Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 10.pdf/182

 Some Virginia Lawyers of the Past and Present. Appomattox." Since the war he has de voted his time entirely to his profession, and has achieved such distinction that he is easily numbered among the first of Vir ginia's lawyers. He is division counsel of the Southern railway, with offices in Wash ington City. General Payne is a distin guished looking man, with all the courtly manners and fine bearing of a Virginia gentleman. Eppa Hunton was born September 23, 1823, in Fauquier County, Virginia. The Huntons origin ally settled in New England, and the story goes that once, in a convention in Maine, when they had been balloting some time for gover nor, a member called out, " Men, enough; Hunt-on, Hunt-on," and Governor Hunton receiving the nomina tion, was elected. General Hunton's father died when he was nine years old, leaving but a small GEN. EPfA estate; and the son, who was being edu cated by Rev. John Ogilvie, borrowed the money from an uncle to finish his education, and paid it back out of his first fees as a lawyer. He taught school for three years, studying law at the same time under Judge John Webb Tyler and began to practice in 1843. In 1849 he was elected Commonwealth's attorney for Prince Wil liam county and was re-elected again and again until 1861, when he entered the Con federate army. He was appointed colonel of the 8th Virginia Regiment, and ordered to raise and equip it. As he himself says:

159

"Before the first battle of Manassas I com manded a regiment of as brave men as ever fought for liberty." He was promoted after the battle of Gettysburg and com manded the brigade known as Hunton's Brigade, which was composed of the 8th, 1 8th, 19th, 26th, and 56th regiments of Virginia infantry. After the war he went back to the bar and his practice grew rap idly. He was sent to Congress many times from the 8th Virginia district and his splendid services in the memorable fight against the ob noxious Force Bill, the prominent and distinguished part he took in all the de bates for the good of his people are a mat ter of history. He was a member of the electoral commission in the controversy between Tilden and Hayes as to which had been elected to the presidency and the disgraceful end of the contest, an end HUiNTON he tried so hard to avert, caused him a severe illness. He, with Hon. J. C. S. Blackburn of Kentucky, framed the bill for the present form of government for the District of Columbia, and one of his admirers wrote: "When the future histor ian shall write up the glories, beauties and magnificence of Washington City, let him not forget how much of it is due to the gov ernment prepared by Blackburn and Hun ton." At the close of the Forty-sixth Con gress he opened law offices in Washington City with Hon. Jeff Chandler, and their bus iness was a very large one. In 1892 he was