Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-10-13

SKETCH OF COL. BALDWIN.
John Brown Baldwin was the eldest son
of the late Judge Briscoe Il. BALDWIN, OF
the Supreme Court of Appeals, Was porn
at Spring Farm near Stanton, IN Janu-
ary 1920. He was prepared for college at the
Staunton Academy, under the tuition OF
the late Lyttleton Waddell. Upon gradu-
ating at the University OF Virginia, ne
commenced the practice of law WIN lion.
A. H, IL. Stuart, his brother-ln-laW. In
1912 he married Susan Madison Pey1on'
the eldest daughter Of John Howe Peyton.
AS soon as he attained the required age,
he was elected a member of the House OF
Delegates, from Augusta, where he took
ground in favor of the 'smiXed basis"
which was not popular with his constltu-
ents, and for which he was defeated at the
next election for member of the Legisla-
ture. He was defeated in 1859 by William
J. Robertson of Charlottesville, for the
Supreme Court Of Appeals. In 1860 he
was one of the most ardent supporters OF
the Union, and commenced the canvass on
the Bell and Everett side, by speech at
the Club house in Richmond. In 1861 he
was elected a member of the State Con-
vention from Augusta, and his appeals
there in behalf of the Union and his eff
forts to avert civil war are matters of his
tory. He voted against the ordinance OF
secession TO the last, but after it was pass
ed, signed it as representative duty. His
mission to Washington during its session
is a matter Of familiar history, as is his
comment on the result Of it, that lit only
remained for Virginia to show the world
! how CALAMITY people could meet an issue
they had exhausted every honorable effort
| to avoid"
| After the war commenced, he was ap-
pointed Inspector General OF the Virginia
troops, and after they were turned over to
| the Confederacy he was appointed colonel
of the SD Virginia Regiment, raised at
Staunton, and went With his command to
West Virginia, but the affection which IL
nally terminated his life did not permit his
remaining IN the army. He was elected
TO the Confederate Congress from this dis
trict, where he particularly distinguished
h mself by his speech in opposition to the
suspension Of the writ of habeds corpus.
Upon the surrender of General Lee, he was
one Of the first to counsel the acceptance
of the situation, and took an active part
at q meeting held here On the Sth of May,
1865, for the preservation OF order and the
reinstatement of the government. He was
elected to the first Legislature under the
restored government, and chosen Speaker
of the House. At this session he origina-
ted the measure Of establishing the Au-
gusta County Fair. In 1867 he originated
he system of political organization-the
captains of tens" which contributed so
much to the salvation of the State from
Wells and the Underwood Constitution.
He was chairman Of the Virginia delega-
ton in the Seymour and Blair convention.
AS a member Of the famous sscommittee
of nine," he took a part in the restoration
of Virginia, which, as has been truly said,
saved her people in spite of themselves.
He died on the 30th Of September, 1873.
SKETCH OF THE VIRGINIA SCULPTOR.
Edward Virginius Valentine is Il native
of Richmond, Virginia. at which place he
resided until his twentieth year when he
went to Europe TO complete his collegiate
education, and to commence that pertain
] ing to art. Fortunately for him his early
home surroundings had been such as to
foster in him the taste for that noble pro-
fesslon which he has chosen, and into
which he has brought that all important
element Of success in art "a warm en- thu
siasm and an untiring zeal.
Reaching Paris before his wenty-irst
birthday,s:our artist felt, that for perfect
Ing himself, he had the advantage of
| long life, and of it's most easily improbable
| years. Entering the studio of Couture,
| one of the greatest of living French artists
| and, who was then painter to the En-
peror of France, Nh. Valentine made good
use OF the profits to be had by the pupils
of that distinguished man. From Paris
| he went into Italy, eventually locating
himself in the noble art city of Florence.
Here, too, he spared no effort or expense
in accomplishing his great purpose in life,
and, was only drawn from the studio of his
Italian master there by what he believed
| to be superior advantages awaiting him i'll
i the atelier of one of the greatest OF modern
sculptor, Rietchel. Following these convic-
lions, Mr.. Valentine left Italy, but on
reaching Dresden, found that the great
Rietchel had just dieda few days previously
After brief reflection, the determined
young art student decided to apply to Kiss.
though he well knew, it had hitherto been
his rule to refuse all applications for the
privilege of instruction in his studio. Pre-
! possessed by the earnestness and enthu~
siasm of the applicant, the great German
sculptor found himself, for the first time in
his life, unable to refuse that, which,
when granted, placed the young Virginian
in such position as gave him the advan-
tages of the instruction and immediate
supervision of the designer of those WON
derful works of genius, the Amazon
and ''St. George and the Dragon which
advantages make him second to none in
| the high art of sculpture.
! The four years and a half spent by Mr..
| Valentine in the studio of his distinguish
ed master, are remembered by him as the
brightest OF his life in Europe. During
these years, Professor Kiss, was to him,
not the palnstaking instructor only, but
the warm, the true-hearted friend, which
afterwards made to the pupil the masters
death AN event of such sorrow as is usually
known to come only with the loss of one Of
near blood relationship. So well was this
attachment between master and pupil
known by the widow of Professor Kiss.
and so sacredly did she regard it, that I'M
medlately after the occurrence of this sud-
den event, his beloved pupil was the one
earliest sent for to grieve with hel at his
loss, and during al the melancholy DAYS
Which INTERVIEWED between the death and
burial OF her noble husband, the sorrowing
widow, old and childleSs, claimed the SYM
pathetic presence of him whom she knew
the dead had possibly, next herself, loved
the best, After the sad funeral rites were
over, Mrs. Kiss gave to Mr.. Valentine the
keys to her husband most private depart
Il l. |. .