CORNELL 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 GIFT OF 
 E. a^ Speed 
 
CS71 .S74°T892"'™™"' '""'"^ 
 "^»ii™,i,l?,r.?,fe,,or,the Speed famil 
 
 olin 
 
 3 1924 029 771 908 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of tliis book is in 
 tlie Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924029771908 
 
RECORDS 
 
 AND 
 
 MEMORIALS 
 
 THE SPEED FAMILY 
 
 COLLECTED AND PREPARED FOR PUBLICATION BY 
 
 THOMAS SPEED, 
 
 AND PUBLISHED BY THE LOUISVILLE AND MEMPHIS FAMILIES, FOR 
 DISTRIBUTION AMONG ALL THE BRANCHES. 
 
 LOUISVILLE, KY.: 
 
 Courier-Journal Job Printing Company, 
 
 1892. 
 
 exr 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The records and memorials in this volume were collected 
 bj' me during the past twenty years. I was moved to 
 begin the work by the interest I felt in the family. While 
 a young man there were a number of households in which 
 I was always welcome and at home. That of my father, 
 of course, and his brother, Dr. John J. Speed ; those of the 
 four brothers in Louisville, James, Joshua, Philip and 
 Smith Speed ; also those of their sisters, Mrs. Breckinridge, 
 Mrs. Peay, Mrs. Davis and Mrs. Adams. In all these 
 homes I found that kindness which wins affection, and that 
 high degree of intelligence which wins admiration. It 
 was but natural to desire to have some published memorial 
 of these most excellent families, and also of their immedi- 
 ate ancestors, Major Thomas Speed and Judge John Speed- 
 Then appeared the striking fact that the father of these two. 
 Captain James Speed, was one of a family of six brothers 
 worthy of all praise, four of whom certainlj', and perhaps 
 all, having served their country in the Revolutionary war. 
 They were sons of an honored father who was born in Vir- 
 ginia and died, then an old man, 1785, he being the son of 
 James Speed, who came to this country from England. 
 
 To gather all that could be discovered about these 
 became a work of real interest. It was a work, however, 
 which I could not prosecute with any zeal, on account of 
 the more pressing engagements of business. Gradually, 
 the material I have came to my hands, and it is believed to 
 be sufficiently extensive to justify publication. The sketches 
 of individuals are not intended to be as full as the subjects 
 deserve, for the limits of a volume will not so admit. Nor is 
 it claimed that errors may not be found in the book, but 
 enough has been collected to enable those who belong to 
 
 (3) 
 
i PREFACE. 
 
 the family to trace their descent, and determine the rela- 
 tionship which exists among the various branches. 
 
 It will be observed that this book contains the historj' of 
 the Speed family during the entire period it has been in 
 America— a period of two hundred years. With this past 
 history now furnished, all who desire to do so can, from 
 this time, preserve their own respective descent on the 
 lines given. 
 
 The plan of the book is such as to enable the reader to 
 find what it contains even without the use of the index. 
 Each one of the children of John Speed and Mary Ta^'lor, 
 his wife, is regarded as the ancestor of a separate branch, 
 and the descendants of that branch are given connectedly 
 before another is taken up. 
 
 It is, perhaps, proper to explain that the space occupied 
 by the Louisville family is naturally considerable, for the 
 reasons that it is numerically large and the acquaintance of 
 the author with all its members. 
 
 The publication is solely for private circulation among 
 the members of the family. This fact justifies the remark 
 that, as a general thing, the Speed people have possessed 
 many excellent and worthy characteristics They have 
 stood well in every community where they have lived, and, 
 by industry and integrity, have made the name respected 
 everywhere, so that all who bear it have a good passport 
 and are presumed to be worthy. They are generally inde- 
 pendent and self-reliant, and depend more upon substantial 
 qualities than upon display. Some of the family have 
 achieved more than ordinary distinction, but ostentation is 
 unknown. There is an evident partiality for the name 
 shown not only in words spoken and written, but in the 
 noticeable frequency it appears as a given name. 
 
 A widely dispersed and numerous body of people now 
 bear the Speed name or belong to its lineage. The publi- 
 cation of these records ought to have the efi^ect to impress 
 all, who are thus included, that they have a good inheri- 
 tance and family connection, and it should stimulate them 
 especially the young, to so live as to reflect credit upon 
 those to whom they are allied by the ties of kinship. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius, thanked the 
 gods that he had good parents, grandparents and kinsfolk. 
 It is a proper subject for thankfulness, and it is a stimulus 
 to correct living, proper ambition and earnest endeavor. 
 
 With pride and affection we recall the excellent traits and 
 worthy deeds of our ancestors. Thus we link the present 
 with the past, and, while remembering only the good in their 
 lives, we are reminded that we ought to be kind and gen- 
 erous in our treatment of the living. 
 
