Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 21.djvu/338

 330 Southern Historical Society Papers.

Dr. David Minton Wright was born in Nansemond county, Vir- ginia, in the year of our Lord 1809. After his preliminary education was sufficiently advanced he was sent to the military school of Cap- tain Patrick, in Middletown, Connecticut. After completing the usual course here, he returned home and then entered the office of Dr. Wil- liam Warren, of Edenton, North Carolina, the father of Dr. Edward Warren (Bey), now of Paris. After prosecuting his studies for some time under the tutorage of Dr. Warren he repaired to Philadelphia, where he was graduated from the University of Pennsylvania as doc- tor of medicine about the year 1833. After his graduation he re- mained for a time in attendance upon the hospitals. Returning to Edenton, North Carolina, he settled there and commenced the prac- tice of medicine. During the early years of his sojourn in his new home he united with his preceptor in the practice of medicine, and continued in association with him for eighteen years.

Two years after he settled in Edenton, he was united in marriage with Miss Penelope Creecy, of whom we will speak more particularly hereafter. After having prosecuted his professional labors, as pre- viously stated, for many years with increasing reputation and success in the town of Edenton, North Carolina, he determined to remove with his large family to Norfolk, Virginia. So in 1854, he located in this city, and soon secured a large and lucrative practice. The next year, 1855, the yellow fever visited the city, and, though he had a large family, both of children and servants, not one of them left the city.

The Doctor threw himself into the great work, which suffering humanity so imperatively demanded of him, with such abandon and zeal that he quite early in the progress of the fever fell a victim to its ravages. But the kind nursing of his loving companion, his indom- itable will, and the skill of his physicians, in the providence of God, brought him safely through.

After the fever was over, a meeting of the surviving physicians was held to give some expression of their feelings and judgment in regard to their fallen comrades. Dr. Wright was chosen chairman of the meeting, and delivered a most chaste and beautiful address, pro- nouncing most feeling and impressive eulogies upon all of his mar- tyred comrades. From that time till the opening of the war, Dr. Wright continued the practice of his profession with zeal, energy and success. At the time the Federal troops entered the city, Dr. Wright