Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 3.djvu/134

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VIRGIXIA lUOCRAIMn-

cuiulitions pointed to liim as the logical can- <Iidate for L'nited States senator, to succeed Cen. Eppa Hiiiiton, who had been appointed to till out the unexpired term of Senator .Kihn S. r.arhour, deceased. That he was nominated over such a strong opponent as Gen. I'itzhug-h Lee, and was elected to the hij^h ollice when he had never sat in the slate legislature, attests the estimation in which he was held. In the senate he was from the outset industrious and sagacious, and performed highly useful labors on the committees on claims, commerce, naval af- fairs, and the District of Columbia. He was reelected in 1899, 1905 and 191 1. being the present incumbent of the office. In 1904 the Democrats adopted the primary system of nomination, and the appeal was to be made directly to the people. ]\Ir. Martin had as his opponent Governor A. J. Montague, a man of excellent character and attainments, and an accomplished orator. Except at the bar, Mr. Martin was not much known as a speaker, but in this canvass he displayed fine oratorical qualities and won for himself new honors. In the senate, while at the fore- front on questions of national importance, he has not been neglectful of local interests, and the liberal approjiriations for the cus- tom houses at Xew]jort News and Peters- burg, and for other public works, have been procured largely if not chiefly as the result o' his effort. To him is also due the final settlement of the debt due by the Federal government to the state of Virginia from the time of the war with Great Britain in 1812. Such confidence did his fellow sen- ators have in him that they made him floor leader of his party in the senate. He is a m.ember of the board of visitors to the Uni- versity of Virginia, and to the Miller Man-

ual and Labor School of .\lbemarle. He married, in 1894, Lucy Chambliss. daughter of Col. C. Fenton Day, of Smithfield, Vir- ginia.

Riddleberger, Harrison Holt, horn in Edinburg, Shenandoah county, \irginia, October 4, 1844; was educated in the com- mon schools. He served three years in the Confederate army, as second and first lieu- tenant of infantry and captain of cavalry. After the war he returned home and became editor of the "Tenth Legion Banner." He studied law, was admitted to the bar, and served as commonwealth attorney, 1876-80. For two terms he was a member of the house of delegates, and state senator one term. He was editor of the "Shenandoah Democrat," and later of the "Virginian." He was a member of the state committee of the Conservative party until 1875, =i"d a piesidential elector on the Democratic ticket of 1876, and the Readjuster ticket of 1880. He was elected as a Readjuster to the United States senate in 1881. He died in Woodstock, \'irginia. January 24. 1800.

Swanson, Claude Augustus, ( q. v.).

Withers, Robert Enoch, born in Camp- bell county. Virginia. September 18, 1821, son of Robert Walter Withers. He at- tended private schools at his home until l.c was old enough to enter the Univer- sity of \'irginia, where he took up medi- cal studies, and in 1841. graduated with the M. D. degree. He engaged in the prac- tice of his profession in his native county, and later in Danville, Virginia. At the out- break of the civil war, in April, 1861, he en- tered the Confederate provisional service, as major of infantry, and under the regular