Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 5.djvu/443

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

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ville in time to use it, though I did not have any money. I told my wife good-bye at five o'clock and struck out at a swinging gait, without stop- ping a moment until I reached Covesville, where I found the car started at nine o'clock and had been gone some twenty minutes, I did not hesitate a moment, but pushed on, determined to make the whole forty-two miles to Tye River before four o'clock, and I did, only stopping once at Miss Peggy Rives', where I spent ten cents, all I had, in eggs for myself and a negro man whom I over- took, and to whom I promised a ride over from Tye River on the cars if he would carry my coat, vest and watch, which he faithfully did. much to my relief. I reached Tye River at half past three o'clock, having made the forty-two miles, including the stop to boil and cook the eggs in ten and one- half hours on a hot summer day. This is not writ- ten from memory, but from a letter written the next day to my wife. I induced the conductor to permit my colored friend and myself to go over on the flats dead head. It was my first ride over that road as a dead head, yet strange to say I have never paid anything for traveling on it since. I was made a director of the road by Governor Pier- pont the ne.xt year and have been, first director, and then counsel, for it ever since.

I got to town by sundown and on the way up to my mother's met Mr. William T. Booker, to whom r told my condition as to finances and asked for a loan, only meaning to borrow five dollars. He drew out five twenty-dollar gold pieces and offered them to me. Seeing no chance for paying him back, I took only twenty dollars, telling him I feared he would never see it again. While talking to him I saw Mr. Abell, a bank officer in Charlottesville, passing down street on horseback. I hailed him and found he was going over to a friend's in Amherst to spend the night and the next day to Charlottesville. I gave him the twenty dollars and he promised to give it to my wife, which he did.

I found my mother well. Lancelot was with her. I was in no wise hurt by the walk, and could have made thirty miles the next day. I at once went to work getting ready for any employment which might come. I got back into my old of^ce and had my books unpacked and some furniture I had at mother's and an old carpet put down, making quite a respectable appearance. I was the only lawyer in town who kept his office open, for there were no courts and no business. People on Main Street sat out on the sidewalk gossiping and smoking and some with tables playing chess, back- gammon and cards, and as the sun moved, they moved from one side of the street to the other to get the shade. Some men were settling up their books and old matters, and occasionally a contro- versy would arise about "Confederate Contracts" as they were called, and my services were invoked to settle them, I was very rusty in the law, of course,, and stuck close to my office, trying by hard study to catch up.

I shall never forget my first case. Two gentle- men, who afterwards became very prominent busi- ness men in the city and good clients of mine, walked into my office and startled me by saying they wanted me to decide a question in regard to a contract payable in Confederate monev. I looked wise, heard them both, and gave mv decision. They

then asked mv fee. I told them I charged them nothing, as the matter was small. They said they must pay something, and each laid down a half dollar and walked out. I was amazed at my wealth, seized it, closed the office and went home to show the spoils of my bow to my wife, who had come home by way of Scottsville and the canal. With a part of it we bought our first herring and a slice of cheese. No one can tell how good a herring and a piece of cheese is until they have had none for four years.

Other small work came in of the same character, and in July I made good laborer's wages by giving opinions and sitting as arbitrator.

I was very earnest and very needy, and attended faithfully to the small matters; very soon the courts were opened, larger matters became plenti- ful, and I got my full share.

When I got home the Yankees were in full pos- session and the town was under military law, but they did nothing to annoy us, and we got on with them very smoothly, for which we were very thankful to General Gregg, who was in command, and who acted with wisdom and consideration.

The same cheerful courage and determi- nation, the same indefatigable energy- and industry which brought him back to his office, on foot and without money, and set him to work ahead of any other lawyer in the place, marked his whole career, and ac- count for his success. Thirty-two years old, with the responsibility of a family, he had to start again from the beginning, in a coun- try ravaged by four years of war. He won, but he worked for all he won, and won be- cause he worked, and because with all his work he never forgot how to play. He re- cords that from the ist of December, 1865, to the 1st of December, 1866, he collected $7,200 of fees, "which seemed boundless wealth."

In 1866 he formed a law partnership with Major Thomas J. Kirkpatrick, under the style of Kirkpatrick & Blackford, and quickly the firm established, and for long years maintained, a brilliant reputation. They were counsel on one side or the other of nearly every case of note in their part of the state, representing all the railroads that entered Lynchburg and many other busi- ness interests of magnitude. Major Kirk- patrick was the brilliant advocate who shone brightest in hard fought forensic battles. Captain Blackford, though also a jury law- yer of power, did his greatest legal work in keeping people out of litigation. His legal knowledge was based upon the clearest per- ception of law as the science of justice in human intercourse. To this was added the student's familiarity with great men and