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77/t' Supreme Court of Appeals of Virginia. his county-men with a warmth which might be envied by any one. He came back with a greatly increased reputation; but while others might admire him for his talents and high character, they felt a just pride in him as one who had shed an additional lustre on the old county, and was in every way worthy to occupy the residence of the distinguished Randolph. Settling

upon his magnificent estate, he devoted a good deal of his time to its cultivation, but continued to practise his profession in the county of Charlotte and the adjoining countiesof Halifax and Mecklenburg. His services were eagerly sought by clients, and attorneys made haste to employ him in cases of importance. His country life and strong constitution, however, enabled him to fulfil the duties of his dual occupation of planter and lawyer. As a law yer Mr. Bouldin was a model. He was learned, painstaking, WILLIAM and equally at home in chancery or nisi-prins practice. He was always able in his argu ments, and often very eloquent in his ad dresses to the jury. So conspicuously fair was he as a practitioner that it could be said of him that he might be trusted to draw a bill of exceptions, and he would set forth the evidence so fairly that the opposing counsel would find no occasion to correct it. His integrity and high bearing in his profession came to be elements of great strength in his influence over courts and juries. It was hard, for the latter especially, to believe that Mr. Bouldin would advocate the wrong side, and

he won many a verdict upon his reputation for honesty in his profession. He was of the most genial temperament, and one of the most charming of companions, full of animal spirits, and entertaining and instructive in all that he said. When the political storm of 1861 burst upon Virginia, she instinctively looked around for her ablest and most trust worthy citizens as her leaders. The county of Charlotte, with won derful unanimity, se lected Wood Bouldin as its member of the convention which was called to determine the course which the State would take after the secession of South Carolina. Mr. Bouldin had always been a member of the Whig party, and had never given in to the views of Mr. Calhoun and his followers. In his ad dress to the people of Charlotte, previous to the election, he insisted that Virginia should never leave the Union until she had tried in every way to settle the difference between T. JOY.NES the different sections. As a member of the convention he refused to vote for the ordi nance of secession until President Lincoln had called upon Virginia to furnish troops for the invasion of her sister Southern States. Then it was, with the great majority of the convention, that he determined that Virginia should cast her lot with the Southern Con federacy. The people of Charlotte sent Mr. Bouldin to the Legislature during the war, and he was one of the trusted leaders of that body. After the surrender oí General Lee at Apponiattox, Mr. Bouldin did not spend his