 Some of the material in this book was found in my grand- 
 father's papers. Many facts I obtained from older mem- 
 bers of the family now passed away. I am much indebted 
 to several members of the family now living, who have put 
 themselves to no little trouble to assist in the preparation 
 of this book I will not mention all, but can not refrain 
 from acknowledging my indebtedness to Miss Sallie Peters 
 Speed, of Slatersville Springs, New York ; Mrs. Charles A. 
 Cook, of Warrenton, N. C. ; Mrs. Eliza P. Raney, of 
 Kittrell, N. C ; Mrs Maria Harris, of Buffalo L,ithia Springs, 
 Va. ; Judge John Speed, of Detroit ; Mr. Robert A. Speed, 
 of Laurel, N. C ; Mrs. Susan F. S. Morrell, of Augusta, 
 111. ; Mr. and Mrs. John K. Speed, of Memphis, Tenn. ; 
 General Speed S. Fry, of Harrod's Creek, Ky. ; Judge 
 Frederick Speed, of Vicksburg, Miss. ; Campbell H. John- 
 son, of Louisville, Ky. 
 
 THOMAS SPKED. 
 
 LouisviLLK, Ky., July, 1892. 
 

 OHN SPFEO. THE HISTORIAN. 
 Fijni Llii :riy in in: hi lory Dr tngiam 
 
JOHN SPEED, THE HISTORIAN. 
 
 John Speed, of England, the historian, geographer and 
 antiquarian, was born at Farrington, in the county of 
 Cheshire, in the year 1552. Edward Sixth was then upon 
 the English throne. It was six years before the accession 
 of Elizabeth and sixty-eight years before the Mayflower 
 brought the Pilgrims to Plymouth Rock. In the same 
 year, 1552, Walter Raleigh was born. One year later 
 Shakespeare was born. America was then a solitude. 
 Adventurous voyagers were only hovering about her coasts. 
 Fifty-three years later the settlement at Jamestown was 
 made, and one hundred and forty-three years later a 
 descendant of John Speed, bearing the name of James 
 Speed, left England and settled in the eastern part of 
 Virginia 
 
 This ancient John Speed lived in L,ondon, and the prin- 
 cipal feature of his life was his great work, the History of 
 England. But he was the author of other works besides of 
 almost equal interest. His first publication he called " A 
 Cloud of Witnesses," being a tabulated account of the 
 Scripture genealogies. This was in 1593. He next pub- 
 lished " A Defence of the Holy Genealogies." 
 
 He next published a book of maps of England and 
 Wales. This work he immediately enlarged in a much 
 more extensive form and entitled it " The Theater of the 
 Empire of Great Brittaine, Presenting an exact Geography 
 of the Kyngdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland and 
 the Isles adjoining, with the Shires, Hundreds, Cities and 
 Shire Towns within the Kyngdom of England, Divided 
 and Described by John Speed." 
 
 This book of maps became a part of his Historic, or rather, 
 the Historic was written as a completion of his entire 
 scheme which he called the " The Theater of the Empire 
 of Great Brittaine.^' He also published another book of 
 
 (7) 
 
8 JOHN SPEED, THE ENGLISH HISTORIAN. 
 
 maps, entitled " A Prospect of the Most Famous Parts of 
 the World." 
 
 Some mention will here be made of these several works, 
 and then the estimate in which they were held by those 
 who lived cotemporaneously with the author will be shown. 
 It is a most striking and interesting fact that the Tables of 
 Scripture Genealogy were published in the first edition of 
 King James' translation of the Bible, being contained in 
 the first part of the book. They continued to be so pub- 
 lished in many editions subsequent to the first, particularly 
 the large folio, and quarto sizes. These tables were consid- 
 ered authority for many years. In them the author shows, 
 by a " chain-like trail," as he calls it, the descent of Christ 
 from Adam through Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, 
 David and a continuous line to the Virgin Mary. The 
 title he gave to this work is as follows : " The Genealogies 
 Recorded in the Sacred Scriptures According to Every 
 Family and Tribe, with the line of Our Saviour, Jesus 
 Christ, observed from Adam to the Blessed Virgin Mary." 
 
 King James gave to John Speed a patent securing the 
 property in these tables to him and his heirs. 
 
 The maps of England, Scotland and Ireland, by counties, 
 shires and hundreds, were published in the form of our 
 largest and best modern atlases. They showed not only 
 the counties but plans of the towns, cities and castles, and 
 were accompanied with a large amount of descriptive mat- 
 ter which furnishes much curious and quaint information 
 concerning the counties and shires and special localities, 
 roads, distances, forests, rivers, etc. 
 
 The maps which were made to accompany the history 
 are sixty-six in number. 
 
 There are forty-four maps of " The Most Famous Parts 
 of the World." They are also accompanied by descriptions 
 of the countries and statistical and explanatory matter. 
 A curious fact about the map of Africa is that the source 
 of the Nile is located in large lakes south of the equator, 
 
 [The author of the present work has in his possession a Bible 
 published in 1614 containing Speed's Genealogies. He also has 
 Speed's Maps and History of England.] 
 
