Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-03-25
FRANCIS H. PIERPONT.

Hon. +. H. PIerpOnt, one or this
States most distinguished sons, was
born in Monongalia county, Virginia,
June rs, 1914. AS a boy he worked
upon his fathers farm, and in the tan
yard, until he arrived at his majority.
In the meantime he attended school at
intervals in the neighborhood where
he resided At twenty-five he matricu-
lated as a student at Allegheny College,
Pennsylvania, and remained there, an
earnest, industrious toiler, until June,
1910, when he graduated. After gradu-
alton he went South, and taught school
in Mississippi. Having determined to
enter the legal profession, while a
teacher he began a systematic course
of reading. In year or two he passed
the required examination, and, return
ing to Virginia, was admitted to the
bar at Fairmont, Marion county. Be
ing thoroughly educated, and possess
ing pleasant address, which, added to
a high order of talent as a public
speaker, he was not long in attaining a
rank as an attorney that brought eli
ents, reputation and fees to his law
Office. He has spent almost his entire
mature life in the town of Fairmont,
in the practice of his profession.
Educated in Northern ideas and
among Northern people, he naturally
became an outspoken abolitionist. His
convictions were so intense, he rarely
allowed an opportunity to pass without
open opposition to the doctrine Of hui
man slavery. He took an active part,
even before graduation from college, in
the general political discussions of the
times.
At the June II, 1861, convention,
held at Wheeling, for the purpose Of re-
organizing the government of Virginia,
after the State had seeded from the
Union, Mr.. Pierpont was almost unan-
imously elected Governor by the rep
resentatives of the forty counties that
had sent delegates to the convention.
He held Office under this election for
about twelve months, and in the mean
time was elected by the people to fill
an uneXpired term of two years. He
was subsequently reelected by the
loyal people Of the State for the full
term of four years, and was recognized
by President Lincoln as the legitimate
Governor of Virginia He was one OF
the many War Governors of the States
who stood by the government in its
darkest hours, and contributed a noble
part in sending troops to the front to
defend the flag. He was true as steel
in those solemn times that tried mems
souls.
After the division of Virginia into
two separate States, Governor Pierpont
removed the State archieves to Alex
andria, convened the Legislature, and
remained there two years. At his call,
in 1864, a convention assembled, which,
by vote, abolished slavery in the State
When Richmond fell, the moved the
seat of government from Alexandria to
that city, and in a few months the State
was properly reorganized. During his
entire administ ration, he. made it a
matter of conscience never to appoint a
man to office without moral and intel
lectual qualifications for the place. A
part of his record is that during the
seven years of official position, amid
the degeneracy of the war. there never
was a suspicion of the misappropria-
ton of one dollar of the public money.
At the close of his gubernatorial mis-
sion, Governor Pierpont returned to
Fairmont, and resumed the practice of
his profession. In 1870 he was elected
q delegate from Marion county TO the
West Virginia Legislature His nat
ural abilities, added to his long exper-
fence in public affairs, equipped him
for great usefulness in that body. He
was an active and influential member,
and did much in shaping the legisla-