spiritedness. Mrs. Mar}- O. Flower, the widow of the late Rev. George E. Flower, who is now living in Evansville with her brother and actively engaged in works of charit}' for the poor and friendless. Scott Buchanan, the youngest son, is now residing in the state of Dakota, extensively engaged in wheat irrowinsi, and is one of the best farmers in the state.

Cicero Buchanan, attorne}- at law, was born on a farm near Vevay, Switzerland count}-, Ind., November 23, 1848, and is the son of Col. Jacob S. and Julia A. (Sauvain) Buchanan. He received a collegiate education, graduating from Eureka College, at Eureka, 111., in 1869,. He then began the study of law in the oflice of his father in Evansville, and was admitted to practice in 1 87 1. In the following year he went to Oregon, where he practiced his profession one year, being associated with the firm of Mitchell & Dolph, of Portland. The senior member of this firm was the wellknown United States senator from Oregon. Returning to Evansville, Mr. Buchanan entered the practice again at this place, where he has since remained. He is the junior member of the firm of Buchanan & Buchanan, whose extensive practice embraces many important cases in the district, state, and federal courts. His familiarity with the law, and his abilities as a speaker, have given him a prominent place among the ablest members of the Evansville bar. In politics he is a staunch republican and by his brilliancy and effectiveness as a public speaker, has largely contributed to the success of that party for many years past.

Being selected as the republican candidate for presidential elector for the first district of Indiana, in iS88, he canvassed the district in a most vigorous and telling manner. He was pitted in joint discussion against one of the ablest exponents of democratic doctrines - Judge S. B. Vance - and in a masterly way, with convincing logic and a happy style of presentation, handled the abstruse questions which formed the issues of the campaign. Everj'where his power as an orator and debater was recognized, and left a lasting influence. The spirit of progress is one of his possessions. Every wise effort to advance the public good finds in him an earnest friend and supporter. He takes an active interest in the work of temperance, and the betterment of the moral condition of the community. In the Masonic fraternity he has attained exalted rank, being now eminent commander of LaValette commandery, K. T. He was married September 2, 1874, to Miss Anna, daughter of Francis Allen, a pioneer citizen of this city. To this union two children have been born.

Major Hamilton Allen Mattison, attorney and counselor at law, was born in South Berlin, New York, September 23, 1832, and is the son of Allen J. and Luc}^ Mattison. His grandfather, Allen Mattison, was a Rhode Island Quaker, who joined the revolutionary army in 1775, under Gen. Nathaniel Greene, and fought at the battle of Bunker Hill. Some time after the close of the revolutionar}^ war, he removed with his family to South Berlin, E ensselaer county, N. Y., where he resided until his death at the age of eighty-four years. Hamilton A. Mattison was reared on a farm, and his early instruction was received in a common country school where he attended about three months in a year. His ambition as a boy was to obtain a good education, and at the age of nineteen years, he entered the New

York Conference Seminary, at Charlotteville, N. Y., where he pursued his studies, at the same time earning by his own labor, as assistant teacher, the means necessary- to support himself and pay for his tuition. Later he entered Union College, from which institution, under the presidency of the distinguished educator. Dr. Eliphalet Nott, he graduated in i860. From the fall of that year until the summer of 1S62, he was principal of the Bacon Seminary, at Woodstown, N. J. In July, 1862, during the progress of the civil war, convinced that it was his dut}' to respond to President Lincoln's call for troops, he enlisted and raised a compan}- of recruits which became part of the Twelfth New Jersey regiment. Before leaving the state he was commissioned second lieutenant and received successive promotions as first lieutenant, captain and major. He was on the staffs of Gens. Alexander Hayes and Nelson A. Miles, and was actively engaged in about twenty-five battles, received three wounds at Chancellorsville - from one of which he never entirely recovered - was wounded twice afterward and had his horse shot under him at the battle of the Wilderness, at which time he was made a prisoner of war. On that battlefield he was introduced to Gen. Lee and held a conversation with him. Here began a chapter of hardships in the life of Maj. Mattison such as ,can be appreciated only by men who have undergone similar sufferings in southern prison pens. He was first taken to Lynchburg, Va., thence to Macon, Ga., and there confined " on short rations " from the latter part of May until about the first of July, when he was taken to Savannah, Ga. He was one of fifty federal officers taken from this place by the rebel authorities and placed under the fire of the federal guns while they were shelling the city of Charleston from Folly Island. After several weeks, with others, he was taken to Columbia, S. C, and put in a pen exposed to all kinds of weather, without shelter of any kind, and fed only on coarse corn-meal and sorghum. Here through intense suffering he remained until November 28, when, in company with a fellow prisoner. Rev. John Scamahorn, well known in Evansville, he made his escape. Without money or food and with a scanty supply of clothing, the two took to the woods and started out to meet Sherman's army which they believed to be on its way to Augusta, Ga. They traveled across the state of South Carolina, walking by night and concealing themselves in the woods and swamps during the day. Reaching the Savannah river, they took possession of a small boat and ran the gauntlet of rebel guards and steamers until they reached the lines of Sherman's army at Savannah, which place had been captured subsequent to their escape. They had traveled nearly 1,500 miles through a rebel country and were nearly prostrated with fatigue. General Sherman ordered Maj. Mattison to report to the ami}- of the Potomac as soon as he was able to return to duty. After visiting his home in New York, he rejoined the ami)' of the Potomac about March ist, 1865, and took part in all the battles in which that army was engaged until the surrender of Lee, some six weeks later. He was mustered out of service at the close of the war, and soon after entered the Albany Law School from \Nhich he graduated in 1866, receiving the degree of LL. B. The same year he married the daughter of Hon. Marinus Fairchild, of Salem, N. Y. He began the practice of law at Salem, in partnership with his father-in-law. In February, 1868, he removed to Evansville and in the following fall took an active part in the political campaign, advocating the election of Gen.

