University of Virginia Library

ROBERT W. HUGHES.

Judge Robert William Hughes was born in Powhatan county, Virginia,
June 16th, 1821, and was reared by Mrs. General Carrington, daughter of

Robt. W. Hughes.

General Francis Preston, of Abingdon. He was educated
at Caldwell Institute, Greensboro, North Carolina.
Was tutor in Bingham High School, Hillsboro,
North Carolina, 1840-1843. Was a practising lawyer
in Richmond 1843-1853. Was editor of the Richmond
Examiner 1850-1857, and joint editor of that paper
from May, 1861, to April, 1865. Upon the close of the
war he aligned himself with the Republican party,
and edited first the Richmond Republic and afterwards
the Richmond Journal. In 1873 he was the Republican
candidate for Governor of Virginia, and in
January, 1874, he was by President Grant commissioned
United States District Judge for the Eastern
District of Virginia, in which position he served with
marked ability and distinction till February 22d, 1898, when, owing to his
advanced age, he tendered his resignation. On June 4th, 1850, at the Governor's
Mansion, in Richmond, he married Miss Eliza M. Johnston, daughter
of Hon. Chas. C. Johnston and Eliza Mary Preston, niece of General Jos. E.
Johnston. For many years he occupied as a summer home his fine
estate, about three miles southeast of Abingdon. He was the author of
biographies of General Floyd and General Joseph E. Johnston, published in
"Lee and His Lieutenants," 1867; a volume entitled "The American Dollar,"
1885, and of five volumes of United States Circuit and District Court
reports, entitled "Hughes' Reports, 1879-1885." In the year 1866 Judge
Hughes fought a duel with Wm. E. Cameron, afterwards Governor of Virginia,
which resulted in Cameron's receiving a broken rib at the first fire.
He died December 10th, 1901. His remains were interred in Sinking Spring
Cemetery.