History of Edgecombe County North Carolina United States of America

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William Turner Faircloth, jurist, was born in Edgecombe county, N.C., Jan. 8, 1829. He was graduated at Wake Forest college in 1854; studied law under Chief Justice Pearson and was admitted to practice Jan. 1, 1856. He settled in Goldsboro, N.C., and the same year was elected solicitor for Wayne county. In 1861 he enlisted as a private in the 2d N.C. regiment, was promoted quartermaster and was with the army of Northern Virginia 1862-65, taking part in all the battles of that army, and at the time of the surrender was captain of cavalry. In 1865 he was a member of the provisional state convention and represented Wayne county in the first session of the state legislature under the reconstruction constitution. He was state solicitor, 1865-68; practised law in Goldsboro, 1868-76; served as a delegate to the state constitutional convention of 1875 and was appointed in 1876 by Governor Brogden to a seat on the bench of the supreme court of the state to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Justice Settle, and served two years. He was the Republican candidate for lieutenant-governor of North Carolina in 1884 and for associate justice of the supreme court in 1888, and was defeated with his party in both elections. In 1894 he was chosen chief justice of the supreme court of North Carolina for the term of eight years beginning June 1, 1895. He was at this time a trustee of the state university; of Wake Forest college; of the Baptist female university of Raleigh, and of the Baptist orphanage at Thomasville, and resigned all of these positions before taking his seat on the supreme bench. He was married in 1867 to a daughter of Council Wooten of Lenoir county, N.C. He died in Goldsboro, N.C., Dec. 21, 1900.

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

Duncan Lamont Clinch, representative, was born in Edgecombe county, N. C., April 6, 1787. He entered the U.S. army as first lieutenant in the 3rd U.S. infantry, July 1, 1808; was made captain of the 3rd infantry, Dec. 31, 1810; lieutenant-colonel of the 43rd infantry, Aug. 4, 1813, and transferred to the 4th infantry, May 7, 1815. He reached the rank of colonel in the 8th infantry, April 20, 1819, and was made brigadier-general by brevet, April 20, 1829. He commanded the military district of Florida during the Seminole war and distinguished himself at the battle of Ouithlacoochee, Dec. 31, 1835. He resigned from the army Sept. 21, 1836, and engaged in planting near St. Mary's, Ga. He was a representative from Georgia in the 28th congress, serving from Feb. 15, 1844, to March 3, 1845, and was the defeated candidate for governor of the state in 1847. His daughter was married to Robert Anderson, the hero of Fort Sumter. He died in Macon, Ga., Nov. 27, 1849.

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

Elias Carr, governor of North Carolina, was born in Edgecombe county, N. C., Feb. 25, 1839, son of Jonas Johnston and Elizabeth (Hilliard) Carr. Among his ancestors were Jonas Johnston, of revolutionary fame, and the Hon. Richard Hines, a member of Congress. He attended school at the Oaks in Orange county, and subsequently completed his education at the universities of North Carolina and Virginia. He served in the Confederate army during the civil war, returning at its close to his private agricultural interests in Edgecombe county. He was connected with the first planters' clubs, and was an active member in the Farmers' alliance. In 1886 he was a delegate. from North Carolina to the national farmers' convention at St. Paul, and in 1891 was appointed commissioner to the World's fair. He was governor of North Carolina, 1893-97. He died at Old Sparta, N. C., in 1900.

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

Van H. Manning, representative, was born in Edgecomb county, N.C., July 26, 1839; son of Reuben S. and Dorothy (Howell) Manning. His parents removed to Mississippi in 1841 and he attended Horn Lake academy, and the University of Nashville. He was married May 3, 1859, to Mary Z. daughter of W. W. Wallace, of Holly Springs, Miss., who with four sons and four daughters survived him. He removed to Arkansas in 1860, and was admitted to the bar in 1861. He enlisted in the Confederate States army, and was appointed captain in and subsequently colonel of the 3d Arkansas infantry. He commanded Gen. John G. Walker's brigade at Richmond in 1862, and when the brigade joined General Lee's army at Frederick, Md., he undertook to destroy the aqueduct bridge across the Monocacy. Failing in that he cooperated with Jackson and McLaws in the capture of Harper's Ferry and took possession of Loudoun Heights, and on Sept. 16, 1862, reported to General Lee at Sharpsburg and was assigned to the extreme right of Lee's line of battle on the 17th. The same day the division was ordered to reinforce Jackson when that officer ordered the division to the relief of Hood and while leading his brigade and driving Sedgwick's forces back Manning fell, severely wounded. He was present at the battle of the wilderness where he was captured, and he was held a prisoner of war by the U.S. government until August, 1865. He was a representative from the second district of Mississippi in the 45th, 46th and 47th congresses, 1877-83, and in 1883 took up the practice of law in Washington, D.C. He died at Broadville, Md. Nov. 3, 1892.

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

History of Edgecombe County North Carolina

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