Grant for president. In 1870, he was appointed county attorney, but resigned the office in the following year for the purpose of accepting the appointment b}' the governor to the office of prosecuting attornev of the Vanderburgh county criminal court, to till a vacancy. In the fall of 1872 he was elected by the people to the same office for a term of two years. In 1876 he was appointed, by United States Chief Ju3tice Waite, register in bankruptcy, and discharged the duties of the office until its abolishment by law. In 1887 he was appointed city attorney for Evansville, and was reappointed to the same office in 1S88. Ever since his coming to Evansville Maj. Mattison has taken an active part in citv, county, and state politics. He served four years as chairman of the republican executive committee of the count)- and city, and to his able and skillful management the successes of the party were largely due. He attended the national republican convention of 1876 as an alternate delegate at large from the state. As a forcible stump speaker he has a high reputation throughout the district. In 1888 his name was presented by his friends to the republican district convention for the congressional nomination, without his knowledge or consent (not being present at the time), and was defeated by the Hon. F. B. Posey by but one vote. He became a member of the Masonic fraternity at Troy. N. Y., in 1862, and joined Reed Lodge, No. 316, of this city, by demit in 1868; became a member of LaValette commandery of Knights Templar in 1872, and has held manv important offices: and is now past master of Reed lodge, past high priest and past eminent commander. He joined Trinity Methodist Episcopal church soon after moving to Evansville, and ever since has been an active member of both church and Sunday-school. His first wife having died in 1873, he was again married February 7, 187S, to Miss Henrietta M. Bennett, of Evansville, formerly of Brooklyn, N. Y. He has one daughter, the issue of his first marriage. Maj. ' Mattison is numbered among the leading lawyers in Evansville, and has been eminently successful in the practice. As a public officer he has been faithful to every trust and has performed every duty in a praiseworthy manner. He is a genial, kind-hearted, and courteous gentleman, and is esteemed as a man of honor and strict integrit\' in all business matters. Judge Azro Dyer, for many 3'ears a prominent member of the Evansville bar, and at present judge of the superior court of Vanderburgh county, was born in Rumsey, Ky., March 12, 1836. His father* Dillis Dyer, was a native of Connecticut, but emigrated to Kentucky at the age of eighteen years. He studied law in that state, and for many years practiced his profession at Hartford, Ohio county. During twenty-live years he held places of trust and influence in the affairs of the state." As representative and state senator, he took a prominent part in developing the internal improvement s\stem of Kentucky, and as an agent of the state caused the erection and had the subsequent management of the locks and dams on Green and Barren rivers, that have recently passed under the control of the general government. Azro D3'er attended the well-known school of Frank Griffin, at Hartford, Ky. Later he pursued his studies at Rochester University, N. Y., and in 1S54 entered the junior class of Dartmouth College, from which institution he graduated, June, 1856, delivering to President Lord the farewell address for the class. While at Dartmouth he was a member of the Greek society, Alpha Delta Phi. He was also a member of the college society, " Social Friends," of which he was for a time the president.

Returning to Kentuck}- he read law with Judge J. W. Becker, and attended the law school in Louisville, Ky., from which he graduated in March, 1858. From that time he practiced law in McLean county, Ky.,. until July, 1864, when he removed to Evansville, Ind., where he has since resided. For thirteen years he was engaged in the active practice of his profession, and concerned in many important trials in the courts during that time. In March, 1877, the superior court of Vanderburgh count}' was organized by an act of the legislature, and upon the request of the members of the Evansville bar, he was appointed by Gov. Williams as presiding judge of the new court, which position he held until the general election in October, 1878, when he was elected for the term of four years. So acceptable has been his service in this important position, that he has been twice re-elected to the office by the people, and is now serving his twelfth year. His abilit}-, promptness and faithfulness to duty have been recognized by attorneys, litigants and all persons having business in the court. In 1878, in company with Gen. Ben Harrison and Judge Mitchell (now of the supreme bench), he represented the Indiana Bar Association at the convention of the American Bar Association held at Saratoga, N. Y., in that year. Judge D3er was married January 3, 1861, to Prudence L., daughter of Henry J. Bell, of Livermore, Kentucky.

