A forward fron another Mail List. wanda > Date: Fri, 03 Aug 2007 07:07:04 -0500 > To: [email protected] > From: Sandi Gorin <[email protected]> > Subject: [KYBIOS] BIO #10926 - JAMES BENNETT McCREARY -MADISON CO > > > NOTE: I have no connection, no further information and am not seeking > additional information. > > 10926 MADISON CO - HON. JAMES BENNETT McCREARY - McCreary, Bennett, > Harrison, Barr, Crawford, Brag, Morgan, Breckinridge, Hughes, Harlin > > #10926: Kentucky Genealogy and Biography, Volume V, Battle - Perrin - > Kniffin, 4th ed. Madison Co. > > HON. JAMES BENNETT McCREARY was born July 8, 1838, in Madison County, Ky., > and is a son of Dr. E. R. and Sabrina (Bennett) McCreary, also born in > Madison County. Dr. E. R. McCreary was born in 1803; received his education > in the best schools of Kentucky and his medical education at Jefferson > College, Philadelphia. He entered practice at Richmond, Ky., where he had a > large and lucrative practice. He accumulated a large fortune, but in his > latter years turned his attention to agricultural pursuits in his native > county. He was a Democrat, earnest and active all of his life. He died in > 1874, a respected and honored citizen. He was a son of James McCreary, who > came from Virginia as early as 1785, and settled in Madison County. He was > one of the patriots of 1812, and participated in Gen. Harrison's campaign. > He married Mary Barr and the issue by this marriage was one son and one > daughter. Dr. Charles McCreary, a brother of James McCreary, represented > Ohio County in the Kentucky Legislature as early as 1809. From that time to > the present the family has been one of the most active and prominent > families of the State and its members have filled nearly all its offices > from county clerk to that of governor, reflecting honor and credit upon > their constituents. John McCreary, the great-grandfather of Gov. McCreary, > was born in Ireland, where he met Nancy Crawford, a daughter of the > distinguished gentleman of Dublin. Their marriage being opposed they were > married in the presence of a few friends and fled to America, landing in > Baltimore in 1767, where five sons and four daughters were born. One son > settled in Virginia, one in Pennsylvania, one in Indiana, and the other two > south. From these spring many leading and influential families. At the age > of eighteen James B. M cCreary graduated with high honors from Centre > College, Danville, Ky. He chose the law for his profession, and, after a > full course of reading, graduated from the law college of the University of > Tennessee, at Lebanon, and was the valedictorian of the class of 1847. He > at once opened an office in Richmond and entered upon practice, rose > rapidly and became one of the ablest advocates at the bar. Although engaged > in the practice of law, he has been more or less engaged in agricultural > pursuits. He is the owner of large landed estates in Madison and Fayette > Counties, Ky., and a large cotton plantation near Selma, Ala. At the > beginning of the war, although deeply regretting the circumstances which > brought about that unhappy conflict between the North and South, when > forced to take sides he chose the South and assisted in raising a regiment > for the Confederate service, of which he was elected Major. Subsequently he > became lieutenant-colonel of the Eleventh Kentucky Cavalry and continued in > this position until the close of the war, serving with distinction under > Gens. Bragg and Morgan in the West and toward the close of the war under > Gen. Breckinridge, in Virginia. When the surrender came he accepted the > result in good faith, returned to his home and resumed his former > occupation. He married, June 12, 1867, Miss Katie Hughes, daughter of > Thomas Hughes, of Fayette County, a prominent and leading agriculturist and > owner of thoroughbred cattle and horses. The issue of this marriage was one > son, Robert H. McCreary. Prior to 1869, James B. McCreary had acted as > delegate to the Democratic National Convention and was elected presidential > elector and in the same year, although not aspiring to political position, > he was elected without opposition to represent Madison County in the lower > branch of the Kentucky Legislature and was twice re-elected. From the time > of taking his seat in the Legislature, he developed a remarkable talent as > a presiding officer, being often called during his first term to the > speaker's chair pro tem. After serving his first term he was elected > speaker in 1871, also in 1873, and during the entire four years no appeal > was taken from his decisions. Such was his familiarity with all points and > bearings of parliamentary law, and such his skill in the management of the > legislative body over which he presided, that he received ecomiums from old > legislators and prominent men. Having served six years with distinction, > gaining an enviable popularity over the State, he designed returning to the > practice of his profession; but the Democratic Convention in May, 1875, > nominated him as their candidate for governor and he made the race against > a very popular Republican, Gen. John M. Harlin, and, after an active > canvass, was elected by a large majority and received the largest vote ever > cast for any candidate for any office in the State. He performed the duties > of governor of Kentucky with ability and conscientious devotion to the best > interests of the commonwealth, unsurpassed by any of his predecessors, and > was clear headed, comprehensive, just, conservative, yet liberal and > far-sighted in all his views of public policy, constantly siding with the > demands of genuine progress; blessed with a robust constitution and an iron > will he was enabled to accomplish an amount of official work and could > stand more mental and physical labor than any of his predecessors in > office. Although an ex-Confederate and the first who had ever been elected > governor of a State which remained in the Union during the war, he has > always favored restoration of fraternal feeling between the sections. In > his inaugural address and his first biennial message to the General > Assembly, he recommended the hearty participation of Kentucky in the > centennial celebration and exposition at Philadelphia, not only as a means > of bringing the vast resources of the State before the world, but also as a > fitting occasion for the development of fraternal feeling between people of > all sections. In his inaugural he said: "I wish to see the records of > secession, coercion and reconstruction filed away forever and the people of > the whole country earnestly advocating peace and reconciliation and all > looking to the Constitution as a guarantee of our liberties and the > safeguard of every citizen." Gov. McCreary's administration was one of the > most popular of any the State has had. His people put him forward as their > candidate for Congress in 1884, and he was elected by a large majority and > re-elected in 1886. The fact that he was elected in 1884 by 1,836 majority > and in 1888 by 3,346 majority is an excellent indication of his popularity. > > SCKY Archives: > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index?list=south-central-kentucky > Barren Co Archives: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index?list=kybarren > Sandi's Genealogical Puzzlers: > http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gensoup/gorin/puz.html > GGP: http://ggpublishing.tripod.com/ > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >