He lived at Booneville, where his children were born. I-John Adams, b. Feb. 3, 1841; d. St. Louis, June 10, 1891. Ill., Apr. 27, 1895. V-Harriet Eliza Adams, b. Jan. 13, 1851; d. Feb. 18, 1872. Mo., July 28, 1882. IV-Elisha Brown Adams, son of Washington Adams, married, Mizpah Church, St. Louis county, Missouri, September 7, 1875, Leila Eliza Lackland, daughter of Judge James Ransom Lackland, and Mary Downton Southern, of Danville, Kentucky. She lives. in the city of St. Louis. Issue: I-Elisha Brown Adams, b. Booneville, Dec. 27, 1876. III-Washington Adams, b. Jacksonville, Ill., Dec. 22, 1887. VI-James Brown Adams, son of Washington Adams, married, Pilot Grove, Cooper county, Missouri, June 25, 1879, Jane Lee Finney, born St. Louis, September 25, 1858, daughter of William Harper Finney, born St. Louis, February 14, 1835, died Kansas City, June 15, 1899, and Sallie Smith Buckner, born Richmond, Virginia, November 5, 1835, died Lamar, Missouri, August 27, 1888. Issue: Washington Adams, b. Booneville, June, 1880. Lives in Springfield, Mo. XIV-Susan J. Adams, daughter of Sarah Boyle, married, Howard county, Missouri, November 3, 1835, William Gaw, born August 17, 1806, died May 15, 1849. They had several children. No other data. Ch. J. BOYLE. III-John Boyle, son of Major John Boyle, was with his father at Boonesborough during the siege of that fort in August, 1778. Shortly thereafter, the family lived on a farm near Cove Spring, but the father soon transferred that tract to Jeremiah Tilford, and removed to a farm near Estill station. All these habitations were within the county of Kentucky, and when that county was carved into three, within Lincoln county, Virginia; but in 1785, the General Assembly formed Madison and Mercer counties, named after two illustrious patriots, when Cove Spring was left in Mercer, and the new home in Madison. And, having later removed to Paint Lick, the latter county was, in 1796, divided and Paint Lick became part of the new county of Garrard. In these several homes John Boyle grew up. Of his childhood, little is known, "but, like other sons of pioneers, he witnessed the most strenuous and romantic scenes in Kentucky history, and inhaled their strengthening influences. In that day college education was impossible in Kentucky," and those who advanced in learning, had to improve such limited opportunities as came within reach. When six or seven years old, John accompanied the elder children to a neighborhood school taught by a peripatetic Irishman. His intellectual powers had not been exercised in acquiring the abstract knowledge conveyed in print, and while the faithful teacher labored diligently for many weeks, to inculcate the primary lessons of the books, John was unable to fix his attention sufficiently to learn the alphabet. The custom of that primitive period was for the teacher to board around, and while taking his turn at boarding with Major Boyle, he deemed it his duty to report to the father the fact of the lad's mental torpor. The others were bright, and as intelligent as the neighbors' children, but John seemed incapable of learning, and it was but a waste of time and money to keep him at school. "Here for two months of patient effort, he had tried to teach him by every means, yet John had not learned a letter, nor a figure." "But the father, with whom John was a favorite, exploded at this harsh conclusion, and vehemently asserting his confidence in the child's capacity, said he should continue to attend the school. Unknown to the elders, John overheard the criticism of the teacher and the strenuous defense of the father," which vibrated on some slumbering chord in his memory, and awakened his dormant powers. At school the next day, when called to receive his lesson, he surprised the teacher by repeating the alphabet, and multiplication table, and it soon transpired that he could repeat many of the lessons taught to the older children in his presence, and unconsciously impressed upon his mind. "Although his opportunities for scholastic instruction were limited, his early education was excellent, and his knowledge of what he had studied, thorough. Under the instruction of Samuel Finley, a pious Presbyterian minister, of Madison county, he acquired the rudiments of Greek and Latin, and the most useful of the sciences. With that splendid foundation, he continued the study of these branches, and became one of the most proficient scholars of that day in classics and mathematics. So remarkably well versed was he in the classics, that Dr. Blackburn, the first president of Centre College, said that John Boyle was one of the best Latin scholars he had ever known, and rivalled old Dr. Mason of New York in the extent of his classic reading." "Notwithstanding that his father possessed land, slaves and other property, he was not unaccustomed to labor. Nature gave him primarily a mind and body exceedingly strong and robust, and he grew into manhood, possessed of unusual mental and physical power." He studied law under Thomas T. Davis, then a member of Congress, who lived in Mercer county. For his convenience, while reading with Davis, young Boyle was received as a boarder in the family of Jeremiah Tilford, who lived upon the farm that formerly belonged to Major Boyle. Being admitted to the bar, he began to practice in Lancaster. Soon