Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1870-03-08

uCI ulS SktiHui iedutTSllp tulS large party tTi
ver ed the wilderness, the scene of such recer
and terrible disasters, unmoested by the rovin
, bands of Indians that filled the country, an
reached Grab Orchard, Kentucky, November
1884. Allen Trimble at this time was eleve
months old, and was carried In his mother
arms, On horseback.
Captain Trimble settled a few miles from
McConnell's staton-now Lexington, Ken
tucky-where he continued to reside until hi
death, In 1904 He had, in 1902, influences
by high moral and religious considerations, an
with view to the ultimate interests Of hi
growing family, resolved to manumt his slaves
and make his home in the Territory northwes
of the Ohio. In accordance with this purpos
he visited Ohio in 1902, accompanied by hi
son Allen, and selected lands in the Scioto ant
Paint valleys, and on Clear Creek in Highlant
county. On the latter he determined to locat
his family. When, in 1903, he presented hi
deeds of manunlission to the county court O
Woodford County for record, the judge hesi
tated to admit them to record, on the grount
that the proposed action was contrary to public
interest and would be dangerous as precedent
They yielded finally, however, to the advice O
Henry Clay, then young but influential law
YER and made the record as desired.
While busily employed in making arrange
ments to remove to Ohio, Captain Trimble was
taken sick, and died in October 1904, leaving
Allen, his oldest son, not yet twenty-one years
OF age, the responsible head of the family, with
all his father unfinished plans to carry out
And for this high trust he was well fitted. =
With a good English education, thorough
knowledge of surveying, acquired during his
leisure hours, business experience unusual for
one OF his age, selfreliance. taught by his
fathers example and confidence, combined with
a strong sense of duty to a mother Of superior
| tpI hpn LOT IN Al ba
charge of the duties Of his delicate and impor-
/ tant trust.
Having settled the affairs Of his fathers es-
tate in Kentucky, he took possession of the
residence in Ohio, in the preparation of which
the father was employed at the time of his
| DEATH The removal took place in October,
| 1905. William, the next oldest brother, was
left at classical school in Kentucky, studied
law, and was afterward honoraby identified
| with both the civil and military history of his
adopted State Two of the younger brothers
We're sent to Philadelphia, and one to Newport,
Kentucky, to complete their education Two
ly completed their studies and entered upon
the active duties of life-one as a lawyer and
the other merchant-when the war of 1872
summoned them to the field. They both joined
Hull Is army, at Dayton as volunteer prlvates.
William was elected Major of Macarthur reg
iment, and Cary Lieutenant of company
They shared the disaster of Hull's surrender,
but as soon as exchanged joined the forces of
the Northern army enlisted for the war. They
were conspicuous for courage and capacity, and
promoted for good conduct-one to Brevet
Leutenant-C Colonel commanding regiment the
other to Captaincy
Colonel Trimble was desperately wounded in
the sortie at Fort Erie, under General Brown.
He sufficiently recovered to continue in the SER
vice until the close of the war, and was re
tanned on the peace establishment with his
command, stationed at New Orleans. In 1917
he resigned bis commission In the army, and
was elected TO the United States Senate by the
Legislature Of Ohio
In 1909 Allen Trmble was appointed Clerk
of the Court of Common Pleas and Supreme
Court, for Highland county, and County Recor-
der, which position he held for seven years.
This appointment caused him to make Hills
boro his residence, which it ever afterward con-
tinued to be. While in this position he be-
came familiar, not only with the practice and
decisions of the courts, but made himself ac-
quainted with the general principles Of common
law, and the statute laws of the State.
Notwithstanding his official position, and his
responsibility as the recognized head of bis
father family, and, in addition, a young and
helpless one of his own, he responded to his
country's CALL for brief periods Of military du-
ty, both in 1912 and in 1913. When Hul's
incursions of British and Indians, and before
the Government at Washington had provided
means Of defense, Governor Shelby, of Ken
tucky, had appointed General Harrison to the
command Of the Kentucky troops lie issued
a call for mounted regiments for thirty days
service, to be raised in Ohio, and to join his
Kentucky force Allen Trimbe was elected
Colonel of one of the regiments raised in
Southern Ohio, and joined Gen. Harrison at
ST. Marys. He was ordered to the relief OF
the garrison at Fort Wayne, which was threat
ened by the Indians, and to dlsperse, with his
force the Indians combining on the Upper
Wabash and Eel rivers This service was per-
formed in such manner as to elicit the COM
plimentary approval of Gen. Harrison. In
lS43, at the general cali of Governor Megs,
he marched to Upper Sandusky with regi-
ment raised in Highland and Adams counties,
holding by election) the position of Major, but
dischaging, in fact the duties of ofColonel-duties
forced upon him by the incumbent OF that OF
fee, to such a degree that the command came
to be called ''Trimble' regiment. For want
of supplies Gen Harrison was compelled to
dismiss this patriotic force and direct their re-
turn to their homes.
In 1916 Mr.. Trmb!e was elected Represen-
tative from Highland county, and took his seat
in the first General Assembly that ever con-
vened in the city Of Columbus In 1917 he
was elected to the senate Of Ohio, by the coun-
ties of Highland and Fayette, the same constit-
uency returning him to the Senate for four sue
cessive terms. At the session lSlS-lSl9. he
was chosen President of the Senate, position
which he held, almost by the common consent
of that body, for eight years.
We believe that we speak within the limits
of truth and justice when we say, from the gen
eral testimony of his contemporaries in public
life, that Allen Trimble was the ablest presi-
ding officer that the Senate of Ohio has ever
had. That he should have been continued in
the position of president so many years at a
time when the Senate was distinguished for
men of ability, that be was possessed of the
highest qualities of manhood, and especially
those which fitted him for the duties of the
chair, viz: moral courage, sound judgment and
strict integrity.
At the session of 1922 Governor Brown was
elected United States Senator by the General
Assemble to fill the vacancy occasioned by the
death Of Col VIM. A. Trimble. The Presi-
dent of the Senate, by the provision ofthe con-
sitution became the acting Governor until the
office was filled by general election in 1922
While discharging the duties of the executive
Office at that time, he was authorized by the
General Assembly to appoint a committee to
carefully consider and report to the ensuing
Assembly what action should be taken by the
State on the subject of common schools. He
was very careful to appoint on this committee
men of enlightened and liberal views, and their
report, made after mature deliberation, was
unanimously in favor of adopting the free-school
system.
At the October election of 1926, Allen Trim
4 L IL l.