Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 3.djvu/358

 314

VIRGINIA ISIOGRAPHY

selves by day and to travtd by night by a roundabout course, so that the message did not reach Cornwallis until the morning of the battle, when it was too late to send re- inforcements and prevent the disaster." Francis Henry, a younger son of William Henry, was the grandfather of Robert Ran- dolph Henry. He married Margaret Dick- son, daughter of Rev. William Dickson, a Scotchman, noted as a Presbyterian minis- ter in upper South Carolina, who built Dick- son's meeting house, about 1750, the first church erected in York county, and which is now known as "Bethel." In the maternal b'ne the family of Mr. Henry is also an an- cient one; Richard Hall, the immigrant an- cestor, was born in Warwickshire, England, 1634, arrived in Maryland in 1647, becoming the owner of extensive lands is Cecil county ; the family home for generations has been 'Mount Welcome," which was erected by him in 1670. Dr. Elisha Hall, great-grand- father of Mr. Henry, was graduated from the School of Medicine conducted by Dr. Benjamin Rush in Philadelphia, and was a first cousin of this gentleman. He married Carolanna Carter, daughter of Charles Carter, of "Cleve." on the Rappahannock, a sen of Robert ("King") Carter and his sec- ond wife, Elizabeth Landon ; Charles Carter, of "Cleve," married Anne Byrd, daughter of William I'.yrd, of Wcstover.

Robert Randolph Henry passed the first eleven years of his life in Chester, then, his father having died in 1856,'he and his mother took up their residence in Fredericksburs.' r.nd Petersburg, Virginia. He was a stu- dent at Bloomfield Academy, which he lia<l entered just prior to the outbreak of the civil war. and. although but sixteen years of age, he enlisted in the Confederate army.

and serxed until the close of the war. At first his service was with Company E, Iwelfth Virginia Infantry, but during the last two years he was first a member of the staft' of (jlen. R. H. .Anderson, and later that of Gen. William Mahone. He displayeii extraordinary bravery on the battlefield, having fi\-e horses killed under him, and was wounded three times. Upon the return of peace he engaged in teaching in Rappa- hannock county, Virginia, but devoted his spare time to the study of law under pri- vate tuition; after his admission to the liar he settled at Wise Court House, Virginia, l)racticing there from 1872 to 1875. and dur- ing this period was commonwealth's attor- ney for the county. He then removed to Tazewell, where he has since been a resi- lient while following his legal practice, being associated with Judge S. C. Graham since July i, i88i, with whom he had prac- ticed in other courts since 1873. The style or the firm is Henry &: Graham, and it is j.robahly the oldest law firm in Virginia. Pie has always given his political support to the Democratic party, was an elector on the Hancock and English ticket from the ninth congressional district of Virginia in 18S0, and was nominated for congress from this ^ district in i88, but defeated. His religious affiliation is with the Episcopal church. Major Henry married. December 19, 1869, I.ucv Strother .\shby, of Culpeper. \'irginia.

Edwards, Landon Brame, born in Prince Edward county, X'irginia, September 20, 1845, son of Rev. John P^Uis Edwards. He was educated at Randolph-Macon College. Pie enlisted in the artillery corps of the Con- federate army in 1863, and served until the end of the war. lie graduated from the med-