The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-08-22
JUDGE ABNER NASH OGDEN.

Judge Abner Nash Ogden was born on Il
10th day of September, 1909, in the town
Hilsboro, in the State of North Carolin
He was descended, both in the paternal an
maternal lines, from ancestors OF more tina
ordinary intellectual vigor and cultivation
His father, Robert Ogden, was lineal d
scendant, in the elder branch of the family
, from John Ogden, who, more than two cent?
ries ago, came from England to America i
quest of civil and religious freedom, and VII
became the founder of Q family which ha
since spread, in its numerous branches, owe
this entire country, numbering among it
members many whose names are distin
guished in our annals as patriots, statesmen
and lawyers Gov. Aaron Ogden, of New
Jersey, and his brother, Col. Matthias Ogden
were both conspicuous for their patriotic ser
vices in the war of the Revolution, and after
wards filled, with honor to themselves ani
benefit to their country, high positions ir
| civil life.
His mother, Eliza S. Nash, was daughter
Of Abner Nash, the second governor of the
State of North Carolina, man of sckno wledged
ability and of high character, who died in the
city OF Philadelphia, while serving as mem
Der of the first Congress of the United States.
Speaking Of him as a lawyer, Judge Alfred
Moore, one of the early judges of the Su-
preme Court of the United States, after
hearing most of the great lawyers of that day,
said: "I have seen few that are his equals
and none that consider his superiors" Gen.
Francis Nash, the brother of the governor,
was soldier of great distinction, and fell
covered with glory at the battle of German
town.
The subject of these memoirs spent his
childhood in the home, and under the in
fuence of his uncle. Judge Frederick Nash,
who for years presided as Chief Justice OF
the Supreme Court of North Carolina, a
Christian gentleman. whose pure fame and
treasures of that noble State.
In the year 1922 Robert Ogden, the father
of our subject, at the suggestion of his for
mer law partner, Judge Xavier Martin, re-
moved with his family to this State, and
himself in the neighborhood of
on the beautiful Bayou Teche.
Then, in conjunction with Judge Martin, he
in sugar planting, but soon aban-
doned that enterprise and accepted from Gov.
Johnson the parish judgeship of Concordia
His son, Abner Nash, was at the time of this |
removal to Louisiana only thirteen years of
lge, and never from that time enjoyed any of
hose advantages usually derived from an
academic or collegiate training. He had been,
however, thoroughly taught up to that period,
md with the natural endowments of strong
Intellect and retentive memory, he was pre-
ducation. He had, besides, the advantage of
ssociation with his father, whose scholarly
astes and requirements were of the very
highest order. A graduate of Princeton Col
eye, with thorough Greek and Latin educa-
ion, his mind was filled with the finest aphor-
SIMS of the ancients, and the readiness with
'hich he applied their wisdom to the affairs
life left deep impression upon the mind
nd character of his ever attentive and dutiful
ID.
Judge Ogden may be said to have COM
leLced life at sixteen years of age. It was
bout that sge that he rode from the neigh
orhood of Franklin to the town Opelousas,
/ order to secure place which had been ad-
srtised as teicher, and finding it had been
lied, was still SO much of a boy that he
elded to the feeling of despair, and sitting
nder large tree in the outskirts of the town,
ept over his misfortune. His surrender to
lis feeling was only momentary, and he
corded there a courageous resolution, which I
, acted up to through life. The next time S
} saw that tree was in the year 1858, when, Z
one of the judges of the Supreme Court Of 1
is State, he passed under it on his way to A
I'D the annual session of that tribunal in the f
wn of Opelousas. +
He studied law under Gen. Quitman and t
r. McMurrau, in the city of Natchez, and u
ceived his license to practice in Mississippi b
the early age ofeighteen. With that license, is
came Immediately to New Orleans and was RI
amined for admission to this bar by Judge o.
exander Porter. Under our law he could Ii
It have been admitted to practice, as an a!
iginal applicant here, while under twenty 81
"a years of age, but coming from another al
ate, as q licensed lawyer, the case was differ d
t. and the Supreme Court admitted him
thout hesitation. He commenced practice P
the Office of Mr.. Alfred Hennen, as an as G,
tant to that venerable lawyer, and in a Il
ort time afterwards was sent by him to q,
ton Rouge, in full charge and management W
an important suit then pending before the fe
urts at that place. His employment in this tt
ltter may account, in part, for the fact that fe
thin few months he changed his place of
'idence from New Orleans to Baton Rouge,
d aim ost Immediately formed partnership g.
III Mr.. Lawrence, leading lawyer of that ii
y, and was thereby thrown into q full and nf
,rative practice. in
Not long after this Mr.. Lawrence was ap- in
inted to the judgeship of the United States SC
urt for this district, and the whole of his Of
,ctica TINS fell into the hands of his vounp C.,