University of Virginia Library

CAROLINE DELEGATES IN VIRGINIA CONVENTIONS

August 1, 1774—This Convention met in Williamsburg, Va.
Peyton Randolph was chosen President. There is no record of
the election of a Secretary. This Convention passed resolutions
similar to those passed by the first Continental Congress which
was held during the following month. (See chapter on Committee
of Safety). The Convention appointed Hon. Peyton Randolph,
Richard Henry Lee, George Washington, Patrick Henry, Richard
Bland, Benjamin Harrison and Edmund Pendleton to represent
the colony in the General Congress at Philadelphia, September
5, 1774. Edmund Pendleton and James Taylor represented
Caroline in this Convention of August 1, 1774.

March 20, 1775—This Convention met at Richmond, Va.,
in St. John's Church. Peyton Randolph was elected President
and John Tazewell Clerk. Edmund Pendleton and James Taylor
represented Caroline. In this Convention Patrick Henry made
his immortal speech. Thomas Jefferson was appointed a Deputy
to represent the colony in the General Congress, in the room of the
Hon. Peyton Randolph, in case of the non-attendance of the
said Peyton Randolph.

July 17, 1775—This Convention met in Richmond, with Peyton
Randolph in the Chair and John Tazewell at the Clerk's desk.
James Taylor and William Woodford represented Caroline. This
Convention approved the proceedings of the March Convention,
and made plans for "putting the country into a posture of defense."

December 1, 1775—This Convention met in Richmond on
December 1, 1775, and adjourned the same day to meet in
Williamsburg on the following Monday, where the remainder of
the sessions were held. Edmund Pendleton was elected President
and John Tazewell Clerk. Edmund Pendleton and James Taylor
represented Caroline. The Convention elected Carter Braxton
a delegate to the General Congress in place of Peyton Randolph,
who died September 22, 1775; adopted two declarations condemning
Lord Dunmore's tyranny; and adopted ordinances for
raising additional forces for defense.

May 6, 1776—This Convention met in Williamsburg on May
6, 1776, and "framed the first written constitution of a free
State in the annals of the world." This quotation is from an
address of Prof. Washington before the Virginia Historical Society
in 1852, and of it Prof. Hugh Blair Grigsby declares, "And

he has said truly." The Great Seal of Virginia was adopted in
this Convention (George Mason, of the Committee, reported the
device prepared by the Committee); adopted the Declaration of
Rights; elected Patrick Henry Governor of the Commonwealth;
fixed Governor's salary at 1,000 pounds per annum; reduced the
number of delegates to the General Congress from seven to five,
and honored the following five men with commissions as delegates
to the General Congress: George Wythe, Thomas Nelson, Richard
Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson and Francis Lightfoot Lee. Edmund
Pendleton was elected President and John Tazewell Clerk.
Edmund Pendleton and James Taylor were Caroline's representatives.

1788—This Convention met in the State House at Richmond
to ratify or reject the Constitution which had been recommended
to the States by the Federal Convention held in Philadelphia
in September, 1787. Edmund Pendleton was elected President
and John Beckley Secretary. Edmund Pendleton and James
Taylor represented Caroline.

1829-'30—Assembled in Richmond. Purpose: To revise State
Constitution. James Monroe elected President, but resigned his
seat on account of ill health and was succeeded by Philip P.
Barbour, of Orange. George W. Munford was elected Secretary,
but, on being re-elected Clerk of the House of Delegates, resigned
and was succeeded by D. Briggs. The Fourteenth District, in
which Caroline was included, was represented by John Roane,
William P. Taylor, Richard Morris and James M. Garnett.

1850-'51—Known as "The Reform Convention." John Y.
Mason was elected President and Stephen D. Whittle Clerk.
The District, comprising Caroline, Spotsylvania, King William
and Hanover, was represented by Francis W. Scott, Corbin
Braxton, Eustace Conway, Beverly B. Douglas and Edward W.
Morris. This Convention made many changes in the Constitution,
chief among which were in the qualifications of voters and
method of electing the Governor. This Convention gave the
people the right to elect the Governor, who, prior to that time,
was elected by the General Assembly.

1861—Known as the Secession Convention. John Janney was
elected President and John L. Eubank Secretary. Caroline was
represented in this Convention by Edmund T. Morris. Mr.
Janney resigned as President of the Convention on November

14, 1861, and was succeeded by R. L. Montague, representative
of Matthews and Middlesex and popularly and affectionately
known as "The Red Fox of Middlesex." A son of President
Montague of the Secession Convention has since served the Old
Dominion as Governor and Congressman. Alexander H. Stephens,
Vice-President of the Confederacy; Captain Matthew Fontaine
Maury and Major General Robert E. Lee were introduced to this
Convention and addressed the delegates. Many commissions,
among them those of Lee and Jackson, were given in this Convention.

