University of Virginia Library

County and Town Electors.

Grayson, Dr. Robertson.

Lee, John M. Crockett.

Russell, Dale Carter.

Scott, William Spear.

Smyth, Thomas L. Preston.

Tazewell, John A. Kelly,

Wythe, P. S. Buckingham.

Washington, Charles S. Bekem.

In the contest for the seat in Congress, the Honorable A. S.
Fulton defeated his Democratic opponents and represented this district
until the year 1849.

The Honorable Fayette McMullen represented this district for a
number of years in the Congress of the United States, and while
he had but little ability as a statesman, he was one of the most popular
men and effective canvassers that ever lived in this district.
He kissed the babies, joked with the men and flattered the women

upon all occasions. He knew, personally, nearly every voter in the
district. Numerous anecdotes are told of Colonel McMullen, the
best now recollected being told by Senator Vest, of Missouri. This
anecdote was told by the Senator to illustrate the propensity on the
part of some people for speech-making.

"It occurred in Virginia," said Vest. "Old Fayette McMullen
was canvassing his district for a nomination for Congress, years
ago, and during the canvass a man was hung in that locality for
murder. About ten thousand men collected to witness the scene,
and among them old Mac, who, by the favor of the sheriff, occupied
a place on the platform in the rear of the gallows, his oratorical
mouth watering at the sight of the magnificent audience in front.
When everything was ready, as is usual in such cases, the sheriff
asked the culprit if he had anything to say before the sentence
of the law was passed upon him; to which the condemned
responded that he would say nothing. Whereupon old Mac
stepped forward, rubbing his hands, and remarked: `Mr. Sheriff,
if the gentleman will yield his time to me, I will embrace this
occasion to make a few remarks on the political situation, and
announce myself a candidate for Congress.' "

Major Robert E. Bradley, a distinguished and popular citizen
of this county, died in the month of November, 1849, and the
county court of this county out of respect to his memory adopted
appropriate resolutions.

The Constitution of 1829-1830 had never been satisfactory to a
large majority of the people of Virginia in this, that the right
of suffrage was restricted to a greater extent than the times
demanded, and the representation, as between the sections, was so
unequally apportioned as to give dissatisfaction to all the people of
Western Virginia. By the year 1850, Western and Northwestern
Virginia had increased in population and wealth so rapidly that in
this year this section of Virginia succeeded in having adopted a
resolution by the General Assembly submitting to the people the
question of the calling of a Constitutional Convention. This question
was submitted to the people on the fourth Thursday in April,
1850, and resulted in the calling of a Constitutional Convention.

The election for members to this convention was held in the summer
of 1850. This district was composed of Wythe, Smyth and
Washington, and the candidates before the people in said election

were: George W. Hopkins, B. R. Floyd, Thomas M. Tate, Democrats.
Connally F. Trigg, Andrew S. Fulton, James W. Sheffey,
Whigs. The two first named were elected by an average majority of
three hundred and forty-one, while the majority of Thomas M.
Tate, Democrat, over James W. Sheffey, Whig, was fifty-five.

At the time in question, George W. Hopkins was a member of
the General Assembly of Virginia, and, upon the convening of the
General Assembly in the fall of the year, he was elected Speaker of
the House of Delgates, and resigned his position as a member of
the Constitutional Convention, and the Honorable Connally F.
Trigg was elected without opposition to fill the vacancy.

This Convention assembled in the hall of the House of Delegates
at Richmond, on October 14, 1850. It was controlled in
nearly all of its proceedings by what was known at the time as
"Reformers." This convention extended the right of suffrage to
every white male citizen of the Commonwealth of the age of twenty-one
years, who had been a resident of the State for two years, and
of the county, city or town where he offered to vote, for twelve
months, excluding persons of unsound mind, criminals, etc.

It was provided therein that the vote should be given openly, or
viva voce, and not by ballot.

It will be observed that this was a radical change from the provisions
of the former constitution of the State, property qualifications
of all kinds were dispensed with, and manhood suffrage, for
the first time in the history of the Commonwealth, was made a
part of the organic law of the State.

The question of the apportionment of representation was
deferred by this Constitution until the year 1865, and was never
put into operation, as in the year 1865 the Commonwealth was
in great turmoil.

Had the provisions of this Constitution become effective as to
representation, this question would have been settled in a manner
satisfactory to the citizens of Western Virginia.

By this Constitution, the Governor, Lieutenant-Governor and
Attorney-General were made elective by the people, the Governor
and Attorney-General of the State having been theretofore selected
by the Council of State and the General Assembly. This was a
great change from the former conditions existing in Virginia and

was antagonistic to the old system and former institutions of the
State.

All the judges and justices were made elective by the people.
Each county was to be laid off into districts, and four justices were
to be elected from each district.

