Historical souvenir of Greenville, Illinois : being a ... - University Library

Mrs. Abraham McXeili., Hcccu sccl.
Who was a resident of Greenvilliand
vicinity for 65 years. A native
of Virginia.
The Bench and Bar
BV FOKMER LiKL'TEiNA.ST GO\ tRNOR W.
A. N'ORTHCOTT.
BOND COUNTY was organized by
an act of the territorial legislature
passed January 4, 1S17, and
at that time extended as far north
as the Wisconsin line and was one
of the fifteen counties comprising
the territory of Illinois at the time
of its admission as a state.
The first court was held June 30,
1S17, at Hill's Station, a fort on
Shoal Creek about eight miles southwest
of Greenville. Judge Jesse B.
Thomas, afterward United States
Senator from Illinois, presided. The
legal business of the county from
this date until about 1837 was conducted
by visiting lawyers, and no
record can be found or tradition given
of any resident attorney. In
1838 Judge M. G. Dale, then a
young attorney, located in Greenville
and remained until a short
time prior to the war. when he removed
to Edwardsville, and continued
practice until his death in
1896. He was a remarkable man
in many respects, and one who retained
during his entire life the respect
and good will of the people of
both Bond and JIadison counties.
He always dreaded to speak in
public and was not strong as an
advocate before a jury, but as county
judge, at different times in each of
these counties, he was a strong
judge of law and a most impartial,
upright official. He was a very
Historical Souvenir of Greenville, Illinois.
active man, continuing in practice
up to the time of his death.
James M. Davis, the next resident
lawyer of the Bond county bar was
a man of fiery eloquence and his
particular delight was in presenting
a case to the jury or in making a
liolitical speech in the public forum.
Ill 1.S49 he went to Vandalia to take
a position in connection with i
Inited States land office, afterwards
removing to Hillsboro, where he was
the tutor and benefactor of Congressman
Ed Lane, who read law
under him and who received his law
library as a legacy. Until the beginning
of the war Mr. Davis was
an active Whig, but at that time
became a Democrat and a radical
sympathizer with the rebellion. He
was a man of considerable talent
and great social qualities.
At the beginning of 1S50 the following
were resident lawyers of
Greenville and members of the Bond
county bar: Cornelius Lansing.
Elam Rust, Tevis Greathouse, Judge
S. P. Moore and Samuel Stevenson.
Of these Judge Moore continued his
residence the longer in Greenville,
not removing until during the war
or shortly thereafter. Tevis Greathouse
was a man of much more than
ordinary ability, fond of literature
and an omniverous reader. After
leaving Greenville, he practiced law
until his death, in Vandalia.
Between 1855 and 1S60 many
new additions were made to the
membership of the bar the most notable
being the enrollment of Salmon
A. Phelps, who can very appropriately
be called its nestor. Judge
Phelps was admitted to the bar in
Mississippi in 1841 and moved to
Pocahontas, Bond county, in 1S44,
living on a farm but practicing law
.\iiK.\H.\M McXeill, Sr.,
65
One of the stockholders of the Vandalia
Railroad, former banker, and
a resident of Greenville -10 years.
both before justices of the peace and
the courts of record at Greenville
until 1855, when he moved to the
county seat and was actively engaged
in practice up to a few years
ago. From the years 1859 to 1879
he and his sons had the bulk of the
civil business of the county bar.
Judge Phelps never liked the criminal
practice and while he was frequently
retained in the defense of
cases, yet it was always distasteful
to him. His honorable conduct,
strict integrity, and disposition to
discourage litigation has left Its
impress upon the younger members
R|:^iiii;nci;