History of Russellville, (Logan County) Kentucky United States of America

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Biographies:

Wilkinson Call, senator, was born at Russellville, Logan county, Ky., Jan. 9, 1834; a nephew of Richard Keith Call, governor of Florida. He went to Florida at an early age, and became a lawyer in Jacksonville. During the civil war he served as adjutant-general in the Confederate army, and in 1865 he was elected U. S. senator from Florida, but owing to the subsequent passage of the reconstruction act he was not allowed to take his seat. In 1872 and 1876 he was presidential elector for the state at large, and in 1876 he was a member of the national Democratic executive committee, and a delegate to the national convention at St. Louis, Mo. In 1879 he was elected U. S. senator to succeed Simon B. Conover, and was re-elected in 1885 and in 189l, his term of service expiring March 3, 1897.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Thomas Leonidas Crittenden, soldier, was born in Russellville, Ky., May 15, 1819; son of the Hon. John Jordan and Sallie O. (Lee) Crittenden; and brother of Maj.-Gen. George Bibb Crittenden, C.S.A. He attended Centre college but was not graduated; studied law with his father, and was admitted to the bar in 1840. In 1842 he was elected commonwealth attorney for his district. He recruited a regiment for the Mexican war and was made its lieutenant-colonel, serving through the war, and being for a time a member of the staff of General Taylor, who was his cousin. He carried to the President and congress the news of the victory at Buena Vista. In 1849 President Taylor appointed him U.S. consul to Liverpool and he returned from the mission at the close of Fillmore's administration in 1853. He was opposed to secession and in 1861 entered the Union army, where he was commissioned brigadier-general of volunteers, Oct. 27, 1861. For gallantry at Shiloh, where he commanded a division, he was promoted major-general of volunteers, July 17, 1862. He was given command of the 2d corps, army of the Tennessee, which formed the left wing of Buell's army. He engaged in the battle of Stone's river, and at Chickamauga commanded the left wing of Rosecrans's army. He was afterward given command of a division of the 9th corps, army of the Potomac, and operated with that corps during the campaign of 1864. He resigned his commission Dec. 13, 1864, and served as a volunteer aid on the staff of General Williams until the close of the war. In 1865 he was commissioned by President Johnson colonel of the 32d U.S. infantry and in 1869 was transferred to the 17th infantry. On March 2, 1867, he was brevetted brigadier-general for gallantry at Stone's River. He was transferred from the West to New York harbor in 1877 and was retired in May, 1881, by reason of his age. His son, John J. Crittenden, was a cadet at the U.S. military academy, 1873-76, and as lieutenant accompanied General Custer in his expedition against the Sioux Indians, June 25, 1876, sharing the fate of the commander. General Crittenden died at Annandale, Staten Island, N.Y., Oct. 23, 1893.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

George Bibb Crittenden, soldier, was born in Russellville, Ky.. March 20, 1812; son of the Hon. John Jordan and Sallie 0. (Lee) Crittenden. He was graduated at the U.S. military academy in 1832, and resigned his commission, April 30, 1833. He became one of the Texas revolutionists in 1835 and with his company was captured on the Rio Grande and carried to the City of Mexico, where as a prisoner of war he was released through the intervention of John Forsyth, secretary of state. He served through the Mexican war as captain of mounted rifles and for gallantry at Contreras and Cherubusco was promoted major and was in the van of the American army as it entered the City of Mexico. After the close of the war he was made major of mounted rifles, being promoted lieuteuant-colonel in 1856. He resigned from the army of the United States in 1861 and joined that of the Confederacy, receiving the commission of brigadier-general and shortly afterward that of major-general. In November, 1861, he commanded southeast Kentucky and a part of east Tennessee. At Mill Spring, on Jan. 19, 1862, he was defeated by General Thomas and lost his artillery, escaping across the Cumberland with a remnant of his army. He was severely censured for the action and was kept under arrest until November, 1862, when he resigned his commission but continued to serve the Confederacy as a volunteer. He was state librarian at Frankfort, Ky., 1867-71. He died in Danville, Ky., Nov. 27, 1880.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Presley Underwood Ewing, representative, was born in Russellville, Ky., Sept. 1, 1822; son of Ephraim M. and Jane Pope (McIntyre) Ewing He was graduated A.B. at Centre college in 1840, and LL.B. at Transylvania university in 1843. He studied theology at the Baptist seminary at Newton, Mass., 1845-46, and travelled in Germany, where his theological views underwent a change and he abandoned his purpose to become a preacher. Returning to Kentucky he became a lawyer and was a representative in the state legislature, 1849-50. He was a representative in the 32d and 33d congresses, 1851-54. He died while on a visit to Mammoth Cave, Ky., Sept. 27, 1854.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor