Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 04.pdf/235

 212

At that time his associates were Vanderburgh and Waller Taylor. Davis and Taylor held the office of chancellor, notwithstanding that at the same time they were judges of the ter ritorial court. Parke remained in office until the State was admitted into the Union, when he was appointed judge of the United States District Court, which office he held until his death. He had also served as a member of the first Constitutional Convention. At the battle of Tippecanoe he served as captain, and on the fall of Daviess he was at once promoted to the position of major, and be came commander of the cavalry. Of him General Harrison said: " He was in every respect equal to any cavalry officer of his rank that I have ever seen. As in everything else which he undertook, he made himself acquainted with the tactics of that arm, and succeeded in bringing his troops, both as regards field manoeuvring and the use of the sabre, to as great perfection as 1 have ever known." 1'arkc acquired great influence over the Indians, and during the territorial govern ment served as Indian agent. In a bank adventure at Vincennes with a couple of dishonest partners, he lost his wealth, and from thence had only his income as a lawyer and his salary as a judge to support him. After Harrison left that town, Parke moved to Salem, where he resided until his death, July 12, 1835, leaving no children surviving him. While there he took great interest in the education of the youth, and especially of his own children. He was beloved by all who knew him, and was in every way a Christian gentleman. Parke was a lover of books, and had at his death the largest private library, perhaps, in the State. The present Supreme Court of the State owes much to him, for he was the founder of its now magnificent law library. Many of the books he presented to the library still remain on its shelves, with his autograph written therein. On Dec. 31, 1822, the legislature provided for a revision of the laws, conferring on him

"full power to revise, alter, amend, abridge, enlarge, and model the statute laws" of the State, *' so as to produce a comprehensive and systematic code, best fitted in his opin ion to subserve the public interests and hap piness." Parke was selected by the legis lature for this purpose. The result of this was the Revised Statutes of 1824. For his labor he received g 1,000. James Scott was the last person appointed judge of the old territorial court, and he succeeded Vanderburgh. He evidently was somewhat of a new-comer, for he was not admitted to practice before the court as counsellor until April 10, 1811. He took bis seat April 6, 181 3. Of him more here after. Two or three prominent characters are so connected with the old court that a sketch of it without reference to them would be in complete. Among these is John Rice Jones, the first Attorney-General of the territory. Jones was a Welshman by birth, an accom plished lawyer, and a man of great vindic tive oratorical powers. He was a proslavery advocate, and at the convention which met at Vincennes, Dec. 20, 1802, for the pur pose of petitioning Congress to remove the restrictions on slavery in the Territory, he was made secretary. As early as 1786 he was General Clarke's commissary when he made an expedition up the Wabash against the Indians. He then properly re sided in Virginia. The convention of 1802, after recommending the re-appointment of General Harrison as Governor, recommended the appointment of Jones as judge of the territorial court, although he then held the position of Attorney-General. At that time he was a firm political friend of Harrison, and evidently possessed much influence. He served several terms as a member of the territorial legislature, and was a mem ber of the Council. In 1808 he was a prom inent candidate for Congress to succeed Benjamin Parke, who had resigned on his appointment as territorial judge, but was defeated. Dec. 4, 1806, the legislature by