Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 4.djvu/679

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

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William Leftwich. ])opularly known as "Black Head," and of I^Yances (Otey) Left- wich, his wife, and the only dauj^diter of Colonel John Otey. The father of the Rev. William Leftwich was Colonel William Leftwich. and his grandfather, Augustine Leftwich Sr.. both prominent men in the colony of X'irginia. To Pleasant Moorman Goggin and Mary Otey (Leftwich) Goggin, were l)orn twelve children, as follows: W'il- liam L., fallier of our subject; a son, who died in infancy; Lucian Bonapart, born July II. 1810, married Ann Jane Curtis; Emily, born February 13. 1812, married Edwin Mathews; Stephen, born November 28, 1813; John O. L., born December 7, 1815, married Susan S. S. Holt ; Elizabeth Fran- ces, lx>rn November 10, 1818, married Thomas Boiling Moorman ; James ]\Ionroe, born October 24, 1820, married Bettie Page ; Mary Lucinda, l)orn December 13, 1822; Julia Ann. born June 18, 1824; Lucinda L., "born April 26, 1826, died in childhood ; Sarah Paulina, born October 27,, 1828, mar- ried John R. Steptoe.

William Leftwich Goggin, the eldest son of Pleasant ]\Ioorman and Mary Otey (Left- wich) Cioggin, was born Alay 31. 1807, in Bedford county, Virginia, on the old Cjog- gin estate, and died January 3, 1870. He re- ceived an academic education, and later took up the study of law, a profession which he followed during the remainder of his life. His course in law was pursued in Win- chester. A'irginia. and he was admitted to the state bar in 1828. His career was a notable one. Lie entered politics as a mem- ber of the \\ big party and was eminently successful. In the year 1836 he was elected a member of the state legislature, but the following year declined the offer of re-elec- tion. In 1839 he was elected to the United States Congress, and was thrice returned to that body, in 1841, 1843 ^^^^ 1847. During the continuance of these terms, he served as chairman of the house committee on post offices and post roads. He was later ap- pointed by President Fillmore one of the visitors to the A\'est Point Military Acad- emy. In 1859 he became the candidate of the Whig party for governor of Mrginia, and made a remarkable campaign. At that time what is now West Virginia was a part of the state, and in that region the Demo- crats were in great majority, the element being many times nvmierous enough to de-

slro_\- the normal Whig plurality in the older portions of the state. Mr. Goggin was de- feated after an exciting contest but reduced the Democratic majority in the state from 35,000 to 5.000 which was considered a great \ ictory for the Whigs. He was presented with a beautiful and expensive solid silver service of ten pieces engraved thereon "Wm. Leftwich Goggin, from the Whigs of \'ir- ginia. in acknowledgement of his gallant leadership of their forces in the campaign of 1859 and of his steadfast devotion to the Constitution and the Union." He was also presented with a gold watch from the Whigs of Albemarle county, and with another gold watch from the Whig Ladies of Virginia, both suitably engraved, and many other handsome presents in commendation and acknowledgement of his splendid services, which are now in the possession of Samuel Cook Goggin, the subject of this sketch. The years following this campaign brought with them troublous times wnth the growing friction between the North and South, and the breaking out of the war of 1861 saw Mr. Goggins notable powers enlisted in the cause of the Confederacy. Of too advanced an age to join the army, he was chosen a member of the Secession Convention, and exerted a considerable influence in that body. Pieing a large slave owner by inheri- tance and unwilling to dispose of them he jnirchased several adjoining farms and made them into one tract of about looo acres in the forks of Big Otter & Little Otter rivers where before the civil war great crops of grain and live stock were produced and the slaves made comfortable and happy and typical Southern hospitality was dispensed at Peakland, that picturesque country home in view of the famous peaks of Otter and a long line of the Blue Ridge mountains. He continued to practice the law in Liberty, now Bedford City, A'irginia. until the time of his death.

William Leftwich Goggin was twice mar- ried. His first wife was Mary Charlotte Cook, to whom he was married on May 5. 1830, and by whom he had one child, a daughter. Sarah Pleasant Goggin, who was married to Captain Charles C. Otey, Decem- ber 21, 1853. After the death of his first wife Mr. Goggin was a second time mar- ried, this time to Elizabeth L. Cook, a cousin of his former wafe, on November 17, 1840. They were the parents of eleven