Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 3.djvu/156

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

the \'irginia Democratic state central com- mittee ; elected city attorney of Petersburg in 1888, 1890 and 1892 ; presidential elector 1892 ; appointed United States attorney for the eastern district of Virginia in 1893, and resigned in 1896; appointed supervisor for the twelfth census of the fourth district of Virginia in 1899; elected as a Democrat to the fifty-sixth congress, to fill vacancy caus- ed by the death of Sydney P. Eppes ; re- elected to the fifty-seventh congress, and served from April 28, 1900, to March 3, 1903 ; again elected to the sixtieth and sixty- first congresses, and served from March 4, 1907. until his death at Petersburg, Mr- ginia, ctol)er 31. 1909.

Lavi-son, John William, born in James City county, Virginia, September 13. 1837; attended the schools of ^Villiamsburg, Wil- liam and Mar}' College, and the University Oi Virginia : studied medicine and was grad- uated from ;he University of the City of New York, March 4, 1861 ; returned to Vir- ginia and enlisted in the Thirty-second Regi- ment V'irginia Infantry ; served on the Pen- insula ; participated in the battle of Wil- liamsburg and in the series of battles be- ginning with Seven Pines; entered the medi- cal department ; assistant surgeon in charge ol artillery battalion ; promoted to full sur- geon March 10, 1864, and served until the surrender at Appomattox, April 9, 1S65; settled in Isle of Wight county, V'irginia, December. i'S(>$: practiced medicine for ten years ; elected to the house of delegates and re-elected ; elected to the state senate ; en- gaged in farming; elected as a Democrat to the fifty-second congress (March 4, 1891- March 3, 1893) ; died in Smithfield, Virginia, February 21, 1905. Tie was president of the

hoard of visitors of William and Mary Col- lege at the time of his death.

Lee, William H. F., ( q. v.).

Lester, Posey Green, born in Ployd county, Virginia, Alarch 12, 1850; attended the common s-chools ; engaged in teaching, and studied theology- ; ordained a minister in the primitive or old school Baptist church in 1876; traveled and preached in eighteen states; associate editor of "Zion's Land- mark" in 1883; elected as a Democrat to the fifty-first and fifty-second congresses (March 4. 1889-March 3. 1901 ) ; resumed ministerial relations in I''loyd, Virginia.

Libbey, Harry, born at Wakefield, New Ham])shire, November 22, 1843: attended the common schools ; moved to Hampton, \'irginia, and engaged in mercantile pur- suits ; appointed one of the presiding justices of Elizabeth City county, Virginia, in 1869; elected as a Republican to the forty-eighth and forty-ninth congresses (March 4, 1883- March 3, 1887) ; engaged in the oyster in- dustry ; postmaster of Hampton. \'irginia.

McKenney, William Robertson, Ijorn in Petersburg, Virginia, December 2, 185 1, son 01 Robert Anderson McKenney and X'irginia Eland Robertson, his wife. He attended McCabe's University School. Petersburg, and the University of \'irgitiia. and was graduated from a number of the depart- ments of the latter institution ; taught school for two }ears. and in the fall of 1875 entered the law school of said university ; was graduated in June. 1876, was admitted to the bar, and commenced practice in Pe- tersburg. Virginia ; elected president of the city council of Petersburg in the spring of 1888 and served six years; presidential clec-