1864—This Convention met in Alexandria, Va., on February
13, 1864. LeRoy G. Edwards was elected President and W. J.
Cowing Secretary. Only seventeen delegates attended this Convention
and fewer than twenty counties were represented, the
greater portion of the State, after West Virginia was taken off,
being within the Confederate lines. This Convention adopted
the Bill of Rights, as contained in the Constitution of 1850-'51.
The nearest county to Caroline having representation in this
Convention was New Kent.

1867-'68—This Convention is known as The Reconstruction, or
Underwood Convention. Met in Richmond on December 3d.
All acts and proceedings of the political, military and civil organizations
in Virginia had been declared null and void by the Federal
Government. Virginia was under military rule, being Military
District No. 1. President Johnson had proclaimed that the "insurrection"
was at an end, and was, henceforth, to be so regarded,
but in the face of this proclamation an act was passed by Congress
on March 3, 1867, "To provide a more efficient government for the
Rebel States." (See U. S. Stat., Vol. 14, p. 248). Thus the Convention
of 1867-68, was brought about without any action whatsoever
on the part of the people of Virginia. General Order No. 65,
issued September 12, 1867, by Brigadier and Brevet Major-General
J. M. Schofield from Headquarters First Military District,
State of Virginia, Richmond, states that "in pursuance of
the Act of Congress of March 23, 1867, an election will be held
for delegates to a State Convention and to take the sense of the
registered voters upon the question whether such Convention
shall be held, for the purpose of establishing a constitution and
civil government for the State of Virginia, loyal to the Union."
The vote showed a majority of 46,000 in favour of Convention.
The delegates assembled on December 3d. Of the 105, 35 were

Conservative, 65 were Radical, and the remainder doubtful.
Of the 65 Radical 24 were negroes, 14 native white Virginians,
13 New Yorkers, 1 Pennsylvanian, 1 Ohioan, 1 from Maine,
1 from Vermont, 1 from Connecticut, 1 from South Carolina,
one from Maryland, 1 from the District of Columbia, 2 from
England, 1 from Ireland, 1 from Scotland, 1 from Nova Scotia
and 1 from Canada. A large proportion of the Northern men
and foreigners, came into the State in some non-combatant
capacity during, or immediately following the war. The Convention
elected John C. Underwood, of New York, President,
and George Rye, of Maryland, Secretary. A Marylander was
elected Sergeant-at-Arms, and an Irshman of Baltimore was
elected stenographer. The assistant clerk was from New Jersey,
the two doorkeepers were negroes and the pages, with one or
two exceptions, were negroes, or sons of Northern men or
foreigners. The clerks of the twenty standing committees,
with two or three exceptions, were also negroes or Northern men.

The Reconstruction Convention is without a parallel in all
history. Never before were different nationalities and different
races, carpet baggers and adventurers, illiterates and half savage
people set over the task of framing a constitution for the government
of a cultured and highly civilized people like the Virginia
Cavalier. Many members of the Convention expressed their
disgust with the entire proceedings and for such expressions were
expelled from membership in that heterogeneous body. Street
brawls and fights were common occurrences among the baser
element of the Convention (which was the larger element) and
many went armed on the floor of the Convention. One hundred
thousand dollars were appropriated for the expenses of the
Convention and this sum was spent long before the day of adjournment.
During the sessions sixteen resolutions and amendments
were proposed providing an additional sum to pay the expenses
of the body. The Convention adjourned in debt, no provision
having been made for paying the expenses during the last ten
days of its session and so far as the records go there is no evidence
that this indebtedness was ever liquidated. On the 17th day of
April, 1868, which was the seventh anniversary of the adoption
of the ordinance of secession, the Convention adjourned, subject
to the call of a committee appointed for that purpose, but the
Convention never reassembled. John L. Marye, Jr., Frederick

S. C. Hunter and John J. Gravatt, represented Spotsylvania,
King George and Caroline Counties in this Convention.

1901-'02—This Convention was held for the purpose of revising
and amending the Constitution. The Hon. John Goode,
of Bedford county, was President and Mr. Joseph Button, of
Appomattox, Secretary. Mr. W. L. Cobb represented Caroline
in this Constitutional Convention.