History of Virginia United States of America

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Biographies:

John Warfield Johnston, senator, was born in Panicello, Va., Sept. 9, 1815; the eldest son of John Johnston and graudson of Peter and Mary (Wood) Johnston. He attended the College of South Carolina; studied law at the University of Virginia, and was admitted to the bar in 1829. He removed to Tazewell county in 1840; was commonwealth's attorney, 1844-46, and state senator, 1846-48. He was one of the Democratic representatives who voted for R. M. T. Hunter for U.S. senator in 1847, during the celebrated Smith-Hunter controversy. He was president of the Northwestern bank, Jeffersonville, Va., 1850-59; judge of the circuit court of Virginia, 1866-70, and U.S. senator, 1870-82. He served in the senate as chairman of the committee on agriculture and of the joint select committee on the Yorktown centennial celebration. He died in Richmond, Va., Feb. 27, 1889.

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

Jethro Sumner, soldier, was born in Virginia in 1733; son of Jethro and grandson of William Sumner, who emigrated from England about 1675 and settled in Suffolk, Va. Jethro Sumner became a lieutenant in Col. William Byrd's Virginia regiment in 1758; was with Washington at Braddock's defeat, and later at the capture of Fort Duquesne; was promoted captain, and in 1761 mustered out and presented with 2000 acres of land in recognition of his services. He removed to Bute county, N.C., sometime prior to 1769, and was made sheriff in 1772. In 1775 he was commissioned major of the minute-men, and in April, 1776, was made colonel of the 3d North Carolina regiment. He fought at the defence of Charleston in July, 1776, moved north to join Washington, and fought at Germantown, Oct. 4, 1777. He wintered at Valley Forge, and in the spring joined the southern army; was promoted brigadier-general, Jan. 9, 1779, and commanded the North Carolina brigade under General Lincoln at the battle of Stone Ferry, June 20, 1779. He was taken ill at this time, and went to North Carolina, where he succeeded in recruiting new troops. He fought at Camden in 1780; at Eutaw Springs in 1781, and with General Davidson conducted the retreat across the Yadkin river and suppressed the raids of the Tories in North Carolina. He was the first president of the North Carolina division, Society of the Cincinnati. His wife was related to several prominent families in North Carolina and Virginia and is said to have been very wealthy. Beyond this, little is known of her. General Sumner died at his manor house in Warren county, N.C., March 17, 1785.

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

James Hay, representative, was born in Millwood, Va., Jan. 9, 1856; son of William and Emily (Lewis) Hay; grandson of James and Eliza (Burwell) Hay, and of James Smith and Rebecca Shoemaker (Rawle) Lewis; and great grandson of William Hay, who came to America from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1745, and landed at Norfolk, Va., where he married first Elizabeth Cary, daughter of Miles and niece of Archibald Cary, and secondly, Elizabeth Thompkins, cousin of his first wife. James Hay was educated at private schools in Maryland and Virginia, at the University of Pennsylvania, and at the Washington and Lee university, Va., and was graduated in law from the last named institution in June, 1877. He practised law in Harrisonburg, Va., 1877-79, and in Madison, Va., from 1879. He was elected attorney for the commonwealth in 1883, and re-elected in 1887, 1891 and 1895. He was elected to the house of delegates of Virginia in 1885, was re-elected in 1887 and 1889, and was elected a state senator in 1893. He was a member of the Democratic state committee for four years, was a member of the Democratic national convention of 1888, and was a representative from Virginia in the 55th-58th congresses, 1897-1905.

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

Joseph Johnson, governor of Virginia, was born in Orange county, N.Y., Dec. 19, 1785. When he was fifteen years of age his father removed to Bridgeport, Harrison county, Va., and Joseph acquired what education he could in the evenings when the farm work was done. He served in the war of 1812 as captain of a rifle company, and in 1815 was elected to the state legislature. He was a Democratic representative in the 18th-20th congresses, 1823-29; in the 22d congress as successor to Philip Doddridge, who died Nov. 19, 1832; in the 24th-26th congresses, 1835-41, and in the 29th congress, 1845-47. He was a delegate to the constitutional convention of Virginia, 1850, and was governor of the state, 1852-56. During the civil war he was a firm supporter of the Confederate cause. He died in Bridgeport, W. Va., Feb. 27, 1877.

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

History of Virginia

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