This Constitution was submitted to the people for ratification or
rejection, and all persons qualified to vote under the proposed
Constitution were permitted to exercise the right of suffrage in
said election. The vote resulted in the ratification of the Constitution
by the people in the month of October, 1851, the vote being
75,748 for, and 11,060 against the new Constitution. The vote
in Washington county was 1,083 for and 12 against the ratification
of the Constitution, the twelve votes against the Constitution
being polled at Abingdon precinct.

In the fall of this year the Democratic and Whig parties nominated
their strongest men for Governor and the Legislature,
George W. Summers, of Kanawha county, being the Whig, and
Joseph Johnson, of Harrison county, the Democratic candidates
for Governor, while in this county, Isaac B. Dunn and William
King were the Democratic candidates and John A. Campbell and
James Orr, the Whig candidates for the Legislature. The result
was the election of the Democratic candidates in the State and
the county by a greatly-reduced majority. This was the first time
in the history of the Commonwealth that the Governor of the Commonwealth
was elected by popular vote and Virginia's first experience
with manhood suffrage.

At the same election the following county officers were selected:

Clerk of the County Court, Jacob Lynch.

Commonwealth's Attorney, Samuel Logan.

Sheriff, Matthew H. Buchanan.

County-Surveyor, James C. Black.

Commissioner-Revenue, upper end, Robert H. Henderson.

Commissioner-Revenue, lower end, James L. F. Campbell.

At the same time twenty-four members of the county court were
elected by the people. In the year 1852, Washington county was
divided into magisterial districts by Jonathan King, Washington
Bishop, Robert B. Edmondson, Alexander Findlay, James C.
Fulcher, James L. Davis, Michael W. Weathers, John M. Hamilton,
L. L. Waterman, Peter S. Hanby and Whitley Fullen, commissioners

appointed for that purpose, and the members of the county
court were divided into classes and held the court in the order
arranged.

From this time forward, the magnificent specimen of manhood
that so often adorned the old county court of this county gradually
disappeared, and their places, in many instances, were filled
by men who were able to control the voters, either by an appeal
to party passion or corrupt measures.

The members of the county court were elected from this time
until the year 1870, at which time the old county court system was
abolished.

In the fall of the year 1850, a considerable revival was evidenced
among the agricultural portion of the people of Washington county.
After notice, a number of the citizens of the county assembled at
the courthouse for the purpose of organizing an agricultural
society for this county.

At this meeting, upon motion of Connally F. Trigg, Colonel William
Byars was elected chairman and John A. Campbell secretary,
and the following resolution was adopted:

That the chair appoint a committee of five gentlemen to prepare
and report a constitution to our next meeting, under which
the agricultural society for Washington county shall be organized.

Thereupon the chairman appointed the following committee:
Connally F. Trigg, chairman; Wyndham Robertson, F. H. Preston,
Samuel E. Goodson and William Y. C. White. The meeting then
adjourned to the 28th day of September, 1850, on which day a
large number of the leading citizens of the county met at the
courthouse and adopted a constitution and by-laws and elected
the following officers of the agricultural society.

President, William Byars.

Vice-Presidents, David Campbell, William C. Edmondson and
James L. Davis.

Secretary, John A. Campbell.

Treasurer, John M. Preston.

Executive Committee, William Y. C. White, Lewis F. Cosby,
Isaac Horne, F. H. Preston and John Baker.

The agricultural interest of Washington county was closely
looked after, and prospered to a considerable extent for many
years.

The General Assembly of Virginia at its session in the year
1849, incorporated the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company,
and interest throughout this section of Virginia in the building of
this railroad was greatly stimulated.

A railroad meeting was held at Abingdon on the first day of
July court, 1849, for the purpose of electing delegates to a convention
to be held at Christiansburg on the 7th of August. Governor
Wyndham Robertson was elected chairman and Leo Shaver,
secretary of the meeting, and on motion of John A. Campbell the
chairman appointed John M. Preston, Dr. Snead, Jacob Lynch,
C. F. Trigg and John A. Campbell a committee to draft resolutions
expressive of the sense of the meeting. The meeting was
addressed by Governor Robertson, who dwelt upon the paramount
importance of the road to this section of Virginia.

John A. Campbell, chairman of the committee, reported the following
resolutions, which were adopted:

"Resolved, That we, the people of Washington county, respond
cordially to the invitation made us by the county of Montgomery,
to appoint delegates to the convention proposed to be held at Christiansburg
on the 7th of August, next, to take measures in aid of,
and to promote subscriptions of stock to, the Virginia and Tennessee
Railroad.

Resolved, That both local and general considerations urgently
recommend this great work to the enlightened self-interest and the
patriotism of the people of the whole Southwest.

Resolved, That twenty delegates be appointed in behalf of this
county to attend the said convention; and that they be charged to
coöperate heartily in any measure proposed by said convention, calculated
to attain the desired object.

