Biography of Dabney Carr [pp. 65-70]

SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER.
VOL. IV. RICHMOND, FEBRUARY, 1838. No II.
T. W. WHITE, Editor and Proprietor. FIVE DOLLARS PER ANNUM.
to-day;" meaning Fluvanna county, then and yet
familiarly called the State of Flit. "But," said Carr,
"I have no business." "Neither have I," said Wirt.
" But I have not any money," said Carr. "Nor have
I," said Wirt; "but by going there we shall get both.
'Ir wont be denied: you must go." They went. On
the way Wirt was in " a great gale;" his spirits high,
his hopes buoyant, his gaiety of heart overflowing.
"Here," said he, at last, "are we two poor county
court lawyers going to the State of Flu, without money
and without business; but I foresee you will one day
or other be Judge of the Court of.ppealts; and as for
me," said he, laughing, "I shall not be content with
less than the Presidency." Strange vaticination!!They went on;-they got business and money; and
fortune soon smiled upon their labors and their worth.
Mr. Carr shortly after married his first cousin, and
soon extended his practice to Buckingham and Amherst,
and afterwards to the Chancery Court at Staunton. At
length, on the 26th March, 1811, he was appointed a
Judge of the General Court by the Executive, but the
appointment was not confirmed by the Legislature,
professedly because he was not at the time of appoint ment a resident of the Circuit; but principally, I belie ve, from the very g reat p ersonal popularity of another
gentleman, who had for some time been a member of
the Legislature, and whose position thus gave hirm
great advantages over his opponent. Judge Carr kept
aloof from the contest, and upon its unsuccessful ter mination prepared to return to the bar. Utrinque pa ratus might well have been his motto. The canvass how ever had brought into full view his great merits, and all
became sensible of the injustice that had been done him.
A desire to repair it, has always been supposed to have
aided in that division of the Chancery Court at Staun ton by which the Winchester and Clarksburg Chancery
Districts were created. Of these Districts he was ap pointed Chancellor by the unanimous vote of the same
Legislature which had refused to confirm his first apt
pointment as Judge of the General Court. This was
on the 29th of January, 1812. The law was passed
the day before.
Mr. Carr accordingly removed to Winchester in the
month of March succeeding his appointment. He was
received with the greatest cordiality into that excellent
society, with which he soon mingled in the most delight ful intercourse. His fine qualities made him the object
of universal esteem, and secured to him the entire
devotion of those friends who formed the circle of his
acquaintance. Never was there a more pleasant,
or a more hospitable and sociable little community.
Let me solace myself by running over the names of
some of them. There were, Judge Holmes, Judge
W, hite, Judge Cart, General Singleton, Daniel Lee,
Frank Gilmer, Mr. Heterick, Dr. Murky, Dr. Conrad,
Col. Metgill, Alfred H. Powell, Henry Tucker, Dr~
VIoL. IV. —9
Quis desiderio sit pudor aut modus
Tam chari capitis.
How often have I wished t o p ossess that tale nt for
delineating the characters of eminent men which might
en able me e to send down to posterity the portraits of
t he g reat and good with wahom it has been my happy
lot to be associated in the journey of life! How should
I delight to accompany them wi th r eminiscences of their
virtues and talents, of their racy wit and humor, and
of the interest ing scenes which they dignified by their
pres ence or enlivened by the ir go o d fellowship! I
should hav iue a picture gallery that would attract the
gaze of every amateur! And, oh! my dear, my ever
lamented f riend! what benignant countenance wvould
fix the admiration of the b eholder more steadfastly
than thine?
DABtaY CARR, t he regr ett ed subject of this notice,
was born at Spring Fo re st, in Goochland county, in
May 1772. He was but three w eeks ol d at the death
o f his father, and the care of himself and his brothers
and sisters devolved upon his widowed mother, the
sis ter of Thomas Jefferson. I had the pleasure of
knowing her. She was a lady of singular worth, and
fulfilled w it h fidelity and sound judgment the duties
which were demanded of her b y the numerous family
l eft her by her husband. Her son Dabney went to
school t o Parso n Mur ray, and in due season was sent
to HIampden Sidney College, where he was the fellow
stu de nt of the present Judge Cabell, and of other interesting persons who have s in ce played conspicuous
parts on the theatre of life. On his return home, he
read law at Bearcastle, i n Alb emar le, whi ch had been
the ol d f amily mansion of his grandfather, I think; and
afterward s at Dunlora, in the same county, adjoin ing
Penlnpark, the r esidence of Dr. Gilmer, whos e daughter
Mr. Wo irt had married, and with whom he lived. Here
comnienced that intimacy which continued unbroken
till sundered by d eath. They were constantly asso
ciated, and cultivated together their taste for literature,
with the a id of the fine lib raries of Dr. Gilmer and Mr.
JefflsCeaer s on.th e superintendence of the last of
these gentlemen Mr. Carr's studies were conducted.
About the age of twenty-one, be obtained a license to
practise the law, and settled in Charlottesville, the seat
of justice of Albemarle, to which county he for some
time confined himself. The first occasion of his ext.ending his practice to another county occurred in the
following manner. I give the narration from the lips
of one of his nearest connexions.
Mr. Wirt one morning rode up to his little office,
and addressing him by an appellation by which lie
was known among his youthful friends, remarked,
" Well, Chevalier, I'm come to, carry you to the State
DABNEY CARR.
Horace.