The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-08-22
For Ia" FzTIer Aut Mechanic
a Pr0mifen' son OF wake.'n he
West.

Among all the Tar Heels who have be
come d~i.tingui-hed in other States, there
IS not one more deserving OF mention
than Judge Juo. l. L Sneed now living
near Memphis. Tenn. y prominent
rennes>eau says of him that there i
! no office of honor IN the GIFT OF the Sta E
Of Tennessee which be cannot havc for
the asking He was born in Raleigh.
y. G.. May II. 1922. IN the no ~ OF hi
grandfather. Hon john Louis Taylor. at
one time Chi.f jus ice OF North Caro-
ina. after whom Judge Sneed /, named
tie is descended from noble stock, such
names as Hon. Matthew Rowan and
Judge Castor appearing among those Of
his maternal ancestors. His fathers an
cestor> came from Derbyshlre. England,
first settled in Virginia and . after
removed TO Granville county. \ g..
where they we're highly esteemed as ex
cellent citizens and prosperous business
men. Mai Junius >ueed. the father Of
the subject OF our present >het h. "a
for a long tune cashier OF the State Bank
at Salisbury. Judge Sneed's mother
died when be was quite a child, and he
was taken in charge aud educated by his
uncle. the late Stephen X Snecd. then
q L H. az LIN =. ~. tAt
who soon afterwards removed to West
Tennessee. here young Sneei. after re
ceiylug an academic education. beglnGhe
study of law IN the otfice OF Hon. Y. -
Barry. La 1913 be settled in Memphis,
tor the practice of hi, profession, and
two years later he was elected TO the
General Assembly OF Tennessee nv tine
people Of Shelby county. In 1916 j.
-. 49, -. l', A,n . \ "A
Mexican war, aid serve | with distinction
immediately AFTER the close OF the war
he was married to Wis, Mary Ashe Shep-
herd, formerly OF Orange county, y g.,
a daughter of Col William SHEPHERD.
and grand niece OF the late judge John
Haywood. Mrs. Sn,td Is roIltcd to tie
Ashes of North Carolina. In l>5l
Judge Sneed was elected by The Lcglsla
ture Attorney General o. The Memphl
judicial d strict, which he resigned three
years later 10 become ii candidate for IT,
position OF Attorney Iencral for the
State OF tennessee, 10 which c!iice Ia
was elec ed by a large III jor;ty. Tn
tive volumes Of Sneeu's Reports attest
the fact that he held the office for five
years. We next hud HIM a candidate
for Congress on the hIg ticket, but il
Was d Iullic race from the start, Tor tn
Democrat party was overwhelmingly III
the majority n his district. lie made
good run, however. ami thourh Lrltca
u.s. 0pHunrnfs maj 'rlty - crtaplllIN Il
~ quite small. y non the war came Oh
he was found right where he belonged
on the Southern side. He was appoint
ed with Cheatam. Zoliicotfer aud Others.
d Brladler-GIeperal OF the Provincial
Army of tennessee, and organized IA
splendid brigade but Notwithstanding.
the fact that the Governor, member. Of
the General Assembly Of Tennessee. aud
officers OF the brigade, made it a per>o
nal request OF President DaSs to continue
him IN command. he was not gwen i
commission. Nothing daunted, and de
termlned to serve his country REGARDLESS.
of iavorltlsm or neglect, he enterei Gen.
Johnston 5 army as 4 prjcufe, and was
with him neal Nlcksburg when ne was
contemplating the rescue Of Pembelton's
army, then besieged by Grant, when he
received a dispatch summoning him to
Georgia, having been appointed by Gov.
Harris a Commissioner to settle the af-
fairs of Tennessee with the Contederacy,
and also to settle the accounts of the
Paymaster-Gen eral and Quartermaster-
General of the Provisional Army of Ten
nessee. He was engaged 10 this work
when the war closed, and he then went
back to Memphis md began again the
practice of law. His people, however.
had tried niul, and finding him faithful
they were not willing that he should re-
main a private citizen, for the records
shcw that in 1870 be was again elected
to office and this time to the high and
honorable one of Judge Of the Supreme
Court, a position which he hello eight
years. He resigned 1t to accept the po-
sition of Judge of the Court of Arbltra~
ton rendered him by Gov. Marks. This
was a count created to aid the Supreme
Court IN working off It's immense docket.
Ia 1880 he was made Eiector for the
State at-.arge III the Hancock ticket,
and about this time lie was elected a
Wee President OF the American Bar As
ISOLATION at Saratoga. In 1888 he was
appointed one of the Judges Of the
Court OF Referees, a tribunal created for
the same purpose as the Court OF Arbl.
tratlon. This position he nov h,lls. with
his seat Of judgement at X knoxville.
1t will be seen that Judge Sneed wa.
the recipient OF almost continuous honors
at the hands Of his people, and YET.
strange to say, he never sought political
advancements. la his case il IS literally
true that the office sought the man and
not the man the office He is a very ar.
Inactive and impressive speaker, and can
sway a crowd as the whlrlwind does a
feather. \ large, portly, handsome man.
he has IA distinguished appearance. and
would be readily marked in "a crowd. lie
Is one OF tie jollicst and cieverest ot
men socially ,an tell a yarn most effect
lively, and has the largest and best a.
sortment of them Of any mau in Teune,.
see, or North Carolina either. eycent
Senator ''Zeb He is deservedly pop
alar with all classes. Perhaps the most
beautiful feature of the Judges charac
ter Is his devotion TO home ties. He has,
no children, but Notwithstanding thai
TACT, he claims to nave the happicst home
II Tenn s>ec. Tie writer once had The
lea>iue vi reading "A letter the Judge
had written, IN which he had occasion to
ftter Ia his wife The sentiment eX-
pressed - 50 beautiful and touching that
feel that 1 must give it to The readers
OF your paper "a an example Of d life
time love seldom seen III TIM, day Of sci
flsh men aHd women. He wrote: , When
we married my health was utterly bro
Ken by the effects Of the campaign in
Mexico. To her tender vigil referring
to his wife, Il owe my restoration. and
indeed | owe the fact that | am and have
been Tor many years the most robust man
IN tennessee. and capable If dong any
amount OF brain work. | feel that [
owe all that | am to her devotion and in
tultlve knowledge of what was best for
me IN every step Of lie. \ x <
She has made home so happy that l
have always fit rolnntnnt Ia - G.