Pursuant to the third resolution, the chairman appointed the
following-named gentlemen delegates to said convention: John M.
Preston, Colonel William Byars, Major John Campbell, William
King Heiskell, William C. Edmondson, William Y. C. White,
C. F. Trigg, Thomas L. Preston, John Gray, Charles B. Coale,
John A. Campbell, Colonel Ota H. Ward, C. S. Bekem, John D.
Mitchell, Colonel James L. Davis, Dr. N. Snead, William B. Byars,
Dr. A. R. Preston, John C. Cummings and Colonel Abram Mongle.

The convention was held at Christiansburg, and in the month of

April, 1850, a corps of engineers were engaged in making a survey
preparatory to the location of a railroad through this county.

Another mass meeting of the citizens of the county was held in
Abingdon on the 25th day of August, 1850, for the purpose of electing
delegates to a railroad convention to be held in the town of
Wytheville on the 11th of September, 1850, at which meeting Dr.
Daniel Trigg presided and James T. Preston acted as secretary.

On the 20th of September, 1850, a railroad meeting was held
at Elizabeth Chapel at Saltville, having for its object the election
of delegates to a railroad convention to be held at Jeffersonville,
on the 17th of October. The object of this convention was to have
the Virginia and Tennessee railroad located from New river along
Walker's creek and Holston Valley, passing Saltville. The proceedings
of said meeting were as follows:

"On motion, Major A. B. Trigg was called to the chair and
William P. Bishop and William King were appointed secretaries.

The object of the meeting was explained by Dr. Robert Thurman,
and the following-named persons appointed to report resolutions
for the action of the meeting: Dr. Alex. McCall, Major Thomas
Tate, Dr. Robert Thurman, H. D. Poston, Theo. G. Pearson, D.
M. Hunter and John Roberts.

The committee retired and afterwards reported the following
resolutions which were unanimously adopted:

The County Court of Washington county, on the 28th of July,
1851, directed the election officers of this county to submit to the
qualified voters of the county, at the next general election, the question
whether the court of this county, on behalf of the county, should
subscribe to the stock of the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad
Company the sum of $33,400, on condition that said road be put
under contract to the Tennessee line the ensuing fall, and in the
month of October, 1851, a great railroad meeting was held in
Abingdon, at which meeting delegates attended from most of the
counties of Southwestern Virginia and East Tennessee. The proceedings
of this meeting are here given.

On Wednesday last, pursuant to previous notice, a great railroad
convention was held in Abingdon. It met at 12 M. and was temporarily
organized by the call of Major John Campbell as chairman,
and the appointment of Charles B. Coale and William King Heiskell
as secretaries.

On motion of C. F. Trigg, a committee of seven was appointed
to select and report officers for the convention, whereupon the chairman
appointed the following gentlemen said committee—viz.: C. F.
Trigg, I. B. Dunn, W. Y. C. White, P. J. Branch, J. L. Davis, Dr.
T. M. Tate and Colonel William Byars.

The committee having retired for a few minutes, returned and
reported the following nominations for officers, all of whom were
unanimously elected.

For President, Hon. Seth J. Lucky, of Tennessee.

For Vice-Presidents, Colonel William L. Burwell, of Bedford;
Colonel L. C. Haynes, of Tennessee; Colonel Thomas J. Boyd, of
Wythe; Hon. William B. Preston, of Montgomery; John S. Gaines,
Esq., of Tennessee; E. S. Watson, Esq., of Smythe; Colonel William
Heiskell, of Tennessee.

For Secretaries, Charles B. Coale, Leonidas Baugh and William
King Heiskell.

The names of the delegates were then recorded.

From Washington county, Virginia, there were several hundred
delegates in attendance, and it was impossible to procure a list of
them.

Smyth county—James F. Pendleton, Thomas L. Preston, James
Saunders, Dr. Thomas M. Tate, H. D. Poston, Esq., Meade E.
Smythe, Richard Haller, John C. Poston, William T. Campbell,
E. S. Watson, Esq., Dr. William T. Thurman, William Porter,
Esq., Robert Houston, Esq., A. H. Campbell, James C. Smythe,
Dr. Robert Thurman, John C. Rogers, James Campbell, John
Campbell, Thomas H. Thurman, Colonel Hiram A. Greever, John
H. Barton, John Pride and Robert Goolsby.

Wythe county—Colonel Thomas Boyd, Mitchell B. Tate, Charles
S. Crockett, Esq. and P. S. Buckingham, Esq.

Bedford county—William M. Burwell, Esq.

Scott county—Samuel V. Fulkerson, Esq.

Russell county—Richard H. Lynch, Dr. John T. Smith, John
McElheny and Charles L. Creigh.

Montgomery county—Hon. William B. Preston.

Emory and Henry College—Professor Edmund Longley.

Richmond city—Wyndham Robertson.

Giles county—(as alternates), Colonel Thomas J. Boyd, Dr.
Thomas M. Tate and Colonel S. E. Goodson.