ruary 26, 1867, unanimously confirmed by the senate collector of the sixth district, on motion of Senator B. Gratz Brown, of Missouri. In 1868 he again resumed the practice of law in Richmond, entering into co-partnership with his brother, Judge J. E. Black. In 1870 he was elected, as a democrat, mayor of the city of Richmond. He has served as member of the city council five years, having been first elected in 1874. In the fall of 1876, he was appointed mayor of Richmond by the city council, Vice William S. Seymour, resigned, and served till April, 1877. He has been a director of Richmond College since 1879; and since the fall of that year president of the board of directors. Colonel Black strongly opposed secession, and was a firm advocate of the Union. He deplored the necessity of civil war, clearly foreseeing its desolating results; yet he was of the opinion that secession was wrong, and if successfully accomplished would weaken and ultimately ruin a nation, which, united, is the most prosperous and powerful on the globe; hence, he was for maintaining the Union, even at the cost of internecine conflict. While in the general assembly during the winter of 1865-66, a bill was introduced by the member from Caldwell, for the purpose of changing the northern boundary of Ray county, and depriving it of all the land in townships fifty-four, commonly known as the "six mile strip." The bill, through the exertions of himself and his colleague, Hon. John Grimes, was defeated. In 1872, he was secretary of the democratic central committee and in the fall of that year, received the support of the Ray county delegates for congress. Colonel Black has been married three times. His first marriage was with Miss Joey H. Nisbet, of Ray county, a native of Armagh county, Ireland, May 28, 1857. His first wife, who was a lady of exceeding grace, culture and refinement, died October 3, 1860. June 15, 1863, he married Miss Florence E. Menefee, of Booneville, Missouri, an accomplished lady, who died January 29, 1866. His third marriage, October 15, 1874, was with Miss Sue T. Child, of Richmond, a native of Philadelphia, but for several years a resident of Richmond, Virginia. She was in the latter city most of the time, while it was beleaguered by the Federal forces. In 1864, she succeeded in getting through the lines, and passing up the valley of Virginia, via Winchester and Martinsburg, reached Philadelphia in March, 1864. She is a sister of Hon. Jacob T. Child, editor of the Richmond Conservator, and is an intelligent, amiable and affectionate lady, attractive in person, and refined in manners. Colonel Black has two children living, issue of his first marriage, viz: James Black, a promising young man in his twenty-first year, who has recently graduated first in class of which he was chosen valedictorianfrom the State University, at Columbia, Missouri; and Mary G. O. Black, who lives with her uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Maitland, of Ray county. The only child of the second marriage, Henry

Menefee Black, died in 1866. Colonel Black is a member of the Presbyterian Church. James W. Black has had a somewhat varied experience in life, but in every way an upright, useful and honorable one. Himself a ripe scholar, a warm-hearted, public spirited gentleman, he has ever been the active, ardent and faithful friend of education, religion, and of every enterprise looking to the betterment of his friends and neighbors, or to the promotion of the general welfare.

DAVID H. QUESENBERRY.

A native of Virginia, born in Fauquier county, December 20, 1805. In his infancy, his parents moved to Barren county, Kentucky, of course, taking him with them. In 1834 Mr. Quesenberry removed to Lafayette county, Missouri, and the following year to Richmond, Ray county, where he has ever since resided. He has lived in Richmond more than forty-six years, continuously, and has been a resident of the town longer than any other person now living. Mr. Quesenberry has long enjoyed the respect, confidence, and esteem of his fellow-citizens. He was six years deputy clerk of the county court of Ray county; for about three years postmaster of Richmond, and filled the office of justice of the peace over twenty-five years. He was married October 9, 1828, to Miss Lucinda Warder, of Barren county, Kentucky. They were neighbors from infancy. They have only one child living, Mary Ann, born July 28, 1829, in Barren county, Kentucky, who became the wife of the late Honorable Aaron H. Conrow, of Richmond. John Zacheus, born July 4, 1836, died in infancy. He and his wife are members of the M. E. Church South, and are consistent, exemplary Christians. Their earthly labors must soon have ceased, but they will continue to live in the hearts of a host of friends.