JOHN SPBED, THE ENGLISH HISTORIAN. 
 
 where the discoverers of the latter half of this century 
 have found the source actually to be. All modern geog- 
 raphers down to very recent times (twenty-five or thirty 
 years ago) located the source of the Nile in the '> Mountains 
 of the Moon," north of the equator. How it happened 
 that Speed's map, made more than two hundred years 
 before, should be more accurate than the modern ones is 
 only to be accounted for by the fact that he followed the 
 views of the ancient geographer, Ptolemy, who flourished 
 in the second century of the Christian era, and who seems, 
 at that early date, to have had a better knowledge of. the 
 interior of Africa than our modern geographers had until 
 the very recent explorations of Livingstone and others. 
 
 The title page of the History of England is as follows: 
 " The Historie of Great Brittaine, under the conquests of 
 the Romans, Saxons, Danes and Normans. Their Origi- 
 nals, Manners, Habits, Wares, Coins and Seals, with the 
 Successions, Lives, Acts and Issues of the English Mon- 
 archs from Julius Caesar unto the Raigne of King James, 
 of Famous Memorie, by John Speed." 
 
 The magnitude of the labor expended on it is shown by 
 the fact that it contains 1,300 large double-column pages, 
 and is illustrated by a great number of cuts of seals, coats 
 of arms, coins, standard weapons, dress, and tables of gene- 
 alogy. It also contains a great amount of statistical mat- 
 ter, and it is furnished with an excellent and complete 
 index. 
 
 John Speed's writings were held in high estimation in 
 his day, and for a number of years after, on account of 
 their reliabilitj'. 
 
 James Tyrrell, an old chronicler, says " Speed v/as the 
 first English writer who, slighting Geoffrey of Monmouth's 
 tales, immediately fell upon solid ground, giving us a large 
 account of the history of this island during the times of 
 the Roman emperors and English and Saxon kings." 
 
 Another writer says "John Speed was the first historian 
 who had the judgment to reject the many fables concern- 
 ing the early Britons and to record only what was authentic 
 history." 
 
10 JOHN SPEED, THE ENGLISH HISTORIAN. 
 
 Robert Sheringham, himself a learned antiquary, styles 
 John Speed " a very great and learned antiquary summus 
 et eniditus antiguarhis." 
 
 Anthony Wood, in his book entitled Athencs Oxotiensis, 
 says: " For style and industry Speed had not many fellows 
 in Europe." 
 
 Bishop Nicholson, an early historian, says : " He must 
 have had a head the best disposed toward history of any of 
 our writers." He also says " Speed's History is the largest 
 and best we have extant." Also, " Our author's maps are 
 extremely well and make a noble apparatus, as they were 
 designed to his history.'' 
 
 Dibdin, who is the highest authority in such matters, 
 says : " Speed's History of Great Britain was first pub- 
 lished in 1611 in a splendid folio volume, of which five edi- 
 tions appeared before the expiration of the same half cen- 
 tury." "Whoever," sa3's he, "was the projector of the 
 mode of publication is not known. If it was Speed himself 
 he deserves the warmest thanks of posterity, for it is, of 
 all others, the most tasteful and useful plan ever carried 
 into effect." 
 
 The "plan " so much admired by Dibdin has reference 
 to the publication of the maps in connection with the his- 
 tory already referred to. 
 
 The work in that form consisted of two parts, each being 
 a separate volume. The first part consisted of four books, 
 and was called " The Chorographical Part," being the maps. 
 The second part consisted of six books and contained the 
 history. 
 
 Dibdin says the dates of the editions were 161 1, 1614, 
 1623, 1627, 1*632, 1650. He says the first edition is the 
 favorite one. " Of this," says he, " large paper copies are, 
 by no means, uncommon. They are in most of our cele- 
 brated public and private selections." "One of the most 
 gorgeous copies," says he, "with which I am acquainted 
 is that in the archiepiscopal library at Ivambeth, in two 
 volumes, bound in red morocco with plates colored." 
 
 He says Speed's maps were published more frequently 
 than the history, having been published as late as 1743. 
 
JOHN SPEED, THE ENGLISH HISTORIAN. 11 
 
 He also says the portrait of the author found in the later 
 editions of, the history was engraved by Savary. 
 
 Du Fresnoy, speaking of the maps, says : "It is a dili- 
 gent and exact work, and of equal use for the history, as 
 the topography of England." 
 
 Another writer says : " The history contains more valua- 
 ble matter, and is better arranged, than any preceding 
 chronicle." 
 
 Dr. Granger, in his Biographical History of England, 
 says Speed's history was pronounced by the learned men of 
 his times " incomparably more complete than all the histo- 
 ries of his predecessors put together." 
 
 Another writer — Ducarel — writing in 1754, says: "The 
 first edition of Speed's history is preferable to all the sub- 
 sequent ones, being in a large folio and on Atlas paper, and 
 the cuts are sharper and clearer. It is a wonderful work, 
 but he had the assistance of the immortal Sir Robert Cot- 
 ton, Dr. Barkham and others." 
 
 Taine, in his History of English Literature, mentions 
 Speed, in connection with others, as one of the founders of 
 English history. He says " Hollinshed, Speed, Raleigh, 
 Stowe, Knolles, Daniel, Thomas, May, and Eord Herbert 
 founded history." 
 
