Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1878-01-15
MIscElLARE Gus.
COL. WILLIAM H. TERRILL.
Editorial Cor. of Wheeling Registcr.I
DUNMoRE, w. VA, Dec. l3, 1877.

With the death of Col. William FL. Ter
rill, who recently died at the home of his
son.in>iaw, Col. Geo. A. Porterfeld, in JEFF
ferson county, in this State, has passed away
one of the most remarkable men Virginia
ever produced. He was the intellectual peer
of any son of the Old Dominion and pos
sessed the highest literary accomplishments,
yet was without q particle of ambition. In
early life he served one term in the Legis-
lature of his State, which was the only pub
lie office he ever filed, except that of prose-
cutting attorney for tho county of Bath,
position he held for thirty.seven consecu>
tive years. Notwithstanding his selt>exclu>
sion from public life, there was no man more
widely or more favorably known in the State
of Virginia than Col. Terrill. At the bar
and at tho hustings he stood pre>emiuent,
and as many gifted speakers as Virginia
possessed in those days, there were but few
cared to meet him in debate. He is said
to be the only man who ever got the better
of Extra Billy Smith in political discus
sion. Extra Billy" was the dread of all
the stump orators in his day, but on Ger,
tain occasion the friends of Col Terrill pre>
vailed on him to meet the distinguished
stumper Smith led off, Terril followed,
and so successful was he in destroying the
argument of his antagonist that when Extra"
came to reply he broke down and threw up
the sponge.
During the war Col. Terrill was the power
behind the throne in Virginia. He was
the warm personal friend of Gov. Letcher,
and spcut good portion of his time at the
Executive mansion, when Leicher WAS so
honorably filing the position of War Cover.
nor.
Some of the most finished State papers of
American history were those emanating from
the executive Office while Gov. Letcher con-
trolled the destinics of the old commonwealth.
Col. Terrill was their author, as he prepared
all the important State papers Of that admin
stTatiou. But so unambitious was he that
it was matter of no consequence to him
whether he got credit for it not. If he
could serve a friend, or could have an hours
social enjoyment with a jolly crowd, he was
happy.
| have said that Col Terrill was without
ambition, yet if he took pride in anything
it was in the discharge of his duties as cons
monwealth's attorney. He was a native of
Madison county, Virginia, but soon after he
was admitted to tae bar removed to the
Warm Springs in Bsth county, where he
continued to reside until few months pre-.
vious to HE death. For thirty-seveu conse-
cutiye years he was prosecuting attorney of
Bsth coucty,. and was acknowledged the
most able prosecutor in the State. He never
permitted his personal relations to interfere
with his duties. On the contrary it is said
that his ability as n prosecutor was moro
fully displayed in q case where young man,
the son of .au old friend, was indicted, than
in any other. 1t had been said that Mr.
Terrill would not make vigorous prosecu-
ton against the young man, because of the
intimate relations existing between himself
and the father. This came to his ears, and
being exceedingly sensitive about such mat
ters, the whole force of his intellect WAS
aroused, and the result was that the prose-
cution was conducted with more power and
ability than any previously known in the
courts of the State.
1t was once the fashion in Virginia for
the prosecuting attorney to deliver the
charge to the grand jury instead of it being
done by the Judge as is now the case. The
famous Mr. Pettigrew, of South Carolina,
who was exceedingly tastidious in his man.
ner and dress, was visiting the Warm Springs
during the summer season, and was shocked
to see Col. Terrill charging the grand jury
with q pipe in his mouth.
He possessed
COMMANDING PERSONAL APPEARANCE.
He was six feet two inches tall, weighed
about $50 pounds and very straight. He
was extremely urbane and dignifed in his
manner, but his dignity could relax as gent
ly and with as much facility as ice thaws
beneath the wsrm rays of the sun, when he
came in contact with a set of jolly good fell
lows. Visitors at the Warm Springs for the
last few years will remember the peculiar
staff with which he always walked. 1t was
as tall as himself, with handsome silver
knob on top of it. When asked why he
used such peculiar walking stick, he would
reply that it was all that was left him from
the wreck of war he had been possessed
of large fortune, which, together with
most of his family, had been swept away in
the conflict. He was possessed Of rare
fund of anecdotes which he could relate in
the most inimitable style, aud wherever there
was Jolly seciability his presence was always
re.dy with joke, and could give humor-
GUS coloring to the gravest subject. He was
in Washington City Immediately after the
war. a number of prominent Republicans
who had known and loved him in ante bel7uns
days, were prompt to call on him, and were
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