Randolph-Macon Historical Papers Volume 3, No. 4

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1912 Excerpt: ... the governor's chair through the hours of the War Between the States. John Letcher was born in Lexington, Rockbridge county, Virginia, on the 29th of March, 1813.2 His parents were humble Scotch-Irish people. His father was William Letcher, a butcher. The family was of that class which carried the idea of their democracy into their religion, and made up the bone and sinew of the Methodist Church. They were very pious people and active church workers. Young Letcher started to work as a carpenter at the age of fifteen years, spending all of his spare time at his books. By hard labor he gathered together sufficient capital to enable him to attend Randolph-Macon and Washington Colleges, the latter being in his home town. When twenty-three years old he took up the study of law in the office of the Hon. William Taylor, of Lexington, one of the ablest lawyers of the section. Taylor was the son-in-law of Thomas H. Benton, of Missouri, 3 and from this source the young lawyer drew much of his political creed. Three years later he was admitted to the bar, and entered active politics. In 1839 the Loco Foco faction of the Democratic party, in Rockbridge county, under the leadership of James McDowell, who was the brother-in-law of Thomas H. Benton, established in Lexington a newspaper--the Valley Star--to oppose the Whig organ in that district, The Lexington Gazette. John Letcher was put in the editorial chair and at once entered with great zeal into the activities of the campaign. 4 The Democratic party throughout the Valley was well organized, being known throughout the State as the "Tenth Legion." It was in its ranks that Letcher began his career. In this, his first campaign, he supported Van Buren and his financial policies, Benton's policy in regard to public lands, ...