Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/216

 RUTHERFORD

RUTHERFORD

the county of Dublin, settled in Richmond, and became a large real estate owner; he also wrote extensively for the press on matters connected with commerce and the taritT. John Rutherfoord was graduated from the College of New Jersey, A.B., 181O, A.M., 1813; studied law, but abandoned it, and was president of the Virginia Mutual Assurance company of Richmond for many years. He was married. April 24, 1S16, to Emily Anne Coles. He was the first captain of the Fayette artillery and became colonel of the regiment. He was a Whig representative in the state legislature, being elected in 1826 from Richmond; in 1839 was appointed a councilor, and in 1810 was elected lieutenant governor of the state on the Democratic ticket. Upon the resignation of Gov. Thomas Gilmer in 1841, and the expiration of the term of John M. Patton as senior councilor and Gilmer's successor, he succeeded on March 31 to the office of acting governor and held it till 1842. He was influential in procuring the appointment of Gen. Robert E. Lee to the position of commander-in-chief of the Virginia forces in 1861. He died at Richmond. Va., Aug. 3, 1866.

RUTHERFORD, Griffith, soldier, was born in Ireland about 1731. He settled in Locke Settle- ment, west of Salisbury, N.C.; was a delegate to the provincial congresses of 1775; a raemlier of the council of safety; was appointed brigadier- general, June 22, 1776, and co-operated with Col. Andrew Williamson against the Cherokees and Tories on the frontier, compelling them to sur- render much of their lands. He was in command of 700 North Carolina troops, including the com- mand of Col. W. R. Davie, in June 1780, and crossed the Tuckasuge Ford of the Catawba river to attack Colonel Moore, who commanded 1,100 Tories at Ramseur's Mills on the edge of the present townofLincolnton,N.C., but Col. Francis Locke, who was to meet him, advanced more rapidly and drove Moore out of the place. Rutherford arrived less than one hour after the retreat, and with Colonel Davie pursued the fleeing Tories, capturing man\-. He then passed down the Catawba valley opposite Hanging Rock, where he surprised and captured a detacliment of Tories and their stores, July 20, 1780. He joined Gates's army in the battle of Camden, S.C., Aug. 16, 1780, where he was captured, carried to Charleston, and imprisoned there, and subsequent- ly at St. Augustine, Fla. He was exchanged June 22, 1781, and commanded the brigade of militia that took possession of the city of Wilming- ton, N.C., when the British evacuated. He rep- resented Rowan county for several terms in the state senate previous to 1786, and was appointed president of the legislative council of the newly created territory of Tennessee, in August, 1794. He died in Tennessee about 1800.

RUTHERFORD, Mildred, educator, was born at Atlieiis. Ga.. July 16, 1851; daughter of Pro- fessor Williuiiis and Laura Battaille (Cobb) Rutherford; granddaughter of Williams and Eliza (Boykin) Rutlierford, and of John Addison and Sarah (Robinson) Cobb, and a descendant from Robert (b. 1734) and Dorothy Ann (Brooks) Rutherford: from Thomas Reed Rootes of Fred- ericksburg. Va.; from John Lewis of the Vir- ginia House of Burgesses, and from Augustine Warner, Virginia House of Burgesses, 1675, and member of the Royal Council, 1680. Her mother was a sister of Gens. Howell and T. R. R. Cobb of the Confederate army, and her father was a soldier in the Confederate army, 1861-65. Mildred Rutherford was graduated from Lucy Cobb

'; " ^'^.rr^^. LU<;Y COBB INSTITUTE..

Institute in 1868; was principal of the Institute, 1880-95; and teacher of literature there, from 1880. Her published writings, chiefly text- books, include: English Authors (\88S); American Authors (1894); Bible Questio7is on Old Testament History (\8U); That School Girl (1896); French and German Atdhors (1902).

RUTHERFORD, Williams, educator, was born at Midway, near Milledgeville, Ga., Sept. 3, 1818; son of Williams and Eliza (Boykin) Rutherford; grandson of Col. John and Mary (Hubert) Rutherford and of Maj. Frank Boykin; great-grandson of Benjamin Hubert, a Huguenot, who immigrated to the United States in 1746 and married Mrs. Mary Williams, and a descendant of Robert Rutherford, who settled on the Nottaway River, Va.. and married Dorothy Ann Brooks. Williams Rutherford attended a preparatory school at Milledgeville, and was graduated from Franklin College (University of Georgia), Athens, Ga., A.B., 1838, A.M., 1841. He engaged as a planter on Flint River and in teaching school until 1856; was professor of mathematics in Franklin College, 1856-86, and upon his resignation in the latter year was made professor emeritus. He was married, March 23, 1841, to Laura Battaile, daughter of John and Sarah Robinson (Rootes) Cobb, and sister of Gens. Howell ((j.v.) and Thomas R. R. (q.v.) Cobb. Of their children: John C. Rutherford was a lawyer, and Mary Ann (Rutherford,