BENJAMIN J. BROWN.

Benjamin Johnson Brown was born in Franklin county, Kentucky, December 9, 1807. He lived in that state till about the age of twentyfive, and then, in 1832, moved to Missouri, and settled in Ray county, of which he was one of the pioneers. When he reached Richmond there were only three or four houses in the town, and the county was sparsely settled. He was here to encounter the inconveniences and hardships of pioneer life, and lived to enjoy the comforts, growth, and development of the county in after years. To this improvement no man contributed more than the subject of this sketch. Always enterprising and liberal, of an open, generous disposition, and a warm heart, he was ever ready to aid in all enterprises calculated to benefit his town, County, or state. He gathered rapidly and gave with a liberal hand, and was never known to turn his back upon any meritorious enterprise or object. There were but few

men who shared so largely the confidence of the people. He was four different times elected by the people of his county to the office of sheriff— twice without opposition. He was also twice elected to the office of state senator from his district, and was president of the senate at the time of his death. These and many other positions of public trust were bestowed upon him by his fellow-citizens, the duties of all which he discharged with promptness and fidelity. At the outbreaking of the civil war, Colonel Brown espoused the cause of the south, and became a gallant soldier in the Confederate army. He ranked as colonel, and commanded a regiment at the battle of Springfield, Missouri, in which he lost his life, August 10, 1861, while leading a charge upon one of the columns of the enemy. From the position of the enemy the charge was, of necessity, somewhat protracted, and when killed, Colonel Brown was some thirty yards in advance of his forces, making observations with a view to triumphant onslaught. At the time of his death he was a member of the Christian Church at Richmond. Colonel Brown was twice married. The first time to a Mrs Moon, of Richmond, Missouri, by whom he had five children, as follows: Thomas J., of Gallatin, Missouri; Mariah F., wife of James S. DeMasters, of Richmond; Susan J., of Waverly, Missouri; Rơ Ann, wife of James P. Kiger, of Richmond, and Alice J., wife of B. F. McCord, of Waverly, Missouri. His second marriage, December 15, 1845, was with Miss Mary Ann White, who was born August 28, 1825, in Scott county, Kentucky. About the year 1840, she moved with her mother (her father, David B. White, having died in Kentucky), to Clay county, Missouri, and subsequently settled permanently in Richmond, where her marriage with Colonel Brown was solemnized. She survives her husband, and with her son, Walter W. Brown, is keeping house in Richmond, at her beautiful home in the northern part of the city. The issue of Colonel Brown's second marriage is seven children, two of whom are deceased. The living are: Mary L., wife of Wesley Allison, of Lawson, Ray county; William T., of Lawson; Benjamin J., Walter W. and Emily Oliver, wife of Rev. James Elmore Dunn, of Plattsburg, Missouri. Walter W. Brown, who lives with his mother, was born May 26, 1858, in Ray county. He received his education at Richmond College. When seventeen years of age he engaged with J. W. Harrison, of Richmond, Missouri, to learn the trade of harnessmaker. After working with Mr. Harrison about five years, he accepted a situation with Dan T. Duval, of Richmond, with whom he is yet engaged. Mr. Brown is a skilled workman, devoting most of his time to fine work, for doing which he has an excellent reputation. He is a sensible, sober, industrious young man, and his success in life is assured.

ADAM J. BARR.