Hon. Charles Denbv, a distinguished lawyer and diplomat, was born in Botetourt countv, Va., and is now about fiftv-eight }ears of age. His education included three Years at Georgetown College, in the District of Columbia. Afterward he entered the Virginia Military Institute, where he graduated with hiirh honors. He was a professor in the Masonic University, at Salem, Ala., until 1S53, when he located in this city and edited the Daily Emjtiirer, the first democratic dail}- published in Evansville. While editing this paper for his support he began the study of the law in the office of tiie late Gov. Conrad Baker, then a practicing attorney in this city. In 1S56 he was elected a member of the Indiana legislature. When Sumter fell, in 1861, he recruited the Forty-second regiment of Indiana Volunteers, and was appointed lieutenant colonel. After the battle of Perryville, in which action his regiment took an active part, he was promoted to the colonelcy of the Eightieth Indiana infantry. In 1863 his resignation on account of phjsical disabilities was tendered, and he returned to Evansville, where he resumed the practice of law. From that time uniil 1SS5, when appointed by President Cleveland as United States minister to China, he devoted himself exclusively to his profession. In 1876 and 1884 he was delegate at large from the state of Indiana to the national democratic conventions held in those years. He has been requested several times bv his party to accept the nomination for congress, but each time he refused, preferring the practice of law to a participation in active politics. For many jears past he has been the senior member of the law firm of Denb\' & Kumler, composed of himself and Daniel B. Kumler. He is distinctively a lawyer, and has few supericrs in his profession at the Indiana bar. His practice has been ver\- large and general, and his knowledge of the law is not confined to any one branch, but extends through all. He has been always a close student and a hard worker. His achievements are proof of his ability. In the discharge of his delicate duties as minister of a great nation to a foreign power he has exhibited the possession of particular qualifications. He has upheld the dignity and honor of the position in an admirable , manner, and in his treatment of state matters has done credit to himself and his country. In the national democratic convention of 1 888 his name was seriously considered by delegates from Indiana and other states in connection with the nomination for vicepresident, but it was not formally presented. In 1858 he was married to Maretea Fitch, daughter of the distinguished senator, Graham N. Fitch, of Logansport, Ind.

Graham Fitch Denbv, attorne}' at law, was born in Evansville, December 25, 1859. He was educated in the public schools of this cit}-. In 1881 he began the study of law in the office of his father, Col. Charles Denb}', and in the same 3'ear was admitted to the bar. In the 3'ear 18S8 he was nominated for prosecuting attorney on the democratic ticket, but was, with nearly all democratic nominees, beaten.

Robert Dale Richardson, attorne}- at law, son of William B.andMar\' A. Richardsonwas born in Luce township, Spencer county, Ind., on the i3thdayof Januarj', 1S47. His father and mother lived to celebrate their golden wedding in August, 18S4, in the presence of many friends and eight living children. The father still survives in his eightieth year. He has been a potent factor in shaping the events which make up the histor\^ of his county. In his life the highest qualtities of citizenship and the best traits of manl}^ character have been exhibited. He twice represented his county in the legislature, and once served as senator from Warrick, Perry and Spencer counties. The son, Robert, spent his early boyhood on his father's farm, and received his elementar\' training in the public schools of the neighborhood. Afterward he pursued his studies at the State University at Bloomington, Ind., where he graduated in both the literary and law departments in 1867-8. He came to Evansville in 1868 and began the practice of the law. By his associates at the bar he is accorded high rank as an advocate and counselor. During the course of his practice he has been intrusted with the management of much important litigation, and throughout skill and ability have characterized his efforts. In 1S79 he was chosen as one of the trustees of the Indiana University, his u//na niatcr, which position he contines to hold, having been twice selected as his own successor. In January, 1889, he was appointed judge of the first judicial circuit, to till the vacancy caused by the resignation of Judge Parrett.

