The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-27

The meeting of the Ramsey county
bar will be called for Saturday morn
ing of this week
In speaking Of the deceased, Gen.
Andrews history of the deceased.
printed in 1890, says:
Charles Deal Kerr, one of the best known
lawyers of st. Paul and one of the judges
Of Ramsey county, in the Second judicial
district. was born in the city Of Philadel-
pnla, sept. 3, 1885. He comes of a very
honorable and somewhat distinguished an
cestry. One of his great grandfathers on his
Iather's side was William Rush. a brother
OF the Declaration of Independence. His
maternal grandfather was M. Regnaud a
french Jurtst who was presiding over the
superior court OF the Island Of st. Domingo
at the time Of the great uprising Of the blacks
under Toussaint LOuverture and the fright
Iul massacre of the whites which followed.
Ills property on the island was all either de-
Stroyed or confscated by the insurgents, but
his life was saved by the fidelity and
devotion of his faithful slave, who warned
MIN in time to enable him to make his
escape by swimming TO vessel in the har-
Dor, On which he sailed to Philadelphia,
where he spent the remainder of his life
Very early in Judge Kerr's childhood his
parents removed from Philadelphia to Jack
sonvtlle. ILL.,, where he grew to young man
hood and received his Scholastic education
ana training. His father died soon after COM
ing to Jacksonville and the widow through
misfortune and the dishonesty Of certain
parties, who had been entrusted with her
means, soon found herself in very Strengthened
circumstances, with the family Of five little
children looking to her for support, Main
tenance and rearing. From this time forth,
throughout his youth and early manhood, the
career of Judge Kerr was an almost con-
tinuous struggle against adverse circum-
stances. AS the eldest son, upon him de-
volved in large measure the support of the
family, and this care received his first and
pest attention All OF his education and other
advantages were received under circumstances
which would have discouraged many an
other, and2were entirely the results of his
own labors and exertiens. In the year 1857,
after long and hard struggle with poverty
and other disadvantages, he was grad
uated from the Illinois college at Jackson
Vile, having taken the full classical course
Two years later, in 1858, he entered the law
office of Hon. Samuel Miller lone Of the ius
tees of the United States supreme court then
at keokuk, To-, and during that year and
the following was hard and close student
or the law. He was an original Republican
and took an active part in the presidential
campaign of 1860. which resulted in the
election of Lincoln and Hamlin. In the
and was attending his first term at court
as lawyer, at Carthage, ILL.,. where he
located. when Fort Sumpter was fired upon.
At the first call for troops he was enlisted
and mustered into the services as a private Of
Company d, 18th regiment of Illinois voiun-
teer infantry. On the 26th of April 1861
In September following he was commissioned
ad1utant of the regiment, and by series of
promotions, all honorably and worthily OBJ
tanned, finally reached the position of lieu
tenant-colonel, with which rank he was
mustered out July n, 1856, after a service of
four years and three months nearly all Of
which was spent in active duty in the field
he was commissioned as full colonel short
time before his muster out but not in time
to have that rank appear on the rolls at
Washington before his discharge SO that he
could receive official notice.
:, Judge Kerr's military experience, while in
the main very arduous and trying. was more
IMAM ordinarily eventful, and much of it
somewhat conspicuous. His regiment was the
nrst Federal organization from another state
10 enter the state Of Missouri, and performed
invaluable service during the summer of 1861
In guarding the Hannibal & St. joseph rail-
roao and In depressing numerous organiza-
tons OF secessionists in Northern and Gem
tral Missouri. The regiment too won the es
TEEN OF all parties in Missouri not only for
us general good soldierly conduct but for the
gentiemanly bearing OF its officers and men
toward all classes of citizens. Subsequently
1t was connected with the army of the Cum
berland and the Fourteenth Army CORPS and
pnrtl e IN all the campaigns and nearly
all OF the achievements Of those distinguished
military organizations. On Dec. 26 1853 it
re-enlisted for three years more as one of tba
1rst veteran regiments of the Army of the
cumberland. 1t took part in all the engage
ments about Corinth, Miss, and Murfrees-
poro ana Chattanooga, Tenn. in the famous
hhara-Iought Atlanta campaign, in the cele-
Carolinas, as well as in numerous engage
West. VI 'ho
About two years of Col. Kerr's military
term was spent on staff duty. Prior to the hat
tie OF Chlckamauga, he was on the stair of
ibrlg,,Gen. Morgan and subsequently, inelud-
ing the battle of Missionary Ridge Atlanta
campaign The march to the sea etc he wss
with that accomplished soldier and hero Mai
Gen. J. Z. Davis. He saw great deal of the
wal, wal, ana was participant in many of the
gagemenls. 0-'i'o GU
He was one of the few officers who remem
oer fssa clearly what they saw, and he had the
ability in very marked degree to mt his
recoliections on paper. His paper. unon
Sherman's March to the Sea- is one of the
most entertaining in the collections of the
ton to history ''1ui
After his muster out, in 1866, Col. Kerr
realized that his health had become greatly
impaired h by the hardships Of army life and
ne came to Minnesota in the hopes that its
much lauded climate would bring him RELIEF
ana restoration. In September he came to
this state and settled in St. Cloud, where he
resumed the practice of his profession. in
partnership with Hon. James McKelyey. who
AFTER served for sixteen years as Judge for
the Seventh judicial district. After Judge
was In partnership with Hon. W. s. Moore
now of st. Paul, and later with Hon. J.. W
Collins, now one of the justices of the su-
preme court of Minnesota He Establishes or
extensive practice throughout the extrema
northern part Of the state and made for
himself an enviable reputation. In 1879 he
located In st. Paul, where he had since re-
NAMED actively absorbed in his profession.
He won for himself the name of an able
and honorable lawyer, and had been
very largely successful. He was noted for his
careful and thorough methods, and shared
neither time nor labor in the examination and
preparation of his cases, and was devoted to
the interests Of his clients, and in the Ian
guage of brother attorney she tries case
for all there is in it, and is very rarely
caught mapping" He was of judicial turn Of
mind, and brought to the trial of a cause, all
the law there was on the subject going care
fully. over the ground, and developing every
pertinent and relevant point as an advocate;
while he was not what is sometimes called
brilliant, he was an earnest, forcible speaker,
unaffected and plain in manner but interest
ing and convincing. Since 1885 he had been
at the head of the well known firm of Kerr
& Richardson.
In February, 1888, he was unanimously
association for appointment as one of the
two additional judges for Ramsey county. re-
Gently authorized by the legislature. The
Endorsement unsolicited. 1t was in its
nature most exalted compliment. On the
14th the appointment made by Gov. Mer-
Ram, and at the same time Hon. L. NJ. Villas
was commissioned as the other judge of the
district Judge Kerr's elevation was greeted
with great satisfaction by the other members
Of the bar. by the press of the city and all
classes generally. With one accord it was
agreed that the appointment was most wor-
thily bestowed.
Judge Kerr always performed his full
duty as q clClZen. he ndO taken q deep and
lasting interest in municipal affairs and had
been influential in shaping them. For sew
eral years he was mayor of the city of st.
Cloud. Since coming to ST. Paul. he had
for six years served two terms as alder
man and one term as president of the COM
mon council of the city. He was also for
two terms a member of the board Of educa-
ton and for term it's president. He was
also member Of the State Bar association,
one Of the members of the board of governors
Of the Ramsey County Bar association, and
halo 1rod 70 AaE ms A nd IN fho
Loyal Legion. OF the last named organiza-
ton he was the senior vice commander for