HENRY PRESTON,
Farmer and stockman, was born November 20, 1828, on the old homestead
farm known as "Walnut Grove Farm," Washington county. He
was married at Redlands, Albemarle county, Virginia, to Anne C. Carter,
September 7, 1852. She was born near Charlottesville, Virginia,
April 19, 1833. They have ten children: Mary Coles, Margaret B.,
Ellen B., Elizabeth M., Anne Cary, Henry, jr., Jane C., Isuetta R., Eugene
F. and Thomas Percy.
Mr. Preston had three brothers in service in the late war: Col. Thos.
W. Preston, of Memphis, Tennessee, killed at Shiloh; Walter E., served
unharmed through the war: and Col. Jas. T. Preston, who commanded
the reserve forces in both battles at Saltville. He is a son of the late
Col. John Preston of Walnut Grove farm, who served with rank of
lieutenant-colonel in the war of 1812, and was a long time colonel of
militia, several years chief magistrate in Washington county, a man of
wealth, influence and scholarly attainments. He was a graduate of
Dickerson College, at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and of the law school of
William and Mary College at Williamsburg. He married in 1800, Margaret
B. Preston, a distant relative, of Montgomery county, Virginia.
She was the youngest daughter of Col. William Preston, and the sister
of Gov. Jas. P. Preston, of Virginia, of Gen. Francis Preston, and of
Col. John Preston, long state treasurer of Virginia. Col. John Preston,
father of Henry, was a son of Col. Robert Preston, who settled the Walnut
Grove farm, and was surveyor in Washington county over fifty
years, a man of sterling worth and invincible integrity. He came to
this country from Ireland in early manhood, and by industry, energy
and ability accumulated great wealth.
Anne C., wife of Henry Preston, was raised at Charlottesville, the
daughter of Capt. John C. Carter, of Albemarle county, who was a lineal
descendant of Robert Carter, whose history is given in Volume I of
this work. Her mother was Ellen Bankhead, related to Gen. Bankhead,
formerly of the U. S. Army, and the great grand-daughter of Thomas
Jefferson.
