History of Mecklenburg County Virginia United States of America

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Joseph Chappell Hutcheson, representative, was born in Mecklenburg county, Va., May 18, 1842; son of Charles Sterling and Mary M. (Hutch-eson) Hutcheson. He was graduated from Ran-dolph-Macon college, Va., in 1861, and at once en-termed the Confederate army as a private in Co. C, in the 21st Virginia infantry. He served under Gen. T. J. ("Stonewall") Jackson in the campaign of the valley of Virginia, and in the seven days' fight around Richmond, was in all the succeeding engagements of the Army of Northern Virginia up to the surrender at Appomattox. He was commissioned first lieutenant of Co. E, in the 14th Virginia infantry, after the battle of Cedar Mountain, and his captain being a prisoner, he was given command of the company for personal courage at battle of Dinwiddie C. H., Va., and was in command at the surrender at Appomattox. He was graduated at the University at Virginia, LL.B., in 1866, and removed to Grimes county, Texas, where he practised his profession. He settled in Houston, Texas, in 1874; was a representative in the state legislature, 1880-82; president of the Democratic state convention of 1890, and representative from the first district of Texas in the 53d and 54th congresses, 1893-97. He was the author of the bill to establish the University of Texas, and won a prominent position at the bar of the state. He was married in 1867 to Mildred, daughter of Dr. William F. and Elizabeth (Venable) Carrington, of Virginia; and secondly at Houston, Texas, Aug. 11, 1886, to Bettie Palmer, widow of Edward Milby and daughter of Judge Edward A. and Martha Winifred (Branch) Palmer.

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

John Christopher Draper, physician, was born at Christianville, Mecklenburg county, Va., March 31, 1835; son of Prof. John William and Antonia Coetana de Paiva Pereira (Gardner) Draper. He attended the arts department of the University of the city of New York, 1850-52, and the medical department, 1855-57, receiving his degree in 1857. After a brief period of European study he was professor of natural science in the University of the city of New York, 1858-60, and professor of analytical and practical chemistry, 1858-71. He was also professor of chemistry in Cooper union in 1859; professor of physiology and natural history in the College of the city of New York, 1863-85; and professor of chemistry in the medical department of the University of the city of New York, 1865-85. He served in the civil war in 1864 as surgeon of the 12th regiment, N.G., S.N.Y. He was married to Charlotte Merriam of New York city. He received the honorary degree of LL.D. from Trinity college in 1873. He published: A Textbook on Anatomy, Physiology and Hygiene, for the Use of Schools and Colleges (1866; 6th ed., 1883); A Practical Laboratory in Medical Chemistry (1882); and Medical Physics, A Textbook for Students and Practitioners of Medicine (1885); besides many contributions to the American Journal of Science. He died in New York city, Dec. 20, 1885.

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

Henry Draper, scientist, was born at Christianville, Mecklenburg county, Va., March 7, 1837; son of Prof. John William and Antonia Coetana de Paiva Pereira (Gardner) Draper. He stranded the department of arts and science of the University of the city of New York, 1852-54, and was graduated, M.D. in 1858. He then studied in the hospitals of Europe for nearly a year and on his return to America, he constructed, with the aid of his brother Daniel, an observatory at Hastings-on-Hudson, making the telescope himself. He was house physician at Bellevue hospital, 1859-60, and in the latter year was appointed assistant in chemistry and physiology in the University of the City of New York. He was professor of analytical chemistry there, 1862-70; professor of analytical chemistry and physiology, 1870-82, and of chemistry and physiology, 1882. In 1864 he served in the civil war as surgeon of the 12th N.Y. regiment. In 1863 he made a fifty-inch photograph of the moon, and in 1871 he constructed a telescope mirror twenty-eight inches in diameter. In 1872 he photo, graphed the diffraction spectrum from G to O. He was superintendent of the government commission for the observation of the transit of Venus in 1874, receiving from congress a gold medal for his services, and in 1877 he proved the presence of oxygen in the sun, by photographic process. In 1879 he photographed and showed the coincidence of bright lines of oxygen and the sun, and in 1881 photographed stellar spectra and the nebula of Orion. He was a member of the National academy of science, and of the American philosophical society. He was married in 1867 to Mary Anna, daughter of Courtlandt Palmer of New York city. He received the degree of LL.D. from the University of the city of New York and from the University of Wisconsin in 1882. He published: A Textbook on Chemistry (1866); and many contributions to the American Journal of Photography; the New York Journal of Medicine; the Quarterly Journal of Science; the American Jonrnal of Science, and other similar publications. After his death, by the endowment of his widow, his work was continued by Prof. E. C. Pickering of Harvard university. He died in New York city, Nov. 20, 1882.

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

Bennet Puryear, educator, was born in Macklenburg county, Va., July 23, 1826; son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Marshall) Puryear; grandson of John and Mary (Hubbard) Puryear, and a descendant of John and Anne (Bennet) Goode, who came to Virginia from Berkshire, England, in 1658, and settled at Whitby on the James, naming it after the old home in England. He was graduated with the highest honors at Randolph-Macon college, A.B., 1847, A.M., 1850; taught school in Monroe county, Ala., 1847-48; was tutor in Richmond college, Va., 1850-51; professor of natural sciences, 1851-58, and professor of chemistry and geology at Randolph-Macon college, 1858-66. He returned to the chair of natural sciences at Richmond college in 1866; was chairman of the faculty, 1869-75, with the exception of four years (1885-88), and professor of chemistry, 1873-95. The honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred on him by Georgetown college, Ky., and by Howard college, Ala., in 1878. He was married, first, to Virginia C., daughter of Nathaniel and Sallie (Massie) Ragland; and secondly, to Ella M., daughter of Leroy B. and Elizabeth (Puryear) Wyles. He is the author of many educational and political papers, including those on The Virginia Debt and The Public School in its Relation to the Negro. In December, 1902, he was residing in Orange county, near Orange, C.H., Virginia.

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

History of Mecklenburg County Virginia

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