History of Bedford County Virginia United States of America

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Jeremiah Bell Jeter, missionary, was born in Bedford county, Va., July 18, 1802. He began to preach in 1822; was ordained a Baptist minister, May 4, 1824, and was pastor of churches in Bedford, Sussex and Campbell counties and other Virginia churches, 1826-35. He was pastor of the First Baptist church in Richmond, Va., 1835-49; of the Second Baptist church in St. Louis, Mo., 1849-52; and of the Grace Street Baptist church, Richmond, Va., 1852-65. He was a corporate trustee and president of Richmond college, Va., on its organization in 1840; was the first president of the Southern board for foreign missions, and president of the board of trustees of the Baptist Theological seminary at Louisville, Ky. He visited Italy at the instigation of the board of missions to superintend the missionary work in that country and to establish a chapel at Rome. In 1865 he was editor-in-chief of the Religious Herald, published in Richmond, Va. He assisted the Rev. Richard Fuller in preparing The Psalmist, a book of hymns that came into general use in the Baptist churches in Canada, England and the United States. He is the author of: Life of the Rev. A. W. Clopton (1837); A Memoir of Mrs. Schuck (1845); Life of the Rev. Andrew Broaddus (1850); Campbellism Examined (1854); The Christian Mirror (1856); The Seal of Heaven (1871); The Rev. Daniel Witt; Recollections of a Long Life. He died in Richmond, Va., Feb. 25, 1880.

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

Joseph Hamilton Daviess, lawyer, was born in Bedford county, Va., March 4, 1774. His parents removed first to Lincoln county, Kentucky, in 1779 and subsequently to Bogle county, settling near Danville, He was educated at Harrodsburg academy, and in 1793 served for six months as a volunteer soldier in the campaign against the Indians. He was admitted to the bar in 1795, and established himself at Danville when he cut himself off from public office by supporting the Federalists, and gave his entire time to the practice of his profession. He travelled his circuit on foot, dressed in his hunting costume and with his rifle in hand. His appearance at court was always in this garb, and he argued his first cause before the United States supreme court in a similar dress and won the suit, the first western lawyer to appear in that court. He was married to a sister of Chief Justice Marshall about the time of his visit to Washington. In 1799, when the state constitutional convention was in session, he acted as second to John Rowan, ?a delegate to the convention and afterward U.S. senator, ?in a duel in which Rowan's antagonist was killed. The parties to the meeting all fled to avoid prosecution, but when Daviess learned of the arrest of Rowan, he returned, defended him before the court, and secured his acquittal. On Nov. 3, 1806, in his capacity as U.S. attorney for Kentucky, he moved the appearance of Aaron Burr before the court to answer the charge of levying war against a nation with which the United States was at peace. The court overruled the motion but Burr insisted upon its being granted and appeared to answer, accompanied by Henry Clay as his counsel. Daviess could not secure the attendance of his witnesses and the case was dismissed. This result greatly damaged the legal reputation of Daviess and destroyed his popularity. Even the subsequent revelation of Burr's plot did not restore the prosecuting attorney to popular favor. In 1811 he served as major in a regiment of dragoons raised in Kentucky to support General Harrison in his campaign against the Indians, and was killed at the battle of Tippecanoe in a cavalry charge which he led and which was the point in the battle that determined Harrison's victory. Jo Daviess county, Illinois, and Daviess counties in Kentucky, Missouri and Indiana were named for him. He published: A View of the President's Conduct concerning the Conspiracy of 1806 (1807). He died on the battlefield of Tippecanco, Ind., Nov. 7, 1811.

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

James Clarke, governor of Kentucky, was born in Bedford county, Va., in 1779; son of Robert and Susan Clarke. His father migrated from Virginia to Kentucky at an early period and settled in Clark county, near the Kentucky river. James received the principal part of his education under Doctor Blythe, afterward a professor in Transylvania university, and studied law with his brother, Christian Clarke. He began practice at Winchester, Ky., in 1797, and became a prominent lawyer. He was several times elected to he state legislature; was a judge of the court of appeals, 1810-12; and in 1812 was elected as a Clay Democrat a representative in the 13th congress. He was re-elected to the 14th congress and resigned in 1816. He was judge of the ciruit court, 1817-24, and in 1825 was elected a representative in the 19th congress to fill the vacancy occasioned by Henry Clay's appointment as secretary of state. He was re-elected to the 20th and 21st congresses. In 1832 be was elected to the Kentucky senate, and was chosen speaker of that body. He was elected governor of Kentucky in August, 1836, and served until his death in Frankfort, Ky., Aug. 27, 1839.

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

John William Leftwich, representative, was born in Liberty, Bedford county, Va., Sept. 7, 1826; son of Joel and Mary (Thorpe) Leftwich; grandson of John and Susaunah (Smith) Leftwich and great grandson of Augustine Leftwich, a native of Cheshire, England, who came to Caroline county, Va., in 1739, and to Bedford county about 1770. John William Leftwich was graduated at Jefferson medical college in 1850, and subsequently settled in Memphis, Tenn., where he became an extensive cotton merchant. He was a representative from Tennessee in the 39th congress under the reconstruction act, and he served from July, 1866, to March 3, 1867. He was mayor of Memphis and resigned his office in 1871 to take his seat in the 42d congress, to which he had been elected in 1870. On his way to Washington in February, 1871, he was taken ill at Lynchburgh, Va., and died March 6, 1871.

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

History of Bedford County Virginia

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