Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1836-10-10
POI.lEI( AI.
From ttr Nashrdr Rtpn5icau.
BIOGRAPHY OF HUGH l.. WHITE


The periodical return OF the Presidential ,lcc.
ton has aeain nude ii ncccs>ar, for the Ire, r,o
pie OF these United States To select from tl,om.
selves, person 10 fill that hirl, and responsible
station. Nv the voice ot large and rrspcctabl,
poitl~n OF the citizens of this country, the Hon
Hugh l.. White, of Tennessee, has been brourh,
before the public, man, in all respects emf
ncntly qualified Tor the execution of It's n,duou%
duties. The name, the life aud the character
Of Hugh L. " he, have long been familiar To the
greater portion Of his countrvmcn. To them, his
abilities in the various and difficult duties of Il
long and active life. have, for wears beca well
known, and duly and honorablv appreciated.
But it's presumed, from other portions al the coun-
try, and other classes of our citizens, the same
familiar know ledge could not be expected Their
iemo'cncsS from the principal scenes of his nc
Tons, and the domestic habits of life, which, may
have excluded certain portions of the community,
from close inspection of the actors upon the
wide theatre ot public life, viii afford rational
grounds Tor the presumption, and will, N the same
time, furnish ample APOLOGY for lninr before the
people NJ large brlel sketch OF his public and
private life, and OF the various and important SCR
wees which he has rendered his country. The
honesty of the motives which have prompted 10
this undertaking, and deep and just regard for
/ the la" lul demands ofthc community Oh such AN
occasion, would alike deter us from holding up the
/ subject OF tins memoir IN the lieh of cuogv.
hey who would attempt TO impose upon the pub
| lie mind IN matters OF such momentons concern
or would sacrifice the wcrhty interests of u mirhv
Republic, 10 the reludIccs, and blind PARTIAL les
OF parlsanship, would not only defeat the design
intended, but should call down upon the party
which could be guilty of it, the sevcrcsi ccn>urcs
of an nsuted aud injured people. In view Of
these considerations, impccd alone by the great
/ interests of the nation. and "A sincere ala yntinn
an undivided country, the friends OF Jndpc White
would present linn To tho public notice n, br u,
l--dcscrlbc his life and character they are amt
hare 6crn-and recount his services jua as Mcv
mf,c performed, and leave the result TO candid
and intelligent people.
Hugh l.. White WAS born in Ircdell county, North
Caona, in the year l773. He was the son of
Respectable and influential percentage, OF Irish de-
scent His flther, lanes White, was "A soldier in
our memorable sfruoolr for independence; after
wards General of Fcnnt sscc Militia and served
withh,h and honorable distinction in the late Creek
war At the close oil the Revolution, he removed
first to Virginia, and then cmiera.cd 10 knox
county, tennessee, when Hugh WIS thirteen
years of age. At tie time of which We speak
Tennessee was n wilderness and into this wild
abode, was the famy of Mr.. White nshercd, with
no defence but personal prowcSs, and no means Of
subsistence but what were seized IN the face of
danger and death. But the hard>llips and pcrls
which the curly pioneer had To encounter, from
the natural obstacles of the unSuhducd forest and
its terrific inhabitants, have been too Often and
eowinply described, and are too we'll known even
TO infancy, to need relation here. Bn, in these
dangers and pcrls, the family of Mr.. White bore
no ordinary share AT the age of nineteen Hugh
volunteered as private soldier in the Indian cam
palgns. In these dangerous and doubtful conflicts
OF border warfare, he spent the wears of his early
manhood, with others of Kindred spirit in de-
r nding mothers and wives and daughters from the
flames and the scalping knife In these pcrious
scenes, which put To such severe test the mascu-
line energies Of the pioneer, Hugh l.. White was
soon distinguished a brave, vieilanf, and unlir-
ing soldier. lie possessed constitution peculiar
" fitted for such rugged dutics--a constitution
which has preserved its elasticity and frmness,
almost in primitive vieor, beyond the boundary Of
thrcc-Score wears. These scenes of his carly life
are interesting ON this occasion, only, as they
were the rough school of discipline, in which he
acquired and strengthened those hardy Roman
virtues, which, BY universal consent, have dstin-
gniShcd his character throughout his whole public
career,
The carly education of Hugh. l.. White was not
as thorough and extensive as he could have wish
ed IT, and as ii would have been, under more ia
vorahc circumstances. I he rcinements OF pol
Tennessee at that early day. But OF The more
practical and useful branches OF education, such
as qualified him for the discharge Of the immc-
date duties of life, he acquired the utmost
that the schools of that day afforded He was in
structcd in the ancient languages by the Rev.
Samuel Carrcl, and Mr.. afterwards Judgc)
Roanc, gentlemen of no mean proficiency in schol-
arshp. 10 these at1ainmcnt> hr afterwards adj
dcd course oi Mathematics, under Professor
Patterson, of Philadelphia, whittier he had gone
for that purpose. In 1915 he left Philadelphia
tor Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he entered
the Office OF James Hopkins, an eminent lawyer,
under whose superinlendcnCc he devoted himself
with great ardor Ia the study of the law llay-
ing completed the usual preparatory course, he
returned, III 1896, 10 Knoxville, where he com
menccd the practice OF his profession. Such, in
/ briet, is The carly history OF Hugh l.. White.
II is not the province Of tie present writer to
follow him step by step, through the stages Of his
early cducation-to trace through each success
svc year, the gradual dc,cloprmcts of early genius,
& to discovcrn youthful achievements tn" germs of
coming greatness This task though in itself
highly useful, and Interesting, must be left To the
alfectionar bioeraphcr of other times, when the
occasion whchla called forth this article shall have
/ passed away and when the wild rivarics of party
shall find no interest pleasure in delractino from,
wcl-carned h nors, or in Withholding the need Of
gratitude and admiration from the virtues and
f worth Of those who have gone before Suffice il
To say, (houeh his after distinguished course rem
drrS it almost nnnece sary to be >aid,) that the pc