University of Virginia Library

WILSON NICHOLAS RUFFIN

Was born at Edge Hill, Albemarle county, Virginia, on March 19,
1848. He is the son of Col. Frank G. Ruffin, who was born in Mississippi,
and is now a resident of Virginia, second Auditor of the State.
During the war, Colonel Ruffin was in the commissary department of
the Confederate States Army, rank as given. He had two sons in active
service, J. R. Ruffin, private in Rockbridge Battery, and W. Roane
Ruffin, lieutenant in Chamberlayne's battery. The subject of this
sketch was also in service for a time, although only seventeen years of
age at close of war. The mother of W. Nicholas was Caryanne Nicholas
Ruffin. She died in 1857. His wife is Mary Winston, daughter of Dr.

John Brockenborough Harvie, formerly of Powhatan county, Virginia,
now deceased. Her mother, still living, was Miss Mary E. Blair. As
the family names indicate, Mr. and Mrs. Ruffin are connected with many
of the eminent Virginian families whose names and services for Virginia
are given elsewhere in these records.

Mrs. Ruffin was born at Fighting Creek, Powhatan county, Virginia,
June 13, 1848, and became the wife of Mr. Ruffin at the place of her
birth, April 20, 1875, Rev. P. F. Berkeley uniting them. Their children
are five. John Harvie, Ellen Harvie, Wilson Nicholas, jr., Lewis Rutherfoord
and Cary Randolph.

Mr. Ruffin went to school in 1861-2 to Wm. H. Harrison, at "The
Wigwam," Amelia county, in 1862-3 to Rev. Wm. A Campbell, of Powhatan
county, in 1863-4 to the University of Virginia. After the war
he farmed in Albemarle county until 1870, and in that year went to the
western end of the Chesapeake & Ohio R. R., with Randolph & Co., contractors,
who built that portion of the road between Hawk's Nest and
the Kanawha Falls, except one mile. In 1873 he engaged in business in
Richmond, and in 1879 came to Danville, where he engaged in his present
business, real estate, fire and life insurance.