History of Lynchburg, (Lynchburg (city) County) Virginia United States of America

Our database does not include an historic photo for Lynchburg, (Lynchburg (city) County) Virginia, do you have one you would like to contribute? Contact Us!

Biographies:

John Warwick Daniel, senator, was born in Lynchburg, Va., Sept. 5, 1842; son of Judge William, Jr., and Sarah A. (Warwick) Daniel; grandson of Judge William, Sr., and Margaret (Baldwin) Daniel, and of John M. and Caroline (Norvell) Warwick; great-grandson of William and Pattie (Allen), great-great-grandson of William and Elizabeth (Watkins) Woodson, and great-great-great-grandson of James and Margaret (Vivian) Daniel. His paternal grandfather was a judge of the Virginia general court, and an ardent supporter of Jefferson and of the revolution of 1798. His father was a judge of the supreme court of appeals of Virginia, an elector for Van Buren in 1840, a distinguished orator, and a cousin of Peter Vivian Daniel of the U.S. supreme court and of John Moncure Daniel, journalist, (1825-1865). John Warwick was educated at Lynchburg and at Dr. Gessner Harrison's university school, and upon the secession of Virginia left his studies to accept the commission of 2d lieutenant in the 27th Virginia regiment, which became part of the Stonewall brigade. He fought in the first battle of Manassas, July 21, 1861; at Boonesboro, Md., Sept. 14, 1862; in the battle of Antietam, Sept. 16-17, 1862, and in the battle of the Wilderness, May 5-7, 1864, in which he held the rank of major and was adjutant-general of Jubol A. Early's division, and where he had his leg broken and shattered. He fell from his horse between the firing lines and was saved from bleeding to death by the fortunate possession of a scarf with which a soldier bound his limb and stopped the flow of blood. While recovering from his wound he studied law, attending lectures at the University of Virginia, 1865-66. He was admitted to the bar in 1866 and practised with his father, who had retired from the bench. He was president of the bank of Lynchburg, Va., for ten years. In 1869 he was married to Julia E. Munnell of Lynchburg, and they had two sons and three daughters. He was a member of the Virginia house of delegates, 1869-72, and of the Virginia senate, 1875-8l, resigning in 1881 to enter the canvass for governor of the state, having received the unanimous Democratic nomination. He was defeated in the election by W. E. Cameron, the readjuster candidate. In 1885 he was elected a representative in the 49th congress and during his first month in the house he was elected by the general assembly of Virginia to the U.S. senate to succeed Senator Malone, whose term was to expire March 3, 1887. In the 49th congress he urged the abolition of the internal revenue system, advocated the free coinage of silver, and as a member of the committee on foreign affairs, supported the retaliatory measures proposed for Canadian invasion of the rights of harbor due to United States fishermen. He took his seat in the U.S. senate March 4, 1887, and in the regular session, beginning Dec. 5, 1887, he opposed the force bill and advocated tariff reform and the free coinage of silver. He was re-elected to the senate in 1892 without a party nomination and having every vote in beth branches of the legislature, and he was again reelected in 1898 for the term expiring March 3, 1905. He was an elector-at-large on the Tilden ticket in 1876 and seconded the nomination of Hancock in the Democratic national convention of 1880, and that of Thurman for vice-president in 1888. He delivered the oration at the unveiling of General Lee's monument at Lexington, Va., in 1883; the address at the dedication of the Washington monument in 1885 by invitation of congress; and the oration at the memorial exercises upon the death of Jefferson Davis in 1890, by invitation of the general assembly of Virginia. The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred upon him by Washington and Lee university in 1883 and by the University of Michigan in 1887. He is the author of Daniel on Attachments and Daniel on Negotiable Instruments, the latter of which passed through four editions and was largely quoted in English and American courts.

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

Peter Johnston Otey, representative, was born in Lynchburg, Va., Dec. 22, 1840; son of John M. and Lucy Wilhelmina (Norvell) Otey; grandson of Isaac Otey, for thirty years a state senator, and a descendant of John Otey of Revolutionary fame, and of Capt. Matthews, who served at Point Pleasant, Va., Oct. 10, 1774. He was graduated from the Virginia Military institute, Lexington, Va., in July, 1860, and while a cadet took part in the defence of the state during the John Brown raid. He engaged as a civil engineer on the Virginia and Kentucky railroad, and in April, 1861, joined the Confederate army, serving throughout the war with the Army of Northern Virginia. He was severely wounded at the battle of New Market, Va., May 15, 1864, and as senior field officer commanded a brigade under General Early in the battle of Cedar Creek, Oct. 19, 1864. Upon the close of the war he returned to Lynchburg and engaged in the railroad, banking and insurance business. He was a Democratic representative in the 54th, 55th, 56th and 57th congresses, 1895-1902. He died at Lynchburg, Va., May 4. 1902.

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

Page Morris, representative, was born in Lynchburg, Va., June 30, 1853; son of Dr. William S. and Laura Page (Waller) Morris; grandson of Richard Morris of Hanover, Va., and of Dr. Robert P. Waller of Williamsburg, Va., and a descendant of Gen. Hugh Mercer He attended a private school and William and Mary college, and was graduated from the Virginia Military institute in 1872. He was assistant professor of mathematics at the Virginia Military institute, 1872-73; professor of mathematics in the Texas Military institute, 1873-75, and professor of applied mathematics in the Agricultural and Mechanical college of Texas, 1876-79. He was married Feb. 21, 1877, to Elizabeth Statham, of Lynchburg, Va. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1880, and practised in Lynchburg, Va. He was the unsuccessful candidate for representative in the 49th congress from Virginia in 1884. In 1886 he removed to Duluth, Minn. He was municipal judge of the city of Duluth, 1889-93; city attorney, 1894-95, and district judge of the 11th judicial district of Minnesota, 1895-96. He was a Republican representative from Minnesota in the 55th, 56th and 57th congresses, 1897-1903.

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

William Henry Holcombe, physician, was born in Lynchburg, Va., May 25, 1825; son of the Rev. William James and Eliza (Clopton) Holcombe. He was graduated at the University of Pennsylvania, M.D., in 1847, and was a practising physician in Lynchburg, Va., Cincinnati, Ohio, and New Orleans, La. He was president of the American Institute of Homeopathy, 1874-75, and a prominent disciple of Swedenborg. He published: Scientific Basis of Homeopathy (1852); Poems (1860); Our Children in Heaven (1868); The Sexes Here and Hereafter (1869); In Both Worlds (1870); The Other Life (1871); Southern Voices (1872); The Lost Truths of Christianity (1879); The End of the World (1881); The New Life (1884); Letters on Spiritual Subjects (1885). He died in New Orleans, La., Nov. 28, 1893.

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