Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 2.djvu/246

 PROMINENT PERSONS

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which cost Gen. Thompson his life, he was again engaged, and was severely wounded at Ouithlacoochie. When the Mexican war began, some ten years later, he made him- self trouble with the government by assum- ing the liberty of calling out a number of the southern militia without orders, and was tried by court-martial, but not censured. He was a man of simplicity and integrity of character.

Rice, John Holt, was born at New Lon- don, November 23, 1777, grandson of David Rice, the pioneer Presbyterian preacher, who organized the first religious congrega- tion in Kentucky, and was principal founder of the Transylvania Academy, which de- veloped into the Transylvania University. John Holt Rice was educated at Liberty Hall and first studied medicine, but took up theology, and in 1801 became a tutor in Hampden-Sidney College. Mr. Rice was licensed to preach September 12, 1803. and the following year assumed charge of his first pastorate, the Cub Creek Presbyterian Church, in Charlotte county, Virginia. In 181 2 he became pastor of the first separate Presbyterian church in Richmond. In 1819 Mr. Rice was moderator of the general as- sembly, and the same year received the de- gree of Doctor of Divinity. Three years later he was president of Princeton College, and was offered the chair of theology in Hampden-Sidney College; he accepted the latter, which he held until his death. He began the publication of the "Christian Monitor," which he conducted until 1818. when he became editor of the Virginia "Evangelical Literary Magazine," of which he had charge until 1829. He published "Historical and Philosophical Considera-

tions on Religion," and was the author of various controversial and review articles, sermons and memoirs, which were publish- ed in pamphlet form. His death occurred at Hampden-Sidney, September 3, 1831.

Cabell, Joseph Carrington, son of Col. Nicholas Cabell and Hannah Carrington, his wife, daughter of Col. George Carrington, was born December 26,1778, and was a mem- ber of the well known Cabell family of Vir- ginia, so distinguished for the number of its brilliant men, and whose reputation he him- self did so much to maintain ; educated by private tutors at home, later entered Wil- liam and Mary College, from which he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Arts; educated for the bar, but never a practitioner of the law; went to Europe in 1802, returned June i, 1806; upon the forma- tion of the new county of Nelson, Mr. Ca- bell was one of its first justices, 1808 ; mem- ber of the house of delegates or of the sen- ate, for about thirty years — of the house 1808-09-10, and again from 1831 to 1835, from Nelson county, and of the senate from 1810 to 1829, inclusive; aided in the found- ing of the University of Virginia, and from 1S19, the year of the founding, until 1856, was a member of the board of visitors, and at two periods of that time was rector of the board, his last term of service as such extending from 1845 ^^ ^856, the year of his death; was frequently solicited to become a candidate for congress, was offered hon- orable positions in the diplomatic services abroad, but in all cases declined, preferring to devote himself entirely to the service of his state; was one of the original incor- porators of the James River and Kanawha Canal Company, chartered March 16, 1832,

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