Charles L. Wedding, one of the prominent and most successful lawyers in southern Indiana, was born in Ohio county, Ky., October 17, 1845, on his father's farm, where his infancy and boyhood were spent in the usual monotony of farm life. His father, Mark Wedding, a carpenter, was a man of strong common sense, high honor, and belonged to a family noted for their good sense and force of character. His mother was Nancy J. Hale, a most excellent woman, and a member of an old and highly respected family, one which has given to the world several useful and distinguished men. The father survives, at the age of sixty-eight; the mother died in 1874. Wedding's parents were poor, and he was afforded onl\' the facilities of a country school taught by very incompetent men. At the age of sixteen, when he began the study of law, he had but a very imperfect knowledge of the most elementary' branches of common English education. To be a lawyer in the high sense that implies character, love of countrv, culture, learning, and usefulness to the community, was the earl^' hope and settled determination of the boy. Though surrounded with apparently insurmountable difficulties and of a frasrile constitution - alvvaj's rather delicate - he had moral courage, energ}-, and a firm resolve, which never weakened. He pressed on with a manliness which knows "no such word as fail."' At the age of sixteen, his father bought liim the elementarv text books, and for the next year and a half he studied diligently about sixteen hours a day. This entire time was spent upon the same farm, and much of it in the beautiful forests - God's first temples - as they existed in Kentucky thirty years ago. In studying law, general literature, and oratorical exercises, the inspiring and healthful influence of such a life, largely compensated for the lack of other training and advantages, regarded now as quite indispensable. At the age of eighteen he applied for admission to the bar, and passed a successful examination before those two distinguished judges, James Stuart, then of Brandenburg, and P. B. Muir, of Louisville, and was by them duly admitted to practice in all the courts of Kentucky. After his admission to the bar, he located at Cloverport, Ky., where he remained but eight months, having been engaged in several cases of local importance during the time. Owing to the disturbed condition of things in Kentucky at this time, Mr. Wedding moved in January, 1865, to Rockport, Ind. When he arrived at Rockport he was not only an inexperienced countrv bo}', but among strangers, and without monev, knowledge of the world, or a single friend to encourage him. The Rockport bar at that time was among the ablest in the state. There were Judges DeBruler, Laird and Barkwell, Gen. J. C. Veatch, Hon. Thomas F. DeBruler, all lawyers and politicians of great worth and eminent abilities, to say nothing of the young men of promise. Here, notwithstanding the established reputation and high character of his competitors at the bar, Mr. Wedding made rapid strides, and by the time he had attained his majority had a leading business. On tiie 4th of July 1865, when he was but nineteen vears of age, he delivered an oration at Roekport to a great autlience, which at once gave him a reputation throughout the country as a speaker. The war had just closed, the soldiers at home, and Lincoln recently dead. There was a golden opportunit\- for a great effort, and Mr. Wedding proved to be equal to it. From this time on until he moved to EvansvlUe, he had a large and lucrative practice at Roekport, and in the federal and supreme courts of Indiana. After establishing and maintaining a most enviable reputation at Roekport for years, he moved to Evansville as stated, in 1880. Previous to moving he had bought a beautiful home on First street, where he has ever since resided. At Evansville he has been equally successful. It is probably true, that no man of his age in southern Indiana has been emploj'ed in more important trials or made more money than Mr. Wedding. While not penurious, he has been frugal in his habits, intelligent and prudent in his management of his earnings, and in the result of his twenty-three vears of practice at the bar in Indiana he has accumulated such a competencv as all prudent men desire. This has all been done in the legitimate practice of his profession, for he never goes outside of it, except when force of circumstances, such as are inevitable in the management of all business, has obliged him to do so. He believes in, and often reminds his friends of the truthfulness of the maxim - " Let the shoemaker stick to his last." Attracted to him by his success, Mr. Wedding has had many young men under his charge as law students, some of whom have made their mark, while others, acting upon his advice, have gone into ether business to which they are better adapted. One of Mr. Wedding's traits is his perfect sincerity and frankness in his friendship, and also made manifest in the expression of his dislikes and prejudices. You always know where to find him; concealment has no place in his character. At Roekport, December the 1st, 1866, he was married to Mary C. English, a woman of great worth, good sense and Christian character. They have two boj's, aged respectively eleven and nineteen. In poHtics Mr. Wedding was an original republican, but went with the liberal republicans in 1872. and actively supported Greeley. In 1876 he supported Tilden, making speeches in Indiana and other states, which will rank among the best arguments made in that famous campaign for the democracy. In iSSo he supported Hancock, and took an active part in the campaign. He voted for Cleveland in 18S4, but took no part or interest in the contest. He has never claimed to be a party man, but always asserted his perfect independence of party lines, and has rarely voted a straight ticket. He never took any part in ward or local politics, except to help his friends who have been candidates for nomination or election. As a lawyer, Mr. Wedding is an able advocate, speaking with energy, sincerity, and often elo(juently. He tries his cases before the courts and juries with skill and abilitv. He advises with candor and accurac\', having at his command one of the fmest private law libraries in the state, kept with scrupulous care. In the supreme court the records show he has been nearlv always victorious, demonstrating his good judgment as to the result of legal controversies. \\\\\\ all this, he has excellent practical judgment of men, business and business problems, and he has, therefore, always had the confidence of the best business men wh-rever he is known. In all transacTtions involving mone\', character or integrity, his reputation is unquestion- able and without reproach. Outside of his professional practice, upon literary society and other public occasions, his services as a speaker are much sought after, and few merely priv-ate citizens have made more public addresses than Mr. Wedding. Some of them have been published, and highly commended, notably that at the funeral services of Gen. Grant in this city. It is proper we should state, that for much of the material in this sketch we are indebted to Mr. E. M. Swan, a prominent lawyer of Rockport, and Vol. i, page 56, of the Biographical History of the Eminent and Self-Made Men of Indiana.

