found Governor Gamble the man for the occasion, and equal to every demand. He was born in Winchester County, Virginia, Nov. 29, 1798, and was of Irish descent. Reaching manhood's estate, he seems to have hesitated to some extent before finally deciding to come to Missouri; for he previ ously, and before attaining his majority, had been admitted to the bar in at least three States. However, in 18 18, he came to St. Louis, but tarried only a short period, owing to the unfavorable outlook for professional success. He chose Old Franklin, then a most attractive spot, and the goal of many lawyers seeking a location. The portion of the State north of the Missouri River then consisted of but two counties, St. Charles and Howard; and the territory embraced in them now forms no less than thirty-six coun ties, the other six counties on that side of the river constituting the subsequently added Platte Purchase. Mr. Gamble soon became Howard County's circuit attorney. In 1824 he was appointed Secretary of State and removed to St. Charles, then the State capi tal. The death of Governor Bates, who had appointed him, which occurred within a few months thereafter, induced Mr. Gamble to resign and to remove to St. Louis. That remained his home through life. He soon rose to the leadership of the bar, and the firm of Bates (Edward) & Gamble was without a superior in the West in all that goes to make an able and successful law partnership. Mr. Gamble's practice con sisted largely of important litigation over land titles, and this soon made him a con spicuous figure in the Supreme Courts, both State and Federal. He first attracted gen eral attention throughout the State by his defence of the impeachment proceedings against Judge Carr before the State Senate in 1832-1 833, in which he appeared with Henry S. Geyer. He was a member of the Revising Session of the General Assembly in 1845, and in 1851, by a practically unani mous vote, was elected a judge of the Su preme Court, and became its chief-justice by
the choice of his associates, Judges Scott and Ryland. As each of these had had previous service on the bench, their action in selecting Judge Gamble implied a great compliment and a recognition of pre-eminent merit. In 1854 he resigned his position, owing to the onerous nature of its duties. His opinions are learned, and display great labor and research in their preparation. Upon his retirement from the bench, he re sumed the practice of his profession. When the Secession movement took substantial form, the Legislature, composed largely of members favoring measures to that end, pro vided for the election of a convention for the declared purpose of considering the relations of the State to the General Government. If the real design was to bring about the pas sage of a seceding ordinance, the result frustrated it; for the efforts of the Union party were successful in procuring the elec tion of a large majority of their candidates to the convention. Judge Gamble became chairman of its committee on Federal Rela tions. During a recess Governor Jackson and a portion of the Legislature undertook to proclaim the State out of the Union, and crossed into Confederate territory. The Convention was at once called together for the purpose of organizing a provisional State government strongly pledged to maintain the State in the Union. That body con tained many men then and since prominent in every department of public life. Among them, in addition to Judge Gamble, were John B. Henderson, afterward United States Senator; Sterling Price, ex-governor and subsequently a prominent Confederate gen eral; Willard P. Hall, who had been a member of Congress and became lieutenantgovernor; Robert M. Stewart, formerly gov ernor; Gen. A. W. Doniphan; William A. Hall, who had been a member of Congress and -circuit judge; John F. Philips, after ward a member of Congress, a Supreme Court Commissioner, presiding justice of the Kansas City Court of Appeals, and now judge of the United States District Court