 John Speed having lived through the reigns of Queen 
 Mary, and Queen Elizabeth, it is interesting to note his 
 estimate of those sovereigns. 
 
 He had no admiration for Mary. He says : " Of all since 
 the conquest, her reign was the shortest, only excepting 
 that of Richard the Tyrant, but much more bloody than 
 was his, and more blood spilt in that short time of her 
 reign than had been shed for cause of Christianity in any 
 king's time since Eucius, the establisher of the Gospel in 
 this realm. * * =^- Her end came when she had reigned 
 five years, four months and eleven days, and her body lyeth 
 interred in a chapel in the minster of St. Peters at West- 
 minster, without any monument or other remembrance." 
 
 His account of Queen Elizabeth is in a far difi'erent 
 spirit. His admiration for her is expressed in every form 
 of lofty phraseology. Mentioning her birth he calls her 
 
12 JOHN SPEED, THE ENGWSH HISTORIAN. 
 
 " that excellent Princess who afterward proved the mirror 
 of the world." 
 
 He seems to have been the recipient of some personal 
 favors at the hands of Queen Elizabeth, as the concluding^ 
 part of the following quotation shows : 
 
 "Elizabeth," says he, "the second daughter of King 
 Henry and first child by Queen Anne, his second wife, was 
 born at Greenwich upon Sunday the seventh of Septem- 
 ber, the year of Christ Jesus 1533, and 25th of her father's 
 reign, who, with due solemnities, was baptized on the 
 Wednesday following. Archbishop Cranmer, the old Duchess 
 of Norfolk and the old Marchioness of Dorset being the 
 witnesses at the font and the Marchioness of Exeter at the 
 confirmation. She succeeded his sister. Queen Mary, in 
 the monarchy of England, and was for wisdom, virtue, 
 piety and justice not only the mirror of her sex but a pat- 
 tern for government to all the princes in Christendom, 
 whose name I may not mention without all dutiful remem- 
 brance, and whose memory unto me is most dear, amongst 
 the many thousands who received extraordinary favors at 
 her gracious and most liberal hand." 
 
 He pronounced her to be " the greatest in fame that ever 
 ruled before, as if all their virtues had made a confluence 
 in her." " She lived and reigned and died in peace and 
 full of glory, celebrated by the tongues and pens of the 
 rarest spirits of all nations." His description of her grief 
 for Essex is excellent : "Her Majesty having such a star 
 fallen from her firmament was inwardly moved, and often- 
 times would show passions of her grief even till the time 
 of her approaching end, when two years later she laid down 
 her head in the grave as the most resplendent sun setteth 
 at last in a western cloud." 
 
 His account of the Spanish Armada has the interest of a 
 narrative of a contemporary and an eye-witness. He was, 
 at that time (1588) thirty-six years of age, and the import- 
 ant event evidently impressed him strongly. He fully 
 appreciated the brag and bluster of the Spaniards, the 
 heroism of his own countrymen and the lofty courage of 
 Queen Elizabeth. 
 
JOHN SPEED, THE ENGLISH HISTORIAN. 13 
 
 He says: "This invincible navy, so long in preparing 
 and now in readiness, vv^as furnished with all provisions of 
 war and with many bravados spread their sails for Eng- 
 land's invasion." 
 
 His account of Elizabeth at the camp at Tilbury is very 
 graphic: "The main forces lying encamped at Tilbur}' 
 under the command of the Earl of lycicester, thither her 
 majesty in person upon the ninth of August repaired, full 
 of princely resolution and more than feminine courage, 
 whose lovely presence and imperial speeches, as she passed 
 like some Amazonian empress through all her army, were 
 so acceptable and gracious that her soldiers full fraught 
 with manly spirit, j'et received an access of hardiness from 
 so alacrious a pattern in their maiden queen." 
 
 As a specimen of his style, the account of an audience by 
 Queen Elizabeth to an ambassador from Poland will here 
 be given. The time was 1597, when England was at war 
 with Spain. 
 
 " These stirs on the seas brought yet further mischief on 
 the Sganiard by hindering the traffic of merchandise, as 
 well for their own trade and commerce with others as for 
 others trading into Spain, among whom Sigismund, .the 
 young and new elected King of Polonia (Latin name of 
 Poland), found himself aggrieved, whose ambassador for 
 that business unto the Queen was one Paulus de lalim, a 
 Palone gentleman, learned, eloquent and verj' audacious, 
 who, bringing letters of credence from his King, had au- 
 dience at Greenwich, her Majesty sitting under her cloth 
 of estate and with her nobles attending. The sum of his mes- 
 sage, which the Polonian began with more than an ordinary 
 grace ; whose tenor was filled with blasts of discontent, con- 
 ceived by his potent master, the King of Polonia, and 
 caused by the grievances of his merchants, who were not 
 only deprived of some privileges in England, but the sea, 
 which is made free by the Omnipotent, stopped, and the 
 trades of his merchants into Spain, by her Highness' edicts 
 debarred, contrary to the law both of nature and of nations 
 that his master, as he could not be moved to diminish any 
 part of his love toward her Majesty, so yet could he not 
 