Charles H. Butterfield, whose distinguished services in war and in peace, make a notable figure in the history' of the city, is a native of Maine, born in Farmington, May 17, 1S34. He remained at home until he was seventeen, assisting his father, and attending the winter schools. He then entered the Farmington academ^', and in 1S55 completed a preparatory course for college. In the fall of that year he entered Bowdoin College, and was graduated in 1859. His favorite studies were Latin and natural sciences, in which he particularly excelled. In ville and became the principal of the high school, in which capacity he had acted three years with great credit to himself and satisfaction to the patrons of the school, when the dire necessities of the national government, assailed by rebellion, called upon him irresistibly to drop all civil pursuits, and go to the front. In the spring of 1862 he assisted to recruit the Sixty-fifth regiment, expecting to go with it, but was detained b\r circumstances beyond his control. He then raised the Ninety-first, and was appointed its major, later being promoted to lieutenant colonel. His command saw active and important service. The first exciting duty was the chasing of the guerillas in the vicinity' of Henderson, and they were then enofaged in the expedition after Morgan in the spring of 1S63. In the fall and winter of 1863-4, ^^^ regiment was a participant in all the battles of the East Tennessee campaign, and in the spring of 1864, it formed a part of the Twenty-third army corps, under the general command of Gen. Sherman, and made the march from Chattanooga, to Atlanta. This famous campaign ended, the regiment returned to Nashville, to fight under Thomas, and destroy the hopes of the confederacy in the crushing defeat of Hood. Then the Ninet\'--first was transferred to Washington, and took boat for Fort Fisher, North Carolina, landing in time to join Sherman at Goldsboro, and in the final battles and skirmishes that followed, the regiment gallantly did its dut3^ Col. Butterfield was in command at Salisbury the first day after the entry of the Union army. In July, 1865, he returned to Evansville, and resumed the study of law. He was soon appointed superintendent of the schools and he held this position one year, meanwhile improving whatever opportunity offered to keep up his study of law, in the office of Hon. Conrad Baker. He was admitted to the bar in December, 1865, and soon after engaged in the practice of his chosen profession. In 1869 he was elected judge of the criminal court, but resigned this position in 1871, to accept the mayoralty, to which he was elected at the death of Hon. William Baker. He served for nearly three years as mayor, since which he has up to the present time, been engaged in the practice of the law in Evansville.

Capt. William Reavis, pension claim attorney, was born in what is now Gibson count}-, Ind., August 27, 1815. His father, Isham Reavis, was a native of North Carolina, born March 7, 1781, who died in Gibson county, Jul}- 30, 1825; his mother was born in South Carolina, January 31, 1781, and died August 14, 1848. The Reavis family emigrated to Indiana territory in 1813, making their way against many hardships and obstacles into the wilderness and settling as pioneers within the limits of the present county of Gibson. They were hardy people of unswerying integrity, whose simple lives were characterized b\' the manners and custonis of the early days in this section. William Reayis began the battle of life for himself when twenty years of age. This new countr}' was then without a well ordered school system and its educational advantages were few indeed. Only those endowed with natural acumen and an inate fondness for stud\'- obtained more than a smattering of the most elementary principles of learning. But because of studious habits and his aptness Mr. Reavis was early fitted for the duties of a teacher. This calling he followed for some time, and with a pleasing degree of success. In 1846 he was elected treasurer of Gibson county, and was re-elected to the same office three years later b}' an increased majority. The county records indicate that he was a most efficient officer. In 1859 he removed to Benton, Ills., where he engaged in the practice of law until the commencement of the the ci\'il war. His active interest in the strife and his loyalty to the union early proved themselves. He was instrumental in raising many troops and served as captain of Company G, Fifty-sixth Illinois infantry-. His record as an officer was indeed flattering, showing throughout the most patriotic, unselfish, and SDldierI\- conduct. Coming to Evansville in December, 1862, he began the business in which he is now engaged. He is one of the oldest claim attorneys in the state, and has been successful in his practice. He was united in marriage in 1836 to Eleanor C. Burton, to whom eight children were born. Upon the death of his first wife he was again married in 1856 to Mrs. Lathena Damon, widow of the late Volney Damon, of this county.

