Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-05-29

of Okolona, Miss. His only son was b
this wife and died at four years of agt
to his great distress. His last wife, whit
with two daughters, survives him. wa
a daughter of Judge Vandegrift, q
Gainesville, Ala. He was remarkable
successful as a jury lawyer, gainin
nearly all his cases, by the confidenc
every one had in his integrity, as ais
by his forensic eloquence. In this re
sPect he was a very remarkable man
He was the simplest and most unpre
tending of all speakers, and yet he car
ried Jurors with him by that very sim
pllcity and roiVete. He spoke will
effect to their moral sense and common
sense. He was a great orator, though
few jurors would say that his speeche
were anything but plain and rationa
talk-like Garrick' 9 acting. He was tn
most popular man in his county, ant
was elected to the secession convention
by unanimous vote. I should hav,
said that he had been often solicited by
the bar to accept the Circuit JudgeshiI
of his circuit, but uniformly declined
unwilling to give up his very lucrative
practice. When the war came it founG
him magnificently fixed up, his lanG
and negroes being vulued at $1OO, ZOO
and lived in fine style on his cotton
plantation of 1000 acres. Then, because
Of the delicate condition of his health,
his friends endeavored to dissuade him
from entering the army, but he insisted
that it was his duty to go into the ranks
and fight for his country, even if he died
in the field. He died at Okolona, Miss.
of camp fever in June, 1852, in his 42nd
year. He was q commissioned officer,
but of what rank the writer is not in.
formed.
Cornelius G. Baldwin, of Balcony
Falls, Rockbridge county, Va, the Sc
nior member of this interesting family,
who, except Mrs. Stanley, is its only
survivor, claims our attention; without
him its history is not complete. He
was born in Winchester, but at what
date we are not informed. He came to
Staunton in 26,two years before his faith
er's removal with the residue of his fam
lily. For two years he was pupil of the
old male academy, under its then ven.
erable head, DIR. - Stevens. Jo-
seph was with him short time, so that
about this date DIR. Stevens dynasty, as
the head of this Institution closed, and
that of the late accomplished and highly
esteemed Lyttleton Waddell, ESQ.,, be-
gan. Permit us to suggest, Mr.. Editor,
that some one with the taste and with
the facilities for Investigation will write
up the history of this now venerable in
stitution.] He has been twice married,
his first wife was Miss Margaret Paxton,
one of six grown daughters of the late
Hugh Paxton, who owned the splendid
farm, extending mile and half from
the mouth of North River, on its eastern
bank, opposite the famous Sailing farm,
in the forks of North and James rivers.
Col. Jacob Mohler, late of Weyer's cave,
In this county, Is the second husband of
one of these six daughters. Her first
husband, Peter Sailing, was grandson
of John Sailing, the celebrated pioneer
who located this farm. The writer spent
a memorable night under his hospitable
roof during the war, when footing it
from Lynchburg, with an old friend and
schOolmate, to Lexington, over the hills
of Amherst, and not up the tow-path of
the canal. Mr.. Baldwin had two sons
and daughter by his first wife, Mrs
Sandy CARRIER, Or. Joe Baldwin, of Bal
timore county, Md, and John P. Bald
win at home. By his present wife, Miss
Sue Sale, of Bedford, he has two sons,
Charles Cornelius and Rristow Gerard.
Through q reverse Of fortune, his large
landed estate of so. 900 acres of mountain
lands, near the Forks, abounding in
iron and slate, has been sold, yet he
hopes to recover it through the Court of
Appeals. He Is terse and vigorous
writer, and Is now perhaps as favorably
known to the rising generation of Vir-
ginia, and let US hope soon will be as
we'll known to the same class of all the
Southern States by his little book, tru
ly na1lt1na in a1osr0o-"M Moral Maxims, !"
Of which, besides the high enconiums
passed upon 1t by Gov. Letcher, DIR.
Sears, DR.. Ruffner, Prof. Ladd, Or. Bit
tie, Judge Mencure, and hosts Of other
eminent men and competent judges, our
venerable and most highly esteemed
friend, Hon. Hugh Blair Grigsby, LII.
D., of Charlotte county, Va, so pithily
and appropriately says. II sincerely
hope it may find its way into every
dwelling and rail-car and country store
in the State. 1t will instruct and cheer
high and low, the rich and the poor,
black and white. and every GLASS of
men, women and children"
AUGUSTA.