Eppa Hunton
Encyclopedia
Eppa Hunton II was a U.S. Representative
and Senator
from Virginia
and a brigadier general
in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War
.
on September 22, 1822, to Eppa Sr. and Elizabeth Mary (Brent) Hunton (married June 22, 1811, in Fauquier County
), who had twelve children in all. After graduating from the New Baltimore Academy, he taught school for three years, then studied law
and was admitted to the bar
in 1843, commencing practice in Brentsville, Virginia
. He became prominent as a colonel
, and later brigadier general
, in the Virginia militia and as a Commonwealth
attorney
for Prince William County
(1849–1861).
Their second child, Eppa Hunton III, went on to co-found the notable Richmond
law firm Hunton & Williams
in 1901. In 1977, the firm established the Eppa Hunton IV Memorial Book Award at the University of Virginia
's School of Law
, in honor of Hunton's grandson, who lived from July 31, 1904 to November 23, 1976. According to the University, the award is "presented annually to a third-year student who has demonstrated unusual aptitude in litigation courses and shown a keen awareness and understanding of the lawyer's ethical and professional responsibility."
Hunton also appears to have had a child with a female slave, Henrietta. This child, John, was born on November 5, 1854.
. With the outbreak of the American Civil War
, he was commissioned a colonel
of the 8th Virginia Infantry
of the Confederate Army, participating in the First Battle of Bull Run
in July. In October his regiment was part of Nathan G. Evans
' brigade near Leesburg, Virginia
, where he led his command against a Union
force at Ball's Bluff
, driving it into the Potomac River
.
Afterward, Hunton held brigade
command in Lt. Gen.
James Longstreet
's corps, Maj. Gen.
George Pickett
's division, and the Department of Richmond
, being promoted to brigadier general
in August 1863, after the Battle of Gettysburg
. During Pickett's Charge
, Hunton was wounded in the leg. After service in the defenses of Richmond, he rejoined Pickett's division and fought at Cold Harbor
and in the Richmond and Petersburg
siege lines. In March 1865 his command fought a delaying action at Five Forks
and again the following month at Battle of Sayler's Creek
, where he was captured on April 6, 1865. He was paroled at Fort Warren, Massachusetts, on July 24.
to the 43rd and the three succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1873 – March 4, 1881). During his years as a Representative, Hunton was chairman of the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions (44th Congress), and of the Committee on the District of Columbia (46th Congress). He was appointed to the 15-member Electoral Commission created by an act of Congress in 1877 to decide the contests in various States in the presidential election of 1876.
Hunton was not a candidate for renomination in 1880, instead resuming the practice of law. He was appointed and subsequently elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate
to fill the vacancy caused by the death of John S. Barbour, and served from May 28, 1892, to March 4, 1895. Hunton served as chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee to Establish a University of the United States from 1893-1895.
On or about April 1, 1894, Hunton became indirectly involved in voting bribery attempts. Charles W. Buttz
, a lobbyist and claim agent originally from North Dakota
, but living in Washington, D.C.
at the time, went to Hunton's house in Warrenton, Virginia
, during the Senator's absence. Buttz told Hunton's son, Eppa III, that he would pay him a contingent fee of $25,000 if he would, by presenting arguments as to the pending tariff bill, induce his father to vote against it. Excerpts from the Senate investigating committee on this issue follow:
Buttz also attempted to bribe South Dakota
Senator James Henderson Kyle to vote against the same bill. Hunton and Kyle were eventually exonerated from all blame.
Afterward, Hunton again resumed his law practice in Warrenton, Virginia
. On October 11, 1908, Hunton died in Richmond, Virginia
and was buried in the city's Hollywood Cemetery.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
and Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and a brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Early years
Hunton was born near Warrenton, VirginiaWarrenton, Virginia
Warrenton is a town in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States. The population was 6,670 at the 2000 census, and 14,634 at the 2010 estimate. It is the county seat of Fauquier County. Public schools in the town include Fauquier High School, Warrenton Middle School, Taylor Middle School and two...
on September 22, 1822, to Eppa Sr. and Elizabeth Mary (Brent) Hunton (married June 22, 1811, in Fauquier County
Fauquier County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 55,139 people, 19,842 households, and 15,139 families residing in the county. The population density was 85 people per square mile . There were 21,046 housing units at an average density of 32 per square mile...