14 JOHN SPEED, The ENGWSH HISTORIAN. 
 
 but relieve his own subjects, and the rather for that it 
 troubled all his nobility, whose revenues consisted chiefly 
 upon the trade of merchandising. That he had hitherto 
 forborne all means of requite, though her Majesty well 
 knew of means he had no want, and now had sent to adver- 
 tise her Highness in a loving manner by him, his ambassa- 
 dor, seeing that his letters to that purpose heretofore sent 
 had not been regarded, in whose name he now required that 
 the seas might be open, a restitutfon made, and the trade 
 westward to Spain free, according to equity ; otherwise, his 
 master would no longer neglect his subjects' losses, but 
 would take in hand a means of redress. 
 
 " As for her Majesty's wars with Spain that ought not to 
 hinder navigation by the common law of nature (as he 
 avowed) ; nor for her respect should the ancient friendship 
 betwixt the potent Polonian and the mighty King of Spain 
 be broken, nor with the house of Austria, whose daughter 
 his Prince had now married, which bound him in a double 
 bond of love. 
 
 " But he trusted his master's request being such equitj', 
 her Majesty would regard it and command satisfaction of 
 these things forthwith to be made, to the content of his 
 Prince and safety of herself, which thing he wished and 
 thereof warned her Majesty, and with other like words 
 ended as peremptorily as he began." 
 
 Unto which confident oration, says the Historian, the 
 Queen, herself not brooking to be braved by any prince in 
 the world, presently made answer, preventing the Lord 
 Chancellor therein, who was about to do it, and both roundly 
 and learnedly in Latin (the same language wherein the mes- 
 sage was delivered), replied— the very words, as near as 
 could be taken from her mouth, were these : 
 
 "Heu/ qnani decepta fici I " (The whole reply is given 
 in Latin, and this translation immediately follows) : 
 
 "Oh, how was I deceived! I looked for an embassage, 
 but thou hast brought me complaints. I understood by thy 
 letters that thou wert a Legate, but I find thee an Herald ! 
 Never since I drew breath heard I such an oration. I marvel, 
 truly I marvel at so great and such an accustomed bold- 
 
JOHN SPJiED, THE ENGLISH HISTORIAN. 15 
 
 ness in so public an assembly. Neither do I think that if the 
 King, thy master, were present that he would say so much. 
 But if, peradventure, he hath committed any such thing to 
 thy charge, which surely I do much doubt, it is to be im- 
 puted unto him that where the King is of years unripe, and 
 not by blood, but by election, yea, and but newly advanced, 
 he doth not so perfectly understand the course of negotiating 
 these kind of affairs with other princes, which either his 
 ancestors have observed with us or, perhaps, others will ob- 
 serve, who afterwards shall succeed him. 
 
 " As touching thyself: indeed thou seemest to me to have 
 read many books, but not to have perused the books of 
 princes' affairs, but utterly to be ignorant of what is con- 
 venient amongst kings. And, whereas, thou makest men- 
 tion of the law of nature and nations, know that this is the 
 law both natural and national, that when war is waged 
 among princes it is lawful for one of them to intercept the 
 military helps of the other, brought from what place soever, 
 so to prevent the harms which might otherwise redound 
 on himself- And this again I avow to be the law of nature 
 and nations. Whereas, likewise, thou mentionest a new 
 afEnity with the house of Austria, which now thou makest 
 so famous and of so dear esteem, forget not, sir, that there 
 have been of that house that would have bereft the king- 
 dom of Polonia from thy King. 
 
 " As for other points which be not to be spoken of at this 
 place and time, because they are many and severally to be 
 considered of one after another, thou shalt wait for such 
 further answer as shall be resolved on by some of my coun- 
 cil, to whom I will consign the consideration of this matter. 
 In the meantime, valeas et quiescas (farewell and be quiet)." 
 
 And thus (says the historian), she, lion-like, rising, daunted 
 the malapert orator no less with her statel}^ port and majest- 
 ical departure than with the tartness of her princely cheeks, 
 and turning to the train of her attendants, said : " God's 
 death, my L,ords" (for that was her oath ever in anger), 
 " I have been enforced this day to scour up my old L,atin 
 that hath lain so long in rusting ! " 
 
 The writings of John Speed are antiquated now, but they 
 
ItJ JOHN SPEED, THE ENGWSH HISTORIAN. 
 
 were useful in their daj' and were much read, both in 
 England and in this country in its earlier days. They are 
 quoted as reliable authority by later writers, Hume, Strick- 
 land, Froude, Knight and others. 
 
 His taste for letters brought him into friendly acquaint- 
 ance with the literary men of his day. Sir Henry Spelman 
 greeted the publication of his history with a poem in Latin ; 
 Sir Richard St. George Norry also gave it high praise, say- 
 ing that, "thereby the glory of Great Britain is made 
 more famous to the world, as well in the geographical 
 dimension of the land's situation as in the historical rela- 
 tions of her most famous monarchs and glorious actions ; no 
 kingdom hitherto so particularly described nor nation's 
 history by true record more faithfullj' penned." 
 
