The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1861-03-21

children, all of whom lived to mature
age. of Thomas Bates and Caroline
Woodson. Both of his parents were
descendants of the plain old Quaker
families which had lived for some gene
rations in the lower couxties of the
Peninsula between James and York
rivers. They were married in the
Quaker meeting according to the forms
OF that simple and virtuous people, in
FIJI ; but in 1871 the father lost the
membership in the Society of Friends,
by bearing arms at-the seige Of York
town--a volupteor,p private soldier under
lafayette In 1906, Thomas B, the
father died, leaving very small estate
and large family. Left at an early
age an orphan, and poor, the son was
fortunate in what is better than pat
arinony, heart and a viii to labor dill
gently for promotion. Besides, several
of his brothers were Industrious and
prosperous men, and treated the. help
less with generous affection. One of
them Fleming Bates, Of Northumher-
land, Virginia, took him into his family
as son, and did fathers part towards
him. He had not the benefit of a col
legiate education, being prevented by
an accident-the breaking of leg
which stopped him in the middle of his
course of study, and confined him at
home for nearly two years. In child.
hood he was taught by his father, and
afterwards had the benefit oftwo years
instruction of his kinsman, Benjamin
Bates, of Hanover, Va, a most excel
liant man, who, dying, left behind him
none more virtuous, and few more In
telligent. 1sdiopa ~ @ 800 +
= In 1912, having renomced service
in the navy, and with no plan of life
settled, his brother Frederick (who was
Secretary of the Territory of Missouri
from 1907 to 1920, when the State was
: formed, by successive appointments
under Jackson, Madison and Monroe,
and was second Governor of the State)
invited him to come out. to St. Louis
and follow the law, offering. to see him
safely through his course of study.
He accepted the invitation, and was to
have started in the spring of 1913, bnt
an unlocked for event detained him for
ayear. Being in his native county of
Goochland, a sudden call was made for
volunteers to march for Norfolk, to re-
pei an apprehended attack by the
British feet, and he joined a company
in February, marched to Norfolk, and
served till October of that year, as pri-
'vate, corporal and sergeant, success
lively. The next spring he set out for
st. Louis, and crossed the Mississippi
for the first time on the 28th of April
1915 Here he studied very diligently
in thoDfice of Rufus Easton, Connec-
ticut man, good lawyer, regularly edu-
Gated at Litchfeld, and for some time
delegate in Congress from Missouri
Territory. He came to the bar in 1916
III, and practiced with fair success as
beginner. In 1853 he was elected
Judge of the Land Court of st. Louis
county, and after serving in the Office
about three years he resigned and re-
turned again to the practice of law.
He acted as President of the River
and Harbor Improvement Convention
which sat at Chicago, and in $50 acted
as President of the Wing National
Convention which met at Baltimore.
IN 1850 he was appointed by President
Fillmore and confirmed by the Senate
Secretary of War, but declined the ap-
pointmens for personal and domestic
reasons. Mr.. Bates was complimented
with the honorary degree of LID, in
1858, by Harvard College. Some
years before he had been honored with
the same degree by Shurtleff College,
Illinois. fs.sasI. -