), who had twelve children in all. After graduating from the New Baltimore Academy, he taught school for three years, then studied law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
and was admitted to the bar
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
in 1843, commencing practice in Brentsville, Virginia
Brentsville, Virginia
Brentsville is an unincorporated village in Prince William County, Virginia. Originally known as Prince William Court House, Brentsville was first platted in 1822 and served as the site of Prince William County's fourth county seat from 1820 to January 1, 1894. Brentsville is near the exact...
. He became prominent as a colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
, and later brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
, in the Virginia militia and as a Commonwealth
Commonwealth (United States)
Four of the constituent states of the United States officially designate themselves Commonwealths: Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia....
attorney
State's Attorney
In the United States, the State's Attorney is, most commonly, an elected official who represents the State in criminal prosecutions and is often the chief law enforcement officer of their respective county, circuit...
for Prince William County
Prince William County, Virginia
-National protected areas:* Featherstone National Wildlife Refuge* Manassas National Battlefield Park* Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge* Prince William Forest Park-Government and politics:...
(1849–1861).
Family life
In 1848, Hunton was married to Lucy Caroline Weir (February 20, 1825 – September 4, 1899), daughter of Robert and Clara Boothe Weir. They had two children:- Elizabeth Boothe Hunton (June 20, 1853 – September 30, 1854)
- Eppa Hunton III (April 14, 1855 – March 5, 1932)
Their second child, Eppa Hunton III, went on to co-found the notable Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
law firm Hunton & Williams
Hunton & Williams
Founded in 1901, Hunton & Williams LLP is a US law firm that employs more than 800 lawyers. It has been called "one of the most well-connected legal and lobbying firms in DC." The firm was founded in Richmond, Virginia and has 18 other offices throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. In...
in 1901. In 1977, the firm established the Eppa Hunton IV Memorial Book Award at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
's School of Law
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
, in honor of Hunton's grandson, who lived from July 31, 1904 to November 23, 1976. According to the University, the award is "presented annually to a third-year student who has demonstrated unusual aptitude in litigation courses and shown a keen awareness and understanding of the lawyer's ethical and professional responsibility."
Hunton also appears to have had a child with a female slave, Henrietta. This child, John, was born on November 5, 1854.
Civil War
In February 1861, Hunton was a delegate to the Virginia Secession Convention, and advocated secessionSecession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
. With the outbreak of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, he was commissioned a colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
of the 8th Virginia Infantry
8th Virginia Infantry
The 8th Virginia Infantry was Confederate infantry regiment raised by Colonel Eppa Hunton in Leesburg, Virginia on May 8, 1861. The unit comprised six companies from Loudoun, two companies from Fauqier, one company from Fairfax and one company from Prince William. Regimental officers included: Lt....
of the Confederate Army, participating in the First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run, also known as First Manassas , was fought on July 21, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia, near the City of Manassas...
in July. In October his regiment was part of Nathan G. Evans
Nathan George Evans
Nathan George "Shanks" Evans was a captain in the 2nd U.S. Cavalry who became a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.-Biography:...
' brigade near Leesburg, Virginia
Leesburg, Virginia
Leesburg is a historic town in, and county seat of, Loudoun County, Virginia, United States of America. Leesburg is located west-northwest of Washington, D.C. along the base of the Catoctin Mountain and adjacent to the Potomac River. Its population according the 2010 Census is 42,616...
, where he led his command against a Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
force at Ball's Bluff
Battle of Ball's Bluff
The Battle of Ball's Bluff, also known as the Battle of Harrison’s Island or the Battle of Leesburg, was fought on October 21, 1861, in Loudoun County, Virginia, as part of Union Maj. Gen. George B...
, driving it into the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
.
Afterward, Hunton held brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
command in Lt. Gen.
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
James Longstreet
James Longstreet
James Longstreet was one of the foremost Confederate generals of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E. Lee, who called him his "Old War Horse." He served under Lee as a corps commander for many of the famous battles fought by the Army of Northern Virginia in the...
's corps, Maj. Gen.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
George Pickett
George Pickett
George Edward Pickett was a career United States Army officer who became a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
's division, and the Department of Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, being promoted to brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
in August 1863, after the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
. During Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge
Pickett's Charge was an infantry assault ordered by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee against Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's Union positions on Cemetery Ridge on July 3, 1863, the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. Its futility was predicted by the charge's commander,...