 Sir John Davis, whose writings are deservedly famous, 
 wrote a poem upon the publication of Speed's Britain, in 
 which this stanza occurs: 
 
 'The leaves this book contains and maps here graven, 
 
 Are as feathers to thy fame's fair wings, 
 To fan fresh air upon the face of Heaven, 
 
 And raise thy fame above all ending things," 
 
 Many others hailed the book with the most complimentary 
 mention, both in prose and verse. 
 
 John Speed was buried in the chancel of the church of 
 St. Giles, Cripplegate, Loudon. In the same church the 
 remains of John Milton were afterwards laid. A monument 
 bearing an inscription in Latin was erected and still stands 
 over his grave. The inscription shows the dates of his 
 birth and death and his age (Annos LXXVII). It also 
 recites his literary labors and discloses the interesting fact 
 that he was a man of family— making mention in sober, 
 solid Latin that he lived with his " most sweet wife Susan- 
 na," fifty-seven years, and left eighteen children — twelve 
 sons and six daughters. 
 
 The monument is of white marble and represents a cab- 
 inet with open doors. Within the cabinet is the figure of 
 the deceased. One hand rests on a scroll, the other holds 
 a book. The inscription is on the door. 
 
 Who the ancestors of John Speed were can not be stated. 
 
THE historian's descendants in ENGLAND. 17 
 
 He went to London from a country district in England and 
 engaged in the business of merchant tailoring and dealer 
 in cloth. It is said he did remarkably well in the business, 
 and he must have been a very successful business man, 
 for he acquired the means to enable him to give up mer- 
 chandising and prosecute his literary labors. He gave his 
 numerous children the benefits of the best education, for 
 they were educated at Oxford. 
 
 His long life was spent in literary toil, and his labors were 
 appreciated by his cotemporaries, as well as by later gen- 
 erations. His descendants are now numerous in England. 
 Among them have been many excellent and accomplished 
 men. Several have published books on special topics. 
 Adam Speed wrote a treatise on agriculture entitled, Adam 
 Out of Eden. It was published in 1659. Edward Speed 
 published a book of poems in 1590. William Speed pub- 
 lished a treatise on surveying. 
 
 All the Speeds in England are descendants of the his- 
 torian, John Speed. Some of them, in their letters, speak 
 of him as Sir John Speed. It may be possible he was given 
 that title, but the present writer has no positive information 
 as to the fact. 
 
 DR. JOHN SPEED. 
 
 One of the sons of the historian was named John. He 
 was born in 1595. He was an Oxford graduate and had 
 conferred on him the degrees of Master of Arts and Doctor 
 of Medicine. He is spoken of in the books as an " eminent 
 physician," and also as a " gifted writer." He wrote a med- 
 ical treatise in Latin and dedicated it to Archbishop Laud. 
 It relates to two skeletons prepared by himself and presented 
 to the library of St. John's College, Oxford. He also wrote 
 a play which was acted in the theaters of that day. He 
 died in 1640 and was buried in the chapel of the college. 
 His wife was a daughter of Dr. Bartholomew Warner, the 
 author of a history of Ireland. He left two sons, John and 
 Samuel. Samuel became a minister and was installed canon 
 of Christ church, May 6, 1674. Afterwards he was Vicar of 
 2 
 
18 THE historian's descendants IN ENGLAND. 
 
 Godalmin, in Surrey county, where he died January 22, 
 1681. The other son of Dr. John Speed was 
 
 JOHN SPEED, M. D. 
 
 He was born at Oxford. He was elected scholar at St. John' s 
 College in 1643, but, like many others, he was ejected by 
 the Board of Parliamentary Visitors for political reasons in 
 1648. After the Restoration he was restored to his fellow- 
 ship. In 1666 he took the degree of Doctor of Medicine 
 and resided at Southampton, where he practiced his pro- 
 fession as late as 1694. He was the author of a book en- 
 titled, " An Account of the Ancient and Present State and 
 Glory of Southampton." 
 
 James Speed, from whom all the Speeds in this country 
 are descended, was a son of this Dr. John Speed, and came 
 from Southampton. 
 
 Before mentioning him and his descendants, an account 
 will here be given of a very interesting descendant of the 
 historian, Miss Harriet Speed. The interest attaching to 
 her arises mainly from the fact that she was a friend of the 
 poet Gray, to whom he was warmly attached. Their 
 friendly intimacj^ caused him to write poems at her request, 
 and about her. He also mentions her in his letters. It 
 was her fortune not only to thus know the author of the 
 most celebrated short poem in the English language, but 
 she was familiar with Gray's immortal Elegy while it was 
 yet in manuscript. 
 
 Miss Harriet Speed's father was a Colonel Speed, who was 
 an intimate friend of Lord Cobham. Colonel Speed was a 
 grandson of Dr. John Speed, who lived at Southampton. 
 He is also spoken of as " a lineal descendant of the his- 
 torian." 
 
