Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 07.pdf/288

 The

Vol. VII.

No. 6.

Green

BOSTON.

Bag.

June, 1895.

REUBEN HYDE WALWORTH. By Irving Browne. REUBEN HYDE WALWORTH, the last of the New York chancellors, was born in Bozrah, Connecticut, in 1788. His father, Benjamin, a descendent of William Walworth, of London (who emigrated to this country in 1671, and settled on Fisher's Island and afterwards at New London, Con necticut), was a patriot of the Revolution, who fought at White Plains, and who re moved to Hoosick, Rensselaer County, N. Y., when the subject of this memoir was five years old, and resided there until his death. The future chancellor narrowly escaped be coming a great landed proprietor, for the entire site of the city of Troy was once offered to his father and the latter's partner in business, Philip Hart, for $2,000, which they did not deem it prudent to give. The Chancellor's career was determined by an accident. He worked on his father's farm until he was seventeen years old, and would probably have continued to be a farmer, had not the upsetting of a haycart broken his ankle and disabled him from pursuing that course of life. He passed one winter as a clerk in a country store, and then entered on the study of the law in the office of John Russell in Troy. His early education was narrow, but he learned some Latin from his half-brother, a graduate of Williams College. During his legal clerk ship he taught school in the fall and winter, and in that pursuit probably got the most of his general education. Among his fellow students in Russell's office were William L. Marcy, and George Morrell, afterwards Chief Justice of Michigan. He was admitted to

the bar in 1809. In 18 10 he removed to Plattsburgh, New York, and entered on practice. In 1811 he was appointed a mas ter in chancery and a judge of the Common Pleas. In 18 14, being adjutant-general of the State militia, and aid on the staff of Major- General Mooers of the United States Army, he distinguished himself in the land battles of September 6th and 1 ith at Platts burgh, and witnessed from the shore McDonough's victory over the British naval forces on Lake Champlain. By appointment of General Wilkinson, he acted as judge advocate on the trial of Lieut. Baker, the British spy, who was captured and executed by the Americans. The house in which he resided in Plattsburgh for many years was temporarily occupied by the British as a hospital, and if still standing bears the marks of bullets. Walworth continued to grow in honor and prosperity and professional suc cess. He represented his district in Con gress as a Democrat from 1821 to 1823. He took a prominent part in the congres sional debates. He defended Calhoun's re duction of the army, Jackson's conduct as governor of Florida in the Callara incident, and Cass's administration of the Indian agency in Michigan; he opposed a bankrupt law; he advocated recognition of the indepen dence of the Spanish American States; he asserted the right of this country to the navigation of the St. Lawrence. In the lat ter year he was appointed circuit judge of the Supreme Court for the Fourth Judicial District, and executed the duties of that office with credit. His sentence of Thayer 257