Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.pdf/357

 COI-UMBIA ANT) MONTOUR COUNTIES cr, filled W'ith troops, on the Arkansas ricr after the close of the C ivil war. Elizabeth Cooper married Thomas D. Monroe, o f K en­ tucky, who W killed in the Civil war, and ’as some nine years a fte r the death o f M r Mon­ roe she married Dr. Edw ard K. M ayer, of W ilkes-Barre. Helen married Dr. John L. Conte, noted in the scientific world, having rccciveil fifteen .American diplomas and .seven­ teen foreign ones. M artha married John T Farisli, o f New' Y ork City, and later F.niest de Bnilatour, of Paris, France. One daughter, Isabella, died at the age o f twelve years. Ju d ge G rier was a patriot of the highest o rd er, and, W'hilc conscientious ami faithful in the performance o f evciy duty, he was yet unflinchingly loyal at a time and in a |K>.siiion when loyalty cost many a sacrifice. No higher testimonial o f his integrity could he given than the follow'ing letter from President Grant, acccjiting hts resignation from the Uniteil States Supreme bench: Executive Mandon. t>cceinbcr i$. 1869. T o the Honorable Robert C Cirier. S ir :— Your letter dated l>ecember n , COBtaininz the tender o f tlte resignation o f your < ^ c e as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the I'nilcd States, to take cITcct on the Ist day o f February next, has been received by me lo-dav and your resignation is accordingly accepted, to lake effect on (hat date. I sincerely regret the incrcaMng physical infirmities which induce you to retire from the bench. aiuL with the assurance o f my |>er>«inal sympathy and respect, desire atso to express my sense uf the ability and uprightness with which your judicial duties have been pcrformcil In look­ ing upon >our long and honorable career in the public service, it must be especially gratifying to yourself to remember, as it is my agreeable duty and privilege on this occasion thus distinctly to recogmce. the great service whieh you were aWe to render to your country in (he darkest lumrs of her history, by the vigor and patriotic firmness with which you uplteld the just powers of the Govern­ ment and vindicated the right of the nation, under the Constitution, to maintain its own existence. W ilh the hope that yuur reiiremeni may he rhecred by the knowledge o f pubhc gratitu s ih :a W ric h t 0 > M tY, attorney, of Danville, W in the active practice o f law ',ns in this section o f Fcnnftylvania for over half a century. Bom at ITtiladelphia. Pa., Nov. 16, 18 10, he W'as a son o f Charles and Sarah (W righ t) Comly. and a descendant o f Henry and Joan Comly. who w'ith their son. IIcnr>% cam e to America from England w'ith Willwm Penn in ifiSz. They were members of the So ­ ciety o f Friends. Henry Comly, who w as a w eaver by trade, settled in Bucks county. Pa.,

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and from him and Jo an, his w ife, the line of Joshua W right Comly is traced through their son, Henry, o f Bucks county, Pa., and Agnes Heston, his w ife; their second son, Robert Comly, Sr., and Jan e Cadwalladcr; their son, Robert Comly, o f Byberry, Philadelphia, and Sarah Jones, his w ife; their son. E zra Comly, form criy o f Philadelphia, and Hannah I redd, his w ife; Charles Comly and Sarah Wright, his w ife. Charles Comly was a native o f Pennsyl­ vania, his w ife o f N ew Je r s e y; he died Jan. 9, 1840, she on M arch 4, (879. They were married Feb. 19, 1807, and eight children were born to them, six o f whom arrived at maturity. Joshua and Seth I. were the last survivors of the family. T he latter (who died before Joshua) was collector of the port o f Philadelphia and a leading citizen there. Joshua W. Comly w'as reared in the faith of the Society o f Friends, and through all his practice would never engage in a capital case, alw'ays saying that he was "opposed to capital punishment, and yet he hated to see a scoundrel go free.” H e attended the Milton .Academy after (he age o f ten and had as schoolmates Governors Curtin and Pol­ lock, Judge M cCoy and Kirkpatrick, and his brother, Seth i . Comly. l i e next attended Princeton College, from which he w as gradu­ ated in 1837. H e then bcgatt the study of law at Milton, Northumberland Co., Pa., in the office o f Samuel Hepburn, Esq. Three years later, Nov. 17, 1 8 ^, he was admitted to practice in the court o f Common Pleas of Northumberland county, and in 18 33 was ad­ mitted to the Supreme court o f Pennsylvania. In February, 18 3 1, Mr, Comly located in O rwigsburg, Schuylkill county, and in the fall o f 1834 settled in Danville, where he practiced until 1882. H e made law the business o f his life, practicing principally in three counties of Pennsylvania for many years and always living at Danville, but also traveling and having considerable jiractke in other counties. He w as recognized as the "legal luminary” of the whole section of the State in w'hich he >racticed. the Nestor of the Montour county lar, and his fame as a law yer and advocate was great for more than a generation, nearly h alf a century, extending icyond the limits o f Pennsylvania. Mr. Comfy was a man o f profound thought, deep learning, and o f wide scholarly attainments. H is love o f truth in the conduct o f life w'as a passion. He was a type o f true greatness in man. A s one of the l>cst know'n and most highly rcs|>cctcd law'ycrs in this [>ortion of the