 Upon the death of Colonel Speed, about 1750, Lord Cob- 
 ham took his daughter Harriet to his house and brouo-ht 
 her up in his family, " esteeming her as his own child and 
 treating her with paternal care and tenderness." 
 
 Lord Cobham's wife became as much attached to her as 
 
THE historian's descendants in ENGLAND. 19 
 
 her husband, and it is stated that Harriet's " extraordinary- 
 merit so recommended her to the Viscountess Cobham that 
 she left her the bulk of her fortune." She was noted for 
 her beauty as well as her accomplishments and wit. She 
 and the poet Gray seem to have been friends, and he had 
 probably placed his " Elegy" in her hands. At any rate, 
 Lady Cobham had read it in the manuscript and wished to 
 become acquainted with the author. He lived near by at a 
 country house with an aunt. Miss Speed and a Lady 
 Schaub, who were staying at the Cobham house, called at 
 the house where the poet lived and asked to see him. He 
 was not at home, but they left a message for him, with his 
 aunt, to the effect that Lady Cobham would be pleased to 
 see him, having a great admiration for his poem. Gray 
 called, and became a warm friend and welcome guest in 
 the household. Lord Cobham's residence was at Stoke 
 Pogeis, Buckinghamshire, about forty miles from London. 
 Gray celebrated the visit of the two ladies in a poem 
 entitled " The Long Story," in which he describes, in a 
 humorous way, the event. 
 
 He calls the ladies " Silken Warriors," and says of Miss 
 Speed : 
 
 " The other Amazon kind Heaven 
 
 Had armed with spirit, wit and satire; 
 But Cobham had the polish given 
 
 And tipt her arrows with good nature. 
 
 " To celebrate her eyes — her air — 
 
 Coarse panegyric would but tease her; 
 Melissa is her nom de guere — 
 
 Alas ! who would not wish to please her." 
 
 Frequent mention was made of Miss Speed in connec- 
 tion with Gray's poems and in his letters. The poem enti- 
 tled " Amatory Lines," beginning " With beauty, with 
 pleasure surrounded," has this note : 
 
 " Nothing is known of the circumstances under which 
 Gray wrote these lines, but the original MSS. was in the 
 possession of the Countess De Viri (Miss Speed), who pre- 
 sented it with the ensuing song to Rev. Mr. Leman when 
 he visited her in Switzerland." 
 
20 THE historian's descendants IN ENGLAND. 
 
 The note to the song which follows says it was written 
 at the request of Miss Speed. It begins : 
 
 " Thrysis when we parted swore." 
 
 Gray mentions Miss Speed several times in his letters 
 addressed to Thos. Wharton. 
 
 In one he says : " The family you mention near me are 
 full as civil as ever. Miss Speed seems to understand, and 
 to all such as do not she S2iys phonanta sunetoise in so many 
 words." 
 
 In another he says : " I have been going into Oxfordshire 
 with Miss Speed, but her aflfairs, as she says — or her 
 vagaries, as I say — have obliged her to alter her mind ten 
 times within that space (three weeks). No wonder, for 
 she has got at least 30,000 pounds, with a house in town, 
 plate, jewels, china and old Japan infinite, so that indeed it 
 would be ridiculous for her to know her own mind." 
 
 In another he says: "My old friend, Miss Speed, has 
 done what the world calls a very foolish thing ; she has 
 married the Baron de la Peyriere, son to the Comte de Viri. 
 He is about twenty-eight years old — ten years younger than 
 herself." 
 
 In another he says: " Madam de la Peyriere is come over 
 from the Hague to be Ministress at London. Her father, 
 Lord De Viri is now first Minister at Turin. I sat a morn- 
 ing with her before I left London. She is a prodigious, fine 
 lady, and a Catholic, though she did not expressly own it 
 to me ; not fatter than she was. She had a cage of foreign 
 birds, and a piping bulfinch at her elbow; two little dogs on 
 a cushion in her lap, a cockatoo on a shoulder, and a strong 
 suspicion of rouge on the cheeks. 
 
 "They were all exceedingly glad to see me, and I them." 
 
 INCIDENT OF THE LETTER WRITTEN BY JAMES SPEED, 
 AN ENGLISH LAWYER. 
 
 In the period of the American Civil war, and before and 
 after, there was a law}'erin London, England, named James 
 Speed. His name appears in the English reports as coun- 
 sel in many important corporation cases. He belonged to 
 the class of lawyers called Queen's counsel. 
 
THE historian's descendants IN ENGLAND. 21 
 
 About the beginning of the Civil war, a client of James 
 Speed, the lawyer, of Louisville, Ky., took to him a copy 
 of a will made and probated in London. He wanted an 
 opinion concerning some point in it, in writing. It was 
 written and signed by James Speed, and mailed to London. 
 Some days after, the same client called again at James 
 Speed's office, and showed him an opinion just received 
 by mail from London, concerning the same will and signed 
 James Speed. 
 
 The hand-writing was so similar to that of James Speed, 
 of Louisville, that upon its being shown to different persons 
 they said it was bis. 
 
