Birmingham age-herald., 1895-06-02
GOVERNOR PATTON.

R. M. Patton was born in the state of Virginia July 10, 1909. His father was a native of the North of Ireland; his mother of Virginia. In the year 1872 the Pattons, with three small children, came to the territory of Alabama, then occupied by native Indians and a few pioneer settlers.
 The Patton family settled at Hunts vile, where the father, William Patton, did a large and successful mercantile business William was the founder of the first cotton mills in the gulf states the Bell factory, on Flint river, ten miles, from Huntsville These celebrated mills were in active operation more than a half century ago, and are still in the possession of the Patton family and run as successfully as when first put in oper ation, having enriched several genera tions of the Pattons This venture, the building of the Bell factory, proved that southern cotton factories were a neces- sity. This caused the building of the Wesson mills, which have been a source of great profit to the owner and marked benefit to the southern states. The only education which Governor Patton re- ceived was during a few years that he attended school at Green academy in Huntsville.
 But the boys and girls of the south had no warmer friend than R. M. Pat ton. He labored zealously for the in- struction of the youths of the land, stimulated DO; ibly in this noble work by feeling the void in his own life for his education was necessarily limited, as he was placed at an early age in a com mercial house to learn the routine of business. In 1929 Governor Patton moved to Florence, Ala. where, as young man, only 20 years of age, he be- gan what proved to be a long and pros- porous career as merchant. This, in connection with large planting business was successfully carried on by him until 1859, when he was succeeded by his sons. R. M. Patton married the daughter of Gen. John Brahan in 1S32 and he and his accomplished wife for more than half century made their Sweet Water home near Florence synonym for all that was refined and hospitable.
 In 1886, although whig in politics and but 25 years of age he was elected to thd legislature from Lauderdale county, which was democratic by large major ity. He was chosen by the people for his energy, prudence and financial ca- pacity. He was member of the special legislature called by Governor Bagby in 1887 to relieve the people of the unpre- cedented financial panic of that year.
 He was always elected to any office within the gift of the people, to which. he aspired, and made an honest and ef- ficient public servant. He remained al- IltSl COutlIluDQSly III the leglSlature Of his state till the breaking out of the civil war. He was for several terms elected president of the Alabama senate While in the legislature he was invariably given position on those committees that required financial ability and busi- ness experience. When quite a young man he was one of the leading directors of the State bank at Decatur, and also trustee of the State university From the time he entered public life till the beginning of the civil war he was member of the principal state and na- tional conventions.
 Governor Patton was a member of the national convention which met at Charleston, s. O., in .1S60 He opposed the passage of the Alabama ordinance of secession, for he believed that seces- sion meant war But when the ordi- nance had really passed, he bowed to the will of the people and threw his whole soul into the southern cause and spent much of his time and fortune in aiding in its support As commissioner un- der the Confederate government he raised millions of dollars in cotton and money in Alabama to support the armies in the field.
 He gave three gallant sons to the Con- federate cause, two of whom fell in bat tle. He was a prominent member of the constitutional convention of his state which met in 1865 for the purpose of re- vlsing the constitution to suit the changed condition of affairs. R. M. Pat ton was elected governor of Alabama in 1865, and served the greater part of four years. When he was inaugurated there was not dollar in the state treasury and the state had no credit By reason of his well-known financial capacity and personal credit he was successful in borrowing on four months time near $200,000, with which he set the wheels of government in motion and soon in- fused new life to some extent into the people of the state, who had naturally become Respondent at the results of the war.
 In 1867, under an ~act of the legisla- t,ra he fss,led S50O O(0 of what uara