Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 3.djvu/349

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PROMINENT PERSONS


305


ar\-." and was burned in the court-hcuse yard in Lynchburg, by order of Gen. Alfred H. Terry. Her publications include "Flow- ers of Hope and Memory,'" "Corinth and Other Poems of the War," ".\ Christmas I'oem for Children," "Richmond: Her Glory and Her Graves," and "Useful Maxims for a Nol)Ie Life."

Duncan, James Armstrong, burn at Nor- folk. \'irginia. .April 14. 1830, son of David Duncan, professor of ancient languages at Randolph-Macon College. He graduated fiom Randolph-Macon College in 1849, and jomed the Virginia conference of the Meth- odist church ; was pastor of the Broad Street I'hurch, at Richmond, Virginia, during the civil war, and throughout this period ])re- SLTvcd a conservative attitude, never per- iiitting politics to enter into his religious ('iscussions, and endeavoring in every way, ater the struggle, to promote good feeling between the sections. He was president of F..andolph-Macon College from 1868 until his death, at Ashland, A'irginia, September

- :,. 1877.

Hanson, Poindexter Smith, born in ]^""lu- vanna county, Virginia, December 7, 1831 ; graduated at Richmond College in 1848, and at the LTniversity of Virginia in 1851. He laught in Milton. North Carolina, for two

ears, also studying law and editing a

weekly paper. He was professor of natural science in the Chowan Female College at Murfreesborough, North Carolina, for two years. After beginning the practice of the law in his native county, he was ordained as minister of the Baptist church in Flu- vanna, in February, 1856. and he also con- (lucted a female seminary while there. On December 2"], 1867, he became pastor of the viR-20


f'road Street Church in Philadelphia, which ht left in 1867 to organize the Memorial Church, where he gathered the largest Prot- estant congregation in that city. Dr. Hen- scm was editor of the "Baptist Teacher." In 1878 he declined the presidency of Lewisburg University.

Fishback, William Meade, born in JelTer- sonton, Culpeper county, \'irginia, Novem- ber 5, 1831, son of Frederick Fishback and Sophie Yates, his wife. His paternal grand- father, Martin Fishback, a revolutionary soldier, was descended from John Fishback, one of the German miners settled by Gov. Spotswood at Germanna. in \'irginia, and from Agnes Haeger, his wife, daughter of Rev. John Henry Haeger, parson of the colony. His maternal grandfather was Col. ^^'illiam Yates, of Petersburg, Virginia. He received his early education at the schools of his native village and vicinity, subsequently entering the University of \'irginia. After his graduation in 1855, he studied law in the office of Luther Spellman, of Richmond, and was admitted to the bar \\ 1858. His first venture in law practice was in 1858, while on an extended visit to Illinois. Here he became acquainted with Abraham Lincoln, who, entrusted to him some important legal business. In 1858 Mr. Fishback took up a permanent residence at Fort Smith, Arkansas, where he engaged in the practice of his profession. Meanwhile Lincoln, with oflfers of other business, urged him to return to Illinois, which, however, he c(id not do, preferring the Arkansas climate. In 1861 he was elected delegate to the state convention which passed the ordinance of secession. Although so pronounced a L^nion man that the secession press of Ar-