 James Speed, of Louisville, often told this story. He said 
 the two opinions were exactly alike, the writing was alike, 
 and the signatures alike. He said they had passed each 
 other on the water, his own going to London, and that of 
 'the London James Speed on its way to Louisville. 
 
JAMES SPEED. 
 
 James Speed, son of Dr. John Speed, of Southampton, 
 England, was born in England, September 28, 1679. 
 He came to America about 1695, when he was sixteen 
 years of age. At that time the colony of Virginia num- 
 bered, all told, about 60,000 persons. The principal occu- 
 pation of the people was raising tobacco, which was 
 shipped to Europe- The part of Virginia then occupied 
 was that which lay eastwardly of the present site of Rich- 
 mond. It was after the date of James Speed's arrival that 
 "Williamsburg, the first capital, was founded. As his grand- 
 son, James, was a pioneer in Kentucky in its early days, sO' 
 this James lived in the early times of old Virginia. He 
 found his way, not long after his landing, to the county of 
 Surrey, which lay on the south side of the James, river, 
 opposite the site of Williamsburg. He, in common with 
 the other colonists of Virginia, engaged in tobacco raising, 
 and in about fifteen years he felt independent enough to 
 get married. He was then thirty-two years of age. His 
 choice was a young ladj' named Mary Pulley. They were 
 married September 6, 171 1. She was eighteen years of age 
 at the time of her marriage. The ceremony was performed 
 by Rev. John Cargill, the Episcopal, or Church of England, 
 minister of Southwark Parish in Surrey county, Virginia. 
 They lived in that county and both died there. He died 
 March 15, 17 19, aged thirty-nine. She died June 3, 1733, 
 aged forty. 
 
 They had four sons : 
 
 1. James, born June 16, 1712. 
 
 2. John, born February 5, 1714. 
 
 3. William T., born February 19, 171 6. 
 
 4. Thomas, born February 28, 1719. 
 
 (22) 
 
JAMES SPEED, WHO CAME TO AMERICA. 23 
 
 From these dates it appears that when he died his oldest 
 child was seven years of age, the second, five, the third, 
 three, and the youngest only two weeks old. 
 
 We only know of two of the children growing to man- 
 hood — John and William. There is no record of James 
 and Thomas. They may not have lived to maturity. When 
 John was nineteen and William seventeen they were 
 bereaved of their mother also, and were left to fight out 
 life's battle alone. But it is plain that they enjoyed the 
 advantages of such education as was obtainable when they 
 lived. A letter written by each one has been preserved, 
 and they show the fruits of good training and education 
 in j'outh. 
 
 Their father and mother were both excellent people, and 
 impressed upon their children ideas and principles of 
 virtue and morality and true ambition, which became an 
 inheritance to them and their posterity. 
 
WILLIAM T. SPEED. 
 
 All that is known of William T. Speed, the third son of 
 James Speed and Mary Pulley, is the date of his birth, 
 which has been preserved, and the letter already mentioned. 
 The fact that the date of his birth is preserved shows 
 that even in the times of the early colonial days this 
 family preserved its record. The date of the birth of James 
 in England, also of his wife; the date of their marriage, 
 and that the ceremony was performed by Rev. John Car- 
 gill, of Surrey county, Va. ; the date of the birth of their 
 children, and then the recording of the dates of their death, 
 all go to show a due and commendable regard for such 
 matters. 
 
 The letter of William T. Speed was written September 
 4, 1787, when he had reached the age of sixty-nine. It 
 was addressed to his grandnephew, Thomas Speed, who 
 had moved with his father, Captain James Speed, to 
 Kentucky. He says : 
 
 " I have heard by thee and thy father that thou art getting learn- 
 ing, and middling for accounts ; but Oh ! sou, wilt thou remember 
 the giver? Was it God or man? Surely all blessings come from 
 God. Therefore, remember the giver, thy Creator, in the days of 
 thy youth, before the evil day. comes. May the Lord bless thee in 
 thy youth with vigor to do his will, for there is nothing else can 
 make thee happj', so that at last, thou mayest enjoy eternal felicity 
 through Christ Jesus our Lord. I am thy affectionate uncle, 
 
 " W. T. Speed." 
 
 (24) 
 
JOHN SPEED AND MARY TAYLOR. 
 
 John Speed, the second son of James Speed and Mary 
 Pulley, was born February 5, 17 14. He lived in Mecklen- 
 burg county, Va. He married a widow named Mary 
 Taylor. Hermaidenname was Mary Minetry. They were 
 married October 6, 1737, by Rev. Henry Ealbeck, in Surrey 
 county, Va., which was the county in which James Speed 
 lived. Their married life continued for forty-five years, 
 when she died JUI3' i, 1782. He died March 8, 1785. 
 
 He was a man of large wealth, and one of the most in- 
 fluential and substantial citizens in the part of Virginia 
 where he lived. 
 
 Some special information has been obtained from an 
 old lady living in the town of Kittrel, N. C, Mrs. Eliza 
 P. Raney. Mrs. Raney was a great grand-daughter of John 
 Speed. Her mother was' a daughter of Sarah Speed Han- 
 sard, who