Adam Johnston Barr was born July 4, 1828, in Bethlehem, Northampton county, Pennsylvania. His father, James Barr, came from near Glasgow, Scotland, to America, in 1801, and settled in New York City, where he lived with his father for some time; then moved to Pennsylvania, where Adam, the subject of this sketch was born. Colonel Barr is a descendant of Scotch parents, of which he is a genuine type. When he was about nine years old, his father, with his family, moved to Steuben county, New York, in which state they resided two years, and then returned to Pennsylvania, where for many years he lived with his parents upon a farm. When quite young Adam left home to mark out his own destiny. He had no education, save such as he had obtained during the winter terms of a country school. After leaving home, however, he attended the academy of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and when his money gave out, he would teach a term of country school, and then return to his studies. After attending the academy for some time in this way, he left school and obtained a position as receiving clerk at the Cambria iron works, then in process of construction. Having accumulated some means he concluded to study medicine and accordingly entered the office of Dr. Yeagly, at Johnstown, in the fall of 1849. He attended medical lectures in Cincinnati, where he graduated in 1852, and then went to Waverly, Pike county, Ohio, to commence the practice of his profession. When he arrived at Waverly he had but one dollar with which to begin business. He soon, however, acquired a good practice, and, before the year closed, found that he had a practice that was paying him at the rate of three thousand dollars per year. He won great popularity and his success in his profession was remarkable. Becoming dissatisfied with the place, however, and desiring to seek a home in the west, he left Waverly in the fall of 1858, and came to Ray county, Missouri, where he settled and practiced his profession. In 1859 Adam J. Barr was married to Miss. Nannie Jacobs, daughter of Clayton Jacobs, a merchant and an old and respected citizen of Ray county. To them were born two children: Leo James and Lizzie Theodosia. Here he practiced medicine until the breaking out of the rebellion. Being a strong Union man, and coming as he did from Ohio, he was regarded by many as a northern man. During the presidential canvass of 1860, he took decided grounds with the Douglas party, and strongly advocated the election of Stephen A. Douglas to the presidency, and became somewhat prominent in the canvass as a Douglas democrat. The excitement growing out of this election continued, and the discussion of its issues engendered strife and deepened the prejudice then existing till the country was precipitated into civil war. His strong outspoken advocacy of the Union rendered his position, to

some extent, perilous. While in his office one evening compounding some medicine, he was shot at through the window, the bullet passing close to his face and breaking the glass on the shelf in front of which he was standing. He was at this time corresponding with the Hon. James H. Burch, Sr., who was at Jefferson City attending the state convention. The object of these communications was to devise some plan for military relief, and to keep the representatives in the state convention properly advised as to the condition of this part of the state. Having been informed that plots were formed for his assassination, he was compelled to escape to the woods, where he remained several days without food or shelter. He resolved one night to venture into a lonely cabin surrounded by a dense forest, and obtain some nourishment, and, if possible, learn something of the military bands in search of him. On approaching the cabin everything was quiet, but the door was soon opened to his raps, and he found the inmate to be a strong Union man, and learning from him the names of the Union men in the neighborhood, he wrote out a call to them to meet him in the woods near by, at ten o'clock the following night, and bring with them such arms as they could collect, and also bring good horses, blankets, etc. To this call twenty-five well armed men came, and he was at once chosen their leader. They marched to Cameron, reaching that place at daylight the next morning. Here they met Major James, with a small organization of militia. From here they went to St. Joseph, participating in skirmishes on the way. From St. Joseph, Col. Barr went to Chillicothe, Missouri, where he was appointed assistant surgeon, and placed in charge of the hospital. The following spring he accompanied a detachment of soldiers, under Major A.. Allen, to Richmond, Ray county, where he remained during the summer, recruiting and reorganizing the militia of the county, and was commissioned by Governor Gamble, colonel of the Ray county (Missouri) militia, who were armed, equipped and put into active service. Under his military control the peace of the county was soon restored, and citizens of both parties returned to their usual vocations of life. In the fall of 1862 the state election was held, and he was chosen a representative of the state general assembly from Ray county. He served two sessions and took an active part, with others, in the reorganization of the state government, supporting all the important measures looking toward the restoration of law and quiet. In the senatorial contest he voted for John S. Phelps, until he was withdrawn; then, as his second choice, for Judge Breckenridge, of St. Louis, but the general assembly adjourned without electiong a U. S. senator. Upon his return home he canvassed the county, and in public speeches advocated the emancipation policy of the general government. He was returned to the legislature, fully endorsed by his constituents, and voted for B. Gratz Brown and John B. Henderson for the United States senate.