Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 02.pdf/421

380 Lenox, Mass., March 22, 1786, and was a graduate of Williams in 1807. He studied law with Walworth and Marcy at Troy in the office of John Russell, and his judicial life began in 1827 in New York, for he was the first to preside as judge in the Otsego County Court. In 1828 he was in the New York Assembly. He died March 3, 1845. His son was one of McClellan's generals in



the Peninsula, and commanded a division in Fitz-John Porter's corps at the second Pull's Run. It was he whose care to have his troops in camp by dusk won him the not unfriendly nick name among them of "Granny Sundown." There are but two opinions by Morell, and none at all by Fletcher, in the Mich igan Reports, which began only with the year 1843. Morcll's are in unimportant cases, and furnish lit tle basis for estimating his capacity, which is well spoken of. The vacancies left in the ALPHEUS court by the resigna tion of Fletcher and the death of Morell were filled by the ap pointment of Alpheus Fclch and Daniel Goodwin, and the chief-justiceship went to Epaphroditus Ransom. Indeed, that dignity attached in those days to the judge whose commission was of earliest date; and where commissions bore the same date, then to the oldest man. Ransom was born in February, 1797, at Shelburne Falls in western Massachusetts; but he grew up at Townsend, Windham County, Vt, where he worked in the sum mer on the farm of his grandfather Fletcher, |

and cither went to school or taught it in the winter. Alphonso Taft was a Townsend boy, and Ransom studied law with the future attorney-general in the office of old Judge Taft, the latter's father. He was graduated in 1823 from the Northampton Law School, and going back to Windham County to practise, was occasionally sent to the Vermont Legislature. It was not until 1834 that he came to Michigan, so that he had been in the Terri tory but two years when Mason made him judge. In 1847 he was chosen Governor, — a fate which had previ ously befallen his as sociate Fclch, but has happened to no judge since. He was a Democrat who be lieved in the Wilmot Proviso; and this dis qualified him, in the eyes of his party, for re-nomination. He was sent in 1853 to the lower house of the State Legislature, and is the only governor of Michigan who has had a post- executive expe FELCH rience in legislation. During his guberna torial term the State Agricultural Society was organized; and he was its first president, besides being active in the introduction of blooded stock. He died at Fort Scott, Kan., in November, 1859, while receiver at the Osage land-office by appointment of President Buchanan. It is one of the old jokes of the country bar that a quizzical farmer named David E. Deming, who was once sitting with him as side judge, con spired with the other side judge to overrule him on some unimportant interlocutory matter, just by way of reminding him that