The news & observer., 1905-06-09
MEMORIAL AND RESOLUTIONS
Adopted BY Northampton Bar in
Honor of the Memory of Gen.
Matthew w. Ransom. i.

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purpose of taking suitable steps in
honor of the memory of the late Gen.
| Matthew w. Ransom, q memorial and
resolution was adopted in his honor.
Hon. G. M. Cooke, judge, was called
to the chair to preside, and c. G..
PEBBLES, Esq, acted as secretary.
The committee on resolutions, pre-
viously appointed, presented through
Willis Bagley, Esq, the following reso-
lutions:
''The undersigned members of the
| bar of Northampton county, who were
appointed at the last term of the
| Superior Court at a meeting of the
| bar then held, to act as a committee
| to prepare suitable resolutions eX-
| presSiVe of the respect of the members
of the bar of Northampton and ad-
| joining counties for the memory Of
! Gen. Matthew W. Ransom, then lately
deceased, respectfully report the fol-
| lowing brief memorial sketch and ac-
companying resolutions.
In Memoriam.
Matt Whitaker Ransom was born
| on the Sth day Of October, 1926, in
| the county of Warren, State of North
| Carolina.
His early life was spent in that
| county. He was prepared for college
under the tuition of Mr.. Ezell at the
| Warrenton Academy. He completed
| his education at the University Of
| North Carolina, where he graduated
with distinction in 1847 in one of the
ablest classes that ever left it's walls
| in which was Gen. James j. PettigreW
and many others of extraordinary abil-
| ity
Entering upon the practice of the
| legal profession at an early age, he
acted as county attorney for Warren
| county in 1849, and in 1852 he was a
| Scott and Graham elector, and in the
same year was called to the office of
attorney general of the State. the du-
ties of which were performed by him
with signal ability. After his retire
ment from this office he continued the
practice of his profession in Warren
county
"In 1853 he married Miss Exum, Of
Northampton county, who, as his
widow, now survives him with six
children of the marriage-Matt, Jo-
seph, Robert, Esther. Patrick, and
George. His second child, Pattie, died
in 1861, and the fifth in order of SEMI
Ority, Thomas Ransom, died in 1896.
In 1856 General Ransom moved with
his family to Northampton county and
continued to reside there about five
miles from the county seat Here he
quietly pursued the even tenor of his
way, devoting himself to farming and
professional pursuits, being often en-
gagged in capital cases or others, when
great interests were involved.
HE was in early life a Whig, but
afterwards attached himself to the
Democratic party, and to this he re-
NAMED true to the end of his political
career. His speeches on the hustings
were remarkable for clearness, force
and elouuence. and in joint debate his
tt, ,FY on n n
reasoning were such that he never
failed to maintain his side of the con-
troversy, or to win the popular ap-
plause He was a member of the pop
ular branch of the General Assembly
of North Carolina in 1856 and 1860,
and a member of the Peace Congress
which convened in Montgomery, Ala.
in 1861. s..
"In 1861, when the Civil War be-
gan, he enlisted with his section, and
| by courage ability and military skill
he was successfully colonel, brigadier
general and major general in the army
of the Confederate States, in which he
followed the flag and fortunes of his
State until the surrender at Appomat-
tox-distinguished in all alike for gal
lantry in action and for his careful
attention to, and humanity towards,
the men under his command.
mo attempt will here be made to
enumerate the numerous battles in
which he acted q gallant and consplc-
uous part, but will simply mention the
battle fought in defense of his home
and neighbors at BoOne's Mill. in
Northampton county, on July 28th,
1868, in which his command success
| fully defeated the Union forces.
"In 1870, when a number of the citi-
| zens of North Carolina We're arrested
under military order and were suffer-
| ing in the iails of Caswell and Orange
| counties he went to Elizabeth city,
n c., and secured from Hon. George
| w. BrooEs, United States district
| Judge, the writ of habeas corpus which
resulted in the release of those citizens
| who were illegally restrained of their
| liberty by military order, and thus
re-established the supremacy of the
| civil law in North Carolina.
after the war he returned to his
| farm in Northampton, and in the noble
occupation of farming displayed as
much skill as in the other walks of
| life, and dignified labor by laborng
himself.
"Whole thus engaged he was chosen
| by the Legislature of his State United
States Senator position which he oc-
cuped for tWenty-three years and he
performed the duties of this exalted
station rejecting honor both upon the
State and the nation. AT the close or
his Senatorial career he was appointed
minister to Mexico, and added to his
civil and military wreath the laurels
| of a successful diplomatist, and in
| 1895 arbitrator between Mexico and
| Guatemala.
At the close of his mission he re-
| turned to his farm in Northampton
county, where he always loved to be,
| and spent his remaining days, sur
rounded by his family, enjoying to the
end the constant association OF ms
| friends and the pleasures OF nome
Here. on the Sth day of October, 1904,
after a brief Illness at the age or 3
years, he departed this life on the an
niversary of his birth full of years ana
| honors."
Resolutions.
81 Resolved. That the members OF
the bar especially recognize that they
! lost from among their number great
lawyer and an advocate whose elo-
quence has charmed thousands OF our
people from the sea to the mountains
"2 That in the death of this dis
| tinguiShed citizen and lawyer MS