Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-22

clerk of the county, and he was named to
fill the vacancy, and at that age he demon
strated that he was capable of taking care
of and conducting the office to the satisfac-
ton of the judge. When seventeen years
old he was by the voters of the county
elected to the office
1t was while acting as clerk of the court,
at twenty-one years of age. that the call
for troops was made. He did not hesitate
an instant. but resigned his position and
enlisted as a private in Ashbys cavalry,
later assigned to the I'D Regiment From
q private he was soon promoted to. the
captaincy of his command, and In 8 few
months he was again promoted, being made
colonel of the regiment upon the death of
Colonel Ashby. No man was held in higher
esteem by the men under him than was
Colonel O'Ferrall. He shared their hard
ships and fought by the side OF his men.
With him it was to follow their .comman-
der. He asked no man to perform any
duty which he did not carefully estimate
and acquaint the soldier with its gravity
and Importance. He was leader of his
men. AS member of the 23d Cavalry.
Colonel O'Ferrall saw much arduous service
in the famous Valley campaigns. never
avoiding a chance for battle with the
enemy
Gallantry in War.
During the civil war. when all the iron
had been used up In the manufacture OF
ordnance for the confederacy. an order was
received from the confederate secretary of
war for certain iron to be had at old Lib
erty furnace, in Shenandoah county. Gen.
eral 1. NJ. st. John. who was in command of
the forces In the valley at the time, ordered
Colonel OFerrall to detail men from his
command to accompany the train to Lib
erty furnace. which was almost surrounded
by the federals. The detail was named
and Colonel OFerrall remarked as the
train moved off:
IIat-n fpar To uJha yIyiIl ba
here ! will sacrifice every man in the
command to defend the roads leading from
Woodstock and Edenburg."~ That he would
have given battle to any force that might
have appeared is absolutely certain. Ills
courage was Indomitabie. He did not know
fear. Once he was convinced that a thing
was right, with him it was a duty.
At Washington College.
After the war he entered Washington Col
lege now Washington and Lee, of which
General Robert e. Lee was at the time
president, and studied law. That was in
1868. He graduated with honors, and later
went to Harrisonburg. where he began
the practice of his profession, Soon after
that he was chosen county judge. position
which he held for many years. He served
several terms In the general assembly of
Virginia, and In the early SOS he was elect
ed to Congress, to which he was returned
tenth year in Congress when he was elected
governor of Virginia, defeating Captain Ed
mund r. Cooke (the popuiist nomtnee1 by
the usual democratic majority.
In 1896, when the gold and silver question
was paramount to all else. Colonel OFFER
rail- aligned himself with the gold advO-
Gates. and Notwithstanding entreaties and
threats he did not for a moment alter his
belief The state was wildly for Bryan
and free silver. yet Colonel O'Ferrall. know
ing that his stand meant his political ostra-
cism. did not waver. He supported Palmer
and Buckner, the gold candidates. and was
censured by some of his erstwhile strong
est political friends. 1t was believed that
the fact that William Jennings Bryan was
the nominee had something to do with Col
onei O'Ferralfs position When Colonel
O'Ferrall was candidate for governor IT
was said that Bryan had consented to come
to Richmond and make speeches in behalf
of the populists, as LATE Pence did He did
not come. but Colonel OFerrail never forgot
the intent OF the man who was candidates
for President on the democratic ticket.
When the delegates to the convention which
nominated his successor for governor were
on their way to Roanoke. Colonel O'Ferrali
was on the train He was In car with
his family. but not once did the leaders OF
the party, many of whom were on the train,