, Hunton was wounded in the leg. After service in the defenses of Richmond, he rejoined Pickett's division and fought at Cold Harbor
Battle of Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought from May 31 to June 12, 1864 . It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign during the American Civil War, and is remembered as one of American history's bloodiest, most lopsided battles...
and in the Richmond and Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
siege lines. In March 1865 his command fought a delaying action at Five Forks
Battle of Five Forks
The Battle of Five Forks was fought on April 1, 1865, southwest of Petersburg, Virginia, in Dinwiddie County, during the Appomattox Campaign of the American Civil War. The battle, sometimes referred to as the "Waterloo of the Confederacy," pitted Union Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan against...
and again the following month at Battle of Sayler's Creek
Battle of Sayler's Creek
-External links:* * : Maps, histories, photos, and preservation news...
, where he was captured on April 6, 1865. He was paroled at Fort Warren, Massachusetts, on July 24.
Post-war politics
After the war Hunton resumed his former law practice and became involved in politics. He was elected as a Democrat from VirginiaVirginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
to the 43rd and the three succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1873 – March 4, 1881). During his years as a Representative, Hunton was chairman of the Committee on Revolutionary Pensions (44th Congress), and of the Committee on the District of Columbia (46th Congress). He was appointed to the 15-member Electoral Commission created by an act of Congress in 1877 to decide the contests in various States in the presidential election of 1876.
Hunton was not a candidate for renomination in 1880, instead resuming the practice of law. He was appointed and subsequently elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
to fill the vacancy caused by the death of John S. Barbour, and served from May 28, 1892, to March 4, 1895. Hunton served as chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee to Establish a University of the United States from 1893-1895.
On or about April 1, 1894, Hunton became indirectly involved in voting bribery attempts. Charles W. Buttz
Charles W. Buttz
Charles Wilson Buttz was a U.S. Representative from South Carolina.Born in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, Buttz moved with his parents to White Township, New Jersey, in 1839. He went on to study law in Belvidere, New Jersey, and was admitted to the bar in 1863...
, a lobbyist and claim agent originally from North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, but living in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
at the time, went to Hunton's house in Warrenton, Virginia
Warrenton, Virginia
Warrenton is a town in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States. The population was 6,670 at the 2000 census, and 14,634 at the 2010 estimate. It is the county seat of Fauquier County. Public schools in the town include Fauquier High School, Warrenton Middle School, Taylor Middle School and two...
, during the Senator's absence. Buttz told Hunton's son, Eppa III, that he would pay him a contingent fee of $25,000 if he would, by presenting arguments as to the pending tariff bill, induce his father to vote against it. Excerpts from the Senate investigating committee on this issue follow:
This offer was declined at once and peremptorily by Eppa Hunton [III], as set forth in his testimony, and the whole matter was communicated by him to his father. Senator Hunton availed himself of the first opportunity to disclose the matter to certain of his friends in the senate, as appears in the testimony, and was in no other way connected with the transaction.
Buttz also attempted to bribe South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
Senator James Henderson Kyle to vote against the same bill. Hunton and Kyle were eventually exonerated from all blame.
Afterward, Hunton again resumed his law practice in Warrenton, Virginia
Warrenton, Virginia
Warrenton is a town in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States. The population was 6,670 at the 2000 census, and 14,634 at the 2010 estimate. It is the county seat of Fauquier County. Public schools in the town include Fauquier High School, Warrenton Middle School, Taylor Middle School and two...
. On October 11, 1908, Hunton died in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
and was buried in the city's Hollywood Cemetery.
Books and newspapers
1. The Trenton Times, Trenton, New Jersey, May 26, 1894. (Image of article)Websites
- The Political Graveyard
- ULRICH family tree links
- University of Virginia School of Law: Annual Awards and Honors
- Prince William County, Virginia Reliquary
External links
- Detailed biography taken from Confederate Military History, Vol. III.
- Civil Rights–"The world is governed too much" - speech given on February 3, 1875, House of Representatives, 43rd Congress, 2nd Session
- The Frederick Douglass Papers - speech given on December 13, 1894, on the Bill (S. No. 1708) to Establish the University of the United States
- Hunton & Williams law firm
- Site with image of Hunton's tombstone, listing the dates of birth and death.
- Photos of Eppa Hunton