VIRGINIA BIOGRArilY
Minor; in early life, in order to recuperate
his health, he took a long horseback jour-
ney through the state of Virginia, acting in
the capacity of a newspaper agent and col-
lector, and then went afoot to Ohio, where
he e,ntered Kenyon College; subsequently
h.- walked through Ohio and New York, for
health and recreation, and after reaching
home, entered the University of Virginia,
in January, 1831. where he was a student
for three sessions, graduating in several
schools, and receiving the r.achelor of Laws
degree in 1834; he began law practice at
Buchanan, Botetourt county, Virginia, and
six years later removed to Charlottesville,
where he formed a partnership with his
brother Lucian, who was afterward profes-
sor of law in William and Mary College;
he was called to the chair of law in the Uni-
versity of Virginia, in 1845, and was the
sole teacher in that department until 185 1 ;
upon the appointment of James P. Holcombe
as adjunct professor of constitutional an'^l
international law, mercantile law and equity,
I'rofessor Minor's subjects became common
and statute law, and in these branches he
became distinguished as an author as well
as a teacher ; out of his class work grew his
monumental "Institutes of Common and
Statute Law;" the first and second volumes
o! the work were i)ublished in 1875, and
the fourth volume in 1878, while the third
volume, which had long been used in i)am-
phlet form by Professor Minor's pupils, was
first published in its completeness, in two
parts, in 1895; Professor Minor began a
summer course of law lectures, in 1870, and
his is believed to have been the first sum-
mer law school in the country ; this became
widely popular, drawing to the university
in a single session upwards of a hundred
students; as a teacher he was regarded with
peculiar affection, his personal interest in
his pupils being fervent and sincere, and he
made it his constant endeavor to develop
their character as well as to impart instruc-
tion ; his lectures were characterized by ex-
traordinary clearness of statement and felic-
ity of language and illustration, and he was
peculiarly skillful in his questions to test
accuracy of knowledge on the part of his
auditors ; he continued his work to the time
of his death, July 29. 1895, a period of fifty
years ; in recognition of his eminent attain-
ments, he received the honorary degree of
Doctor of Laws from Washington and Lee
University, and from Columbia University ;
he published, in 1850, "The Virginia Re-
ports," 1799-1800; and in 1894, an elaborate
work, "Exposition of the Law of Crimes
and Punishments." which is in general use
in the United States; on the fiftieth anni-
versary of his entrance upon his career as a
teacher of the law, and shortly before his
death, was presented to the university by the
Ir.w alumni, a fine life-size marble bust of
th.e distinguished man. mounted upon a
polished pedestal bearing these impressive
words : "He taught the law and the reason
thereof ;" he was a communicant of the Pro-
testant Episcopal church for more than
four decades, lived an ideal Christian life.
served as superintendent of a Sunday school
o! slaves, and for a long period also taught
a Sunday morning Bible class composed of
students, whose last meetings were in their
revered teacher's study, after he was unable
to walk to the lecture room.
Cabell, James Lawrence, born in Nelson county. \'irginia. August 2Ck 1813. son of Dr. George Cabell. Jr.. and great-grandson