James T. Walker, a worthy representative of a distinguished pioneer family, and a successful attorne}' at law, was born in the city of Evansville October 22d, 1850. The name of his grandfather, William Walker, was closely woven into the early history of Vanderburgh count\\ Settling here in 1835, when Evansville, then a struggling village, was feeling the first impulses of that new life which soon bore it on from the condition of a village to that of a city, the family early took a prominent place among the sterling people of that period, and because of high character and loft^- aims, stamped the Walker name indelibly upon the annals of their adopted count}- and city. Prominent as a citizen, of recognized ability, and possessing the best qualities of magnetic manliness, William Walker, as soon as war was declared with Mexico, offered his own services to his country, and raised a company for duty at the front. In that company there were many men of high local standing, and later distinguished throughout the country. General Joseph Lane, resigning his seat in the state legislature, where he sat as a representative from this county, went to New Albany, whither Capt. Walker's company had proceeded to rendezvous, and lliere took his first lesson in company drill. On the field of Buena Vista, nobly and gallantly leading his command, soldier-like, sword in hand, Capt. Walker fell, pierced to death by the unerring aim of the Mexican lancers. Gen. Lane, many years later, in speaking of the hei'oic character of the man, said: " A truer soldier fell not upon any battle-field before or since." The immediate subject of mention in this connection, is the son of the late Hon. James T. and Charlotte (Burtis)

He was a law3-er by profession, and for many years was connected with the office of county auditor, during the long and efficient incumbency of William H. Walker. In 1844 he was chosen by the people to represent the county in the state legislature, and in subsequent years occupied many positions of public and private trust. His career was honorable throughout, and his death was generally lamented. The mother, Charlotte Walker, still living, and through the beaut}- of her womanly character enjoying the respect and love of many friends, was born in this county March 2d, 1822. Her parents, Jc sse Burtis and his wife, natives of New York state, came to the new west in very early times, and belonged to that noble and heroic class of pionejrs who, undaunted by any form of hardship or severity, built their rude cabin in the wolf-infested forests, made small clearings, and planted the seed which, ripening, yielded the rich fruits of civilization and Christian enlightenment. Charlotte Burtis was the second wife of Hon. James T. Walker. The present James T. Walker was the second of their children. His boyhood was spent in the city of his birth, and here in the pubHc schools he receix-ed the foundation of his intellectual training. In 1S66, having successfully passed through the schools of the city, he entered Wabash College, at Crawfordsville, Ind., and after a year's work there was matriculated at Hanover College, at Hanover, Ind., one of the leading educational institutions of the state, where he graduated in 1870. Because of subsequent literary attainments his alma mater conferred upon him in 1887, the degree of A. M. In 1872, he began the study of law in the office of Hon. Charles Denby, an eminent member of the bar and now United States minister to China, and continued to enjo}^ the beneficial guidance in the pursuits of his studies of this able instructor, until he was readv for admission to the bar. He remained in the office of Mr. Denbv until 1881, when a partnership with R. D. Richardson was formed. His natural and acquired abilities as a counselor and advocate, his close attention to the interest of his clients, and the honorable methods of his practice have won for him an enviable position among the members of his profession. Mr. Walker affiliates with the democratic party, but has not sought political preferment. In 1S84 he was elected a trustee of the public schools, in which capacity he served three 3'ears. His ideas being progressive he is identified with the business advancement of the citv. In the prime of life his past achievements give promise of continued usefulness and an honorable career. Februar}- 20, 1882, his marriage to Luc}- A. Babcock was solemnized. Mrs. Walker, a native of Evansville, was born December 8. 1856, her parents being the well-known Henry O. and Mary E. (Howser) Babcock, natives of New York and Ohio, respectively, and long prominently identified with Evansville's progress. Of this union two children, Henrv B., was born March 10, 18S5, and James T., jr., born December 22, 1888.

