3'-
\'IRr,lXIA BIOGRAPHY
Leake, William Josiah, born in Gooch-
land count}-, X'irginia, September 30, 1S43,
son of Samuel D. Leake, and Fannie M.
Kean, his wife. He attended home schools,
and St. George Tucker's school at Ashland,
\irginia, leaving the latter at the beginning
of the civil war. In July, 1861, he became
a non-commissioned officer in the company
of artillery commanded by Captain Walter
D. Leake, with which he served until 1862,
when he was transferred to another com-
pany, and again, in 1863, to a battery under
Col. J. H. Guy. He served with the latter
until the close of the war, taking part in the
second battle of Manassas, Fredericksburg,
Fort Harrison, and around Richmond. In
1867 he engaged in the practice of law in
Richmond and Hanover county. In 1890
he was appointed judge of the chancery
court to fill a vacancy, and for a number of
years he served as commissioner in chan-
cery, and special master in both Federal and
state courts. He afforded valuable aid to
the Asylum for the Insane, of which he was
a director.
Ranson, Thomas Davis, born at "Home- stead House," near Charlestown, Jefferson county, Virginia, May ig, 1843, son of James M. Ranson and Mary Eleanor Baldwin, his wife. The Ranson ancestor (Ransone) traces back to Peter Ransone (q. v.), who was the first settler in the present Mathews county, Virginia. He attended Jacob Ful- ler's classical school, and in 1859 entered Washington College, at Lexington, Virginia. In April, 1861, he was at the capture of Harper's Ferry, then enlisted as a private in Company C, Second Regiment, X'irj^inia Infantry, "Stonewall" Jackson's brigade. was promoted to sergeant-major; later was
transferred to Company I, Fifty-second
Regiment N'irginia Infantry, and was elect-
ed lieutenant; he was wounded at Cross
Keys, and on recovery joined Baylor's com-
pany of the Twelfth X'irginia Regiment of
Cavalry, serving in 18(13-64 in charge of
scouts in the secret service department with
captain's pay, reporting to Generals Stuart
and Lee. He also served Generals Ed-
ward Johnson and William L. Jackson as
aide. He was captured inside the Union
lines, narrowly escaping death as a spy, and
spent the last months of the war in military
prisons, refusing to take the oath of allegi-
ance, and was held two months after the
surrender. From 1865 until 1867 he en-
gaged in farming, at the same time pursuing
a course of legal study, then entered the law
department of the University of Pennsyl-
vania, graduated in 1868, and began prac-
tice. In 1873 he was appointed law inspec-
tor for the Baltimore & Ohio railroad, and
has been counsel for many American and
European corporations, including the Tide-
water Railway Company, of which he was
vice-president. He was visitor to the Insti-
tution for the Deaf, Dumb and Blind; a
trustee of Washington and Lee University ;
trustee of the Virginia Female Institute r
president of the Young Men's Christian As-
sociation of Staunton ; president of the Vir-
ginia Young Men's Christian Association ;
president of Washington and Lee Alumni
Association ; president of the Staunton and
Augusta .Mumni Association of the Univer-
sity of \'irginia ; member of the Staunton
cuniinon council; ])rcsi(k'nt of the .^tauntnn
Clianiber of Commerce; lieutenant-com-
mander of Grand Camj) of Virginia, United
Confederate W'terans ; commander of the
local camp of the same order; and vice-
