West Virginia’s Civil War–Era Constitution: Loyal Revolution, Confederate Counter-revolution, and the Convention of 1872

13. The Delegates: A Collective Biography

340 West Virginia’s Civil War–Era Constitution C h a p t e r 1 3 The Delegates A Collective Biography Any study of a constitutional convention must rest upon the collective biography of its delegates. The delegates’ views, molded by their background and past experiences in all aspects, obviously and collectively created the constitutional and political result. Contemporaries and later historians often characterized the convention as one of lawyers or of Confederates that was the culmination of the Democratic/ Conservative political reaction. These generalizations may have partial validity, but a detailed analysis is required to appraise the convention delegates collectively. As with most historical appraisal, research will often temper previous assumptions by exposing a more complex array of biographical facts that will result in different interpretations. In the end, a competent history of a constitutional convention must investigate the delegates’ life experience. Various biographical records reveal the occupations of delegates to the West Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1872 over time, their evolving opinions, their positions in life and financial status, their education, and their political history. These individual and collective experiences constitute reliable indicators of political attitudes and association that are revealed in the convention. Such information furnishes a basis for understanding the delegates and their political approaches. Nevertheless, one always has to remain aware of erratic human nature even among calculating politicians. Also, in West Virginia and Virginia, family and personal relations that develop over decades are important, often dictate political ideas and responses, and are sometimes difficult to fathom. The average age of a delegate to the West Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1872 was forty-nine years. Four of the delegates were septuagenarians, having been born during or before Thomas Jefferson’s first presidential term. The two oldest were William Guy Brown (72) of Kingwood, Preston County, and Andrew W. McCleary (72) of Van Clevesville, Berkeley County. Hudson M. Dickinson of 340 The Delegates: A Collective Biography 341 Table 13.1 Birth Year, Age, Birthplace, Hometown, and Places Resided outside Virginia of Delegates Birth Other Places Name Year Age Birthplace Hometown Resided Allen, Lewis 1819 53 — Berkeley Springs Armstrong, James D. 1821 51 Romney, Va. Romney Arnett, Ulysses N. 1820 52 — Rivesville Atkinson, John H. 1820 52 Newark, Ohio New Cumberland Louisiana Ohio Bassel, John 1840 32 Clarksburg Clarksburg Pennsylvania Harrison Co., Va. Ohio Bee, Isaiah 1832 50 Doddridge Co., Va. Princeton Ohio Boggs, Charles D. 1837 45 Virginia Franklin Maryland Pennsylvania Brown, William G. 1800 72 Preston Co., Va. Kingwood Byrne, Benjamin W. 1820 52 Ft. Defiance, Va. Braxton Court House Byrnside, James M. 1814 58 Peterstown, Va. Peterstown Calfee, James 1817 55 Pulaski Co., Va. Princeton Campbell, Alexander, Jr. 1831 41 Bethany, Va. Bethany Core, W. G. H. 1827 45 Monongalia Co., Va. St. Marys Crim, J. N. B. 1836 36 Rockingham Co., Va. Elk City Crisswell, Hanson 1834 58 Virginia Moundsville Ohio Cushing, Alonzo M. 1821 62 Fredonia, N.Y. Mercers Bottom New York Ohio Kentucky Davenport, George O. 1841 31 Belmont Co., Ohio Wheeling Ohio New York Dickinson, Hudson M. 1802 70 Nelson Co., Va. Cotton Hill Edmiston, Matthew 1814 67 Little Levels, Weston Pocahontas Co., Va. Farnsworth, D. D. T. 1819 53 Staten Island, N.Y. Buckhannon New York Faulkner, Charles J. 1806 66 Martinsburg, Va. Martinsburg District of Columbia Paris, France New York Massachusetts Ferguson, Charles W. 1829 43 Cabell Co., Va. Wayne Court House Ferrill, Thomas 1820 52 Russell Co., Va. Roxalana Fitzhugh, Nicholas 1824 48 Fauquier Co., Va. Charleston Ohio Gallaher, Joseph W. 1826 46 Roney’s Point, Ohio Moundsville Hagans, J. Marshall 1838 34 Brandonville, Va. Morgantown Massachusetts Hall, Septimus 1847 25 Ritchie Co., Va. New Martinsville Maryland Iowa Harding, J. French 1838 44 Ellicott Mills, Md. New Interest Haymond, Alpheus F. 1823 49 Fairmont, Va. Fairmont Haynes, William 1821 51 Virginia Egypt Hoge, John Blair 1825 47 Richmond, Va. Martinsburg Ohio Holt, Homer A. 1831 41 Parkersburg, Va. Braxton Court House Jackson, Blackwell 1822 50 Harrison Co., Va. Jane Lew Jackson, James M. 1825 47 Parkersburg, Va. Parkersburg New Jersey Johnson, Daniel D. 1836 36 Long Reach, Va. Long Reach Ohio District of Columbia Johnson, Okey 1834 38 Long Reach, Va. Parkersburg Ohio Massachusetts 342 West Virginia’s Civil War–Era Constitution Kantner, Charles 1829 43 Hagerstown, Md. Kingwood Maryland Knight, Edward B. 1834 38 Hancock, N.H. Charleston New Hampshire Leonard, David H. 1839 43 Beaver Co., Pa. Wirt Court House Pennsylvania Lurty...