Gen.James M.Shackelford has achieved eminence as citizen, lawver, statesman, and soldier. He was born near Danville, Lincoln countv, Kv., July 7, 1827, his ancestors beinfj among the most illustrious citizens of that state. His mental training was intrusted to the best instructors. His mind early exhibited superior strength. At the age of twenty those manlv characteristics which have marked his entire career were fully developed. The war with Mexico was then being waged, and because of his peculia talents he was offered and accepted a lieutenant's commission in the Fourth Kentuck}- infantry, under Col. John S. Williams. The Fourth Kentucky infantry did not reach the seat of hostilities until after the decisive battles of the war had been fought, but the soldierly conduct of Lieutenant Shackelford gave his name a creditable place in the history of that period. In Jul}^, 1848, he returned with his regiment to Kentucky. Choosing the legal profession for his tield of effort, he entered the office of Judge Cook, a well-known lawyer of Madison ville, Ky., and began his studies. Upon his admission to practice in 1851, a partnership was formed with his old preceptor. A few days thereafter the young lawyer was retained to defend a prisoner charged with murder. The evidence against the accused was verj^ strong, and the prosecution was conducted b}' able and experienced lawyers. Young Shackelford's case was well prepared and abl}- managed. His argument was clear, direct, convincing, and because of the true eloquence of his utterances, and the breadth of learning displayed, he achieved a triumph. Upon the conclusion of his argument the judge and bar congratulated the young man upon his success. From that time he rose rapidh', and soon became an honored and successful practitioner. For a time he figured in the major part of the important litigation in southwestern Kentucky, and man}- of hi^ cases were amoog the most noted in the state. His career as a lawyer was interrupted by the call to arms in 1861. Eager to aid his country in its hour of peril, he offered his services, and was authorized bv Pres. Lincoln to raise a regiment for the Union army. The regiment was recruited with dilliculty, most of his neighbors being in sympathy with the confederacy. At length the regiment was designated as the Twenty-fifth Kentucky infantry, was mustered in, with Col. Shackelford in command, and was placed in Gen. Craft's brigade, Callender's division. The division participated in the engagement at Fort Donelson, where Col. Shackelford performed a gallant part. The exposure incident to the service seriously impaired his health, and upon the advice of the surgeons he tendered his resignation, which was accepted with regret by those who knew his worth as a soldier. His health being improved, he went to Pittsburg Landing and witnessed the fight at that place. Gen. Buell strongly recommended him for a command. He was authorized to recruit a regiment of cavalry, and within two weeks after receiving orders raised over 1,600 men, from among whom the Eighth Kentucky cavalr}- was enlisted. At Henderson, Ky., before muster-in, the regiment was engaged with the guerillas, and in the skirmish Col. Shackelford was seriously wounded in the foot. He was removed to hospital but returned to his command before he had completely recovered. His command had frequent encounters with the guerillas, and in the summer of 1863 Col. Shackelford was nominated by the president and confirmed by the senate as brigadier-general, assigned to the First Brigade, Second Division, Twenty-third army corps, and given the task of capturing the famous guerilla John Morgan. His successful accomplishment of this difficult task is related in the military chapter of this work. The pursuit of the noted raider was characterized by gallantr}- and seldom equaled powers of endurance. The persistent valor displayed by the general in command as well as by the subordinate otFicers and men was remarkable, and the achievements of that campaign placed the name of Gen. Shackelford upon the roll of American heroes. Soon after Morgan's capture the general engaged in the East

Tennessee campaign, and was chiefly instrumental in causing the surrender of the rebel, Gen. Frazier, at Cumberland Gap. For three months he was fighting in the valleys of Virginia and Tennessee. He was then placed in command of an army corps composed of sixteen regiments of cavalry, numbering over 15,000 soldiers. While in command of this force Gen. Shackelford rendered efficient and gallant service. Brave to the verge of rashness, always capable of making the best disposition of his forces, a good disciplinarian, yet much beloved by his men for his magnanimous impulses, and strictly conscientious, he manifested rare ability and proved himself under all circumstances a true soldier. In the latter part of 1863 for domestic reasons Gen. Shackelford resigned and returned to his home in Kentucky. He came to Evansville in 1864, resumed the practice of law, and at once took a prominent place among the foremost attorneys of the Evansville bar. His legal career has been brilliant and his reputation as an able and erudite law3"er extends throughout the state. His characteristics are accuracy in the preparation of cases, adroitness in their management, skill in the examination of witnesses, fluency and power in speech, and a great familiarity with every branch of the law. Politically he has been a staunch republican. To his able and eloquent discussion of national questions and the power of his personal influence, may be attributed much of his party's success. In 1880 he was elected as a presidential elector for the state at large. He was made president of the electoral college, and was unanimously chosen by the college to carr\' its vote to Washington. In 1881, his appointment as minister to Mexico, was urged by the republicans of the state, and would doubtless have been made had not the untimely death of Pres. Garfield prevented it. Prominent republicans, the state electors and many members of the legislature united in urging his appointment. The Evansville Courier, though not his political friend, said of him: " No man in the state, no man in the nation has been a more consistent or a more positive republican. No republican orator has used gloves as little as he in dealing blows at the democratic party. It is the nature of the man to be true as steel to his convictions and to can;y them before the eyes of all men as buckler and shield. Loyal to the right, as he understands the right, his splendid courage compels the respect and admiration of those who differ with him - chiefly of his opponents, it would seem - for his modesty, when his personal interests are at stake, exceeds his bravery, and notwithstanding the irreat services he has r^indered his party, he has never sought nor held office. He is a gentleman of rare social gifts and is well versed in the graces of life. Few men in Indiana are more widely endowed intellectually. He is a fine lawyer, and as an advocate has no superior at the Indiana bar. He is studious, energetic and industrious in his habits, and in temperament possesses that kind of amiability which blends prudence with high resolve." His name was afterward prominently mentioned in connection with the gubernatorial nomination, but he was not an aspirant for that honor. In 1888 he was again elected presidential elector for the state at large, and was unanimously chosen presiident of the electoral college. In recognition of his high standing as a citizen, his eminent qualifications as a jurist, and his prominence as a republican, Pres. Harrison appointed Gen. Shackelford as judge of the United States circuit court at Muscogee, Indian territory, on March 23, 1S89.

this county, and is the son of John C and Marj^aret (Clinton) Staser, the well-known pioneers. His boyhood was spent upon the farm, and his early mental training obtained in the district schools of the neighborhood. Coming to the city, he pursued a course of study in the school of Prof. Knight, and later attended the commercial coUetre of Jeremiah Behme. Determining to fit himself for the practice of the law, he began his professional studies in the office of Peter Maier, and was admitted to practice in 1868, since which time he has been an honored and successful practitioner. His practice has been of a general character, but important probate and mercantile business has chiefly engaged his attention. In 1870 he was married to Miss Clarissa Wille}', of Delaware, Ohio. To this union seven children have been born. Mr. and Mrs. Staser are members of St. Paul's Episcopal church.

