Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 2.djvu/329

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VIRGIXIA BIOGRAPHY

of governor, having as his opponent Jeffer- son Davis, who had been persuaded to take the place of Gen. John A. Quitman on the Dcnunrratic ticket, when it became a seh' evi- dent fact that the latter would be defeated. Mr. Foote was elected, served one term until 1S54. th;;n removed to California, but returned to Mississippi in 1858, and re- sumed the practice of law. at \'icksburg. In the southern convention at Knoxville, Ten- nessee, in May, 1859, he strongly opposed secession, and when the question was ser- iously agitated in Mississippi he removed to Tennessee. Subsequently he was elected tc the Confederate congress, in which he v.as noted for his hostility toward Jefferson Davis, and finally for his opposition to the continuance of the war. He was in favor of accepting the terms offered by President Lincoln in 1863 and 1864. After the close of the war he resided for a time in Wash- ington. D. Cv supporting the administra- tion of Gen. Grant, who appointed him su- perintendent of the United States mint at New Orleans. A short time prior to his death impaired health obliged him to resign this office and return to his home near Nashville. Gov. Foote was an able criminal lawyer, an astute politician and a popular orator, but he had a violent temper, and several times in the course of his political career he fought duels; two of these were with Sargent S. Prentiss, one with John A. Winston, and one with John F. H. Clai- borne. He also had a personal encounter with Thomas H. Benton, on the floor of the United States senate. He published "Texas and the Tcxans," two volumes, Philadelphia, 1841 ; 'The War of the Rebellion, or Scylla and Charybdis," New York, 1866; "Bench and Bir of the South and Southwest." St.

Louis, 1876; und "Personal Reminiscences." He died in Nashville. Tennessee, May 20. 18S0. He was descended from Richard 1-oote, who came to \'irginia about 1052. as the agent of his father-in-law, Nicholas Hay- ward, a prominent notary of London.

Seawell, Washington, born in Giouce.-ter county, \*irginia, in 1802. son of John Sea- well and Fanny Hobday, his wife H^ graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1825. and as lieutenant was as- >igned to the Se\cnth Infantry. From 1832 to 1834 he was disbursing agent for Indian affairs, and was then assigned to duty as adjutant-general and aide-de-camp on the staff of Gen. Matthew Arbuckle. In 1836 he was promoted to captain, and saw ser- vice against the Indians. He served \n the Mexican war, and was promoted 10 mijor of the Second Infantry, in 1847, ^^ith which regiment he was on duty at Monterey, in 1849. He. was promoted to lieutenant-colo- !-el in 1852, and to colonel in i860. He was retired from active service February 20, 1862, on account of disability resulting from exposure in the line of duty. He was chief mustering and disbursing officer of the state of Kentucky, from March, 1862, to September, 1863, ^"^ then of the depart- ment of the Pacific. He was acting assistant provost-marshal at San Francisco from No- vember, 1865, to June, 1866. In 1865 he was brevetted brigadier-general, for long and faithful service. He had lived on the Pacific coast since 1864, and owned one of the largest ranches in the state of California, ill Sonoma county. He died in San Fran- cisco. January 9. 1888, being at that time next fo the oldest general officer on the re- tired list of the army. His brother, John B.

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