after, "in 1797, he married Elizabeth, the beautiful and cultured daughter" of his late. host. He built a double log cabin, in which they began housekeeping (page 136). His groomsman was the celebrated Joseph Hamilton Daveiss (usually misspelled Daviess), who afterwards, as United States District Attorney, was the first prosecutor for treason of Aaron Burr. He was killed at Tippecanoe. Daviess developed a prodigious genius, and many thought he might, had he lived, contest with Mr. Clay the highest palm of oratory. A family anecdote relates that he, too, was attracted by the Tilford girls, but was so diffident that he could not summon sufficient courage to cross the style where he sat during his visits. He married a sister of Chief Justice John Marshall. The Tilford house stood on land now crossed by the line dividing Boyle and Mercer counties, which at an early day Major Boyle acquired by exchange for forty acres surrounding its attractive spring, a tract situated elsewhere, of eleven hundred acres. Afterwards he sold that farm, then embracing several hundred acres, to Jeremiah Tilford. When the latter died his son-in-law, Judge Boyle, purchased the place, and upon his death, his brotherin-law, Robert Tilford, bought it. The latter was born there in 1788, and after its purchase lived there until his death, in 1873. Boyle lived in his first house until 1802, when he removed to a farm near Lancaster, living there until 1811, then removing to another tract in that county. "He lived in cabins," says Robertson in his Scrap Book. In 1814 he removed to Mercer county. As was the custom of the early bar, he followed the circuit and acquired a respectable practice. His uncommon memory retained the names and many personal facts relating to those whom he met, and when he offered for Congress, in 1802, it is said he could familiarly address by his first name, nearly every voter in the district and ask descriptio personae about the members of his family. He was chosen, as also to the next two succeeding Congresses, invariably without opposition. It is said that at one election the noble old governor, Isaac Shelby, offered himself as a candidate, and commenced an active canvass. Finding that Boyle was invincible, even against the prestige of his own fame and lofty character, the old hero withdrew from the contest, and gave loyal support to his friendly competitor. Boyle was a Jeffersonian Democrat, and was first elected in the middle of Jefferson's first term. His character soon became known to the House. At his second term, he was placed on the Committee of Ways and Means, always the most important of its committees. He was ever active, influential and dignified. In 1804, the impeachment of Samuel Chase, an associate Justice of the Supreme Court, being resolved, the House, by ballot, chose Boyle as one of the impeachers, who were led by Randolph of Roanoke. In early times travel from Kentucky eastward was almost wholly on horseback. The congressmen usually rode in company, the intervening country being sparsely settled. On one trip Boyle had a spirited steed. One frosty morning, in the act of mounting, the fractious animal threw him upon a slivered limb, which penetrated his body. With difficulty his companions withdrew the horrible lance, and applied water, their only available remedy, to the wound. No surgeon was near, but these were men of experience and courage, with a practical capacity to treat wounds, not ordinarily found among statesmen. After a delay of but one day, in relieving the fever, the whole party, Boyle included, proceeded on its way. In 1807, Mr. Jefferson tendered him the office of Justice of the United States Supreme Court, but Boyle modestly declined it.1 The pay of a congressman at that period was small. Boyle found that the support of his growing family required more than his official income, and notwithstanding the flattering testimonial of a fourth nomination by unanimous vote, he declined it. "President Madison, among his earliest official acts, and unsolicited, appointed him governor of Illinois, one of the most responsible, important and lucrative of all federal appointments. This alluring offer was accepted by Mr. Boyle, but only conditionally. On his return to Kentucky he was tendered a * * * seat upon the bench of the Court of Appeals. Although the salary of an Appellate Judge was only $1,000, and the duties onerous, his attachment to Kentucky triumphed over his ambition, and pecuniary interests, and he took his seat upon the Appellate bench April 4, 1809. Ninian Edwards, then Chief Justice, solicited and obtained the abdicated governorship of Illinois. The next year, Mr. Boyle was promoted to the Chief Justiceship, the responsible duties of which he faithfully discharged to the time of his resignation," November 8, 1826. "At the time of his appointment he was thirty-five years old, and still growing to the maturity of his powers. In personal appearance, he was attractive rather than imposing. He was about 5 feet 8 inches tall, rather heavily built, inclining to stoutness in later years, with regular and very expressive features, and dark brown eyes and hair. His manner is said to have been charmingly modest, and his talk simple and delightful." "Then began for him a career of distinguished usefulness in 1 Robertson's Scrap Book, 113. |