Wesley S. Hurst, attorney at law, was born in Dubois county, Ind., November 9, 1846. His father, Ira Hurst, a Virginian, now resides in Gibson county at a ripe old age. His mother, Phcebe (Brenton) Hurst, was a native of Dubois county, and died there in 1847. He was reared on his father's farm until fifteen years of age, at which time he went to work in a printing office at Jasper, Ind., with a view of learning the printer's trade. He had been there but a short time when he decided to join the Union army. He enlisted as a drummer boy in Company E, Fifty-eighth Indiana infantr}-, and, after a jear's service, was honorably discharged, because of ph3'sical disability. Upon his return home, he entered the State University at Bloomington, where he continued until 186S, when he was graduated in both the departments of literature and law. In the early years of his boyuood he had struggled hard for the rudiments of his education, eagerly seizing upon e\ery opportunity afforded by the then imperfect schools of his locality. At fifteen years of age he found himself whollv dependent upon his own efforts for what he most desired - an education. At the university he defrayed his expenses bv working as a janitor; a commendable thing this was, for the dignity of honorable labor and the delights of a cultivated intellect are recognized by all. It was impossible for him to begin the practice of his profession immediately after his graduation. He taught school in Pike, Gibson and Warrick counties until 1872, when he entered upon the practice of law at Vincennes. After two years he removed to Petersburgh, Ind., and from there, in 1883, came to Evansville. Here he has attained a degree of success such as his zeal and ability have warranted. He was married in 1869 to Miss Anna Minnis, of Gibson county, who was born in 1850, and is the father of two children, Mattie A. and Oscar W. He and his wife are consistent members of the Presbyterian church.

PiiiLU' W. Frey, attorney at law, is a native of Evansville, having been born in this city July 9, 1857. His parents, Louis and Rosalie Frey, were natives of Austria and Alsace, France, respectively. His father emigrated to the United States in 1847, and nine years later came to Vanderburgh county. He has always been known as a respectable and worthy citizen. He was educated in the public schools of the city, passing through all the grades and graduating from the high school in 1874. Immediately thereafter he began the stud}' of law under the direction of Judge Azro Dyer, and three years later, being admitted to the bar of Vanderburgh county, began the active practice of his profession. His success from the beginning of his career w^s s^ssvired, The democratic party nominated him in 18S2, and again in 1884, for the office of prosecuting attorney for the first judicial district, composed of Posey and Vanderburgh counties, to which office he was elected for two terms. At the expiration of his official career he again turned his entire attention to his private law practice, which, through a steady increase, has attained gratifying proportions. Mr. Frey is a young man with nearly the whole of his life's work before him. The accomplishments of the past indicate for him a bright future. He was married in December, 1886, to Miss Hattie Loewenthal, of Leavenworth, Kas.

William M. Blakey, attorney at law, was born on a farm in Logan county Ky., April 21, 1849, being the son of George T. and Sarah E. (McLean) Blakey, people well and favorably known in tlie locality where they long resided. His youth was spent upon the farm in the monotonous pursuits common to farm lads. His elementary mental training was obtained at the public schools of Oldfield, a place in his native county. At the age of eighteen years he entered Bethel College at RusselviUe, Ky., where he pursued his studies for two j'ears.

making rapid advancement. He was then matriculated at Asbur}- University (now DePauw College), at Greencastle, fnd., where he graduated with the class of 1869. Returning to Russelville, Ky., he began the study of law, having for his instructor the eminent Judge R. C. Bowling. At the same time the zealous law student enjoyed the benefit of a course of lectures at the Law School in Louisville, K}-., in the winter of 1870-1. In November, 1871, he came to Evansville and at once began the practice of his profession, spending four years in the office of Judge Azro Dyer, and continuing to the present time with marked success. His public spirit has caused him to play a prominent part in local politics. His affiliations have been with the republican party. From 1880 to 1884, he served as chairman of the county central committee and much of the success achieved by the party was due to the skill of his management and the devotion of his services. In 1873 ^^ became a Mason, and in 1877, a Knight Templar, and has always occupied a high position in his lodges. His marriage to Miss Carrie McDonald, of New Albany, Ind., occurred in November, 1879.