History of West Virginia United States of America

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Biographies:

Charles James Faulkner, senator, was born in Boydville, Berkeley county. Va., Sept. 21, 1847; son of Charles James and Mary Wagner (Boyd) Faulkner; and grandson of Maj. James Faulkner and of Gen. Elisha Boyd. He went abroad with his father in 1859 and studied in Paris and Switzerland. Returning to the United States in 1861 he went south after the arrest of his father by the U.S. authorities, entered the Virginia military institute in 1862 and served with the cadets in the Confederate army at the battle of New Market. He afterward served as an aide on the staffs of Gens. John C. Breckinridge and Henry A. Wise. After the war he studied under his father at Boydville and was graduated in law from the University of Virginia in 1868. The same year he was admitted to the West Virginia bar and began the practice of his profession at Martinsburg. He was judge of the 13th judicial district, 1880-87, and was elected to a seat in the U.S. senate to succeed Johnson N. Camden, serving, 1887-93. He was re-elected in 1893 for the term expiring March 3, 1899. He was permanent chairman of the Democratic state convention of 1888, chairman of the state convention of 1892, and chairman of the Democratic congressional campaign committees of 1894 and 1896. He was married, Nov. 25, 1869, to Sallie, daughter of John Winn of Charlotteville, Va., and they had five children. Mrs. Faulkner died in Washington, D.C., March 31, 1891, and on Jan. 3, 1894, he was married to Virginia Fairfax, daughter of H. C. Whiting of Hampton, Va. He was a member of the committees on appropriations, District of Columbia, immigration, Indian depredations, privileges and elections and on the select committee on Potomac river front in the 55th congress. In September, 1898, he was appointed by President McKinley a member of the Canadian commission in place of Senator Gray, transferred to the Paris peace commission.

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

Aretas Brooks Fleming, governor of West Virginia, was born in Fairmont, Harrison county, Va., Oct. 15, 1839; son of Benjamin F. and Rhoda (Brooks) Fleming; grandson of Capt. William Fleming, and of the Rev. Asa Brooks, a Presbyterian minister, who removed to Virginia from New England; great-grandson of Nathan Fleming and of Asa and Polly (Sumner) Brooks, and great, great-grandson of William Fleming, who emigrated from the north of Ireland to Delaware prior to the Revolution; and also of Jesse Sumner of New England, who died of wounds received while serving in the Revolutionary army. Aretas studied law in the University of Virginia, 1859-60, and was admitted to the bar in 1862. He was prosecuting attorney of Marion county, W. Va., 1863-66; a member of the house of delegates, 1871-75; judge of the second judicial circuit court, 1878-88, and governor of West Virginia, 1889-93. He was married to Carrie M., daughter of James O. Watson of West Virginia. He received the honorary degree of LL.D. from West Virginia university in 1891.

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

John Edward Kenna, senator, was born in Valcoulan, Va., April 10, 1848; sen of Edward and Margery (Lewis) Kenna; grandson of John Lewis, of Virginia, and a descendant of Governor Andrew Lewis. In 1856, on the death of his father, who was a lawyer, he removed with his mother and sisters to Missouri, where he received a meagre education and was early obliged to aid in the support of the family. He entered the Confederate army from Missouri in 1864, being then sixteen years old. He was wounded in the service and surrendered at Shreveport, La., in 1865. He returned to Virginia and worked as a clerk in a general merchandise store until, through the interest of Bishop Whelan, he was able to enter St. Vincent's college, Wheeling, W. Va., where he remained for two years and a half. He then studied law with Miller & Quarrier at Charleston, W. Va., and was admitted to the bar, June 20, 1870. He was prosecuting attorney for Kanawha county, W. Va., 1872-77, and in 1875 he was elected by the bar in the respective counties, under statutory provision, to hold the circuit courts of Lincoln and Wayne. He was a Democratic representative from the third West Virginia district in the 45th, 46th, and 47th congresses, 1877-88. He was re-elected to the 48th congress in 1882, but was also elected to the U.S. senate and served, 1883-93. He died in Washington, D.C., Jan. 11, 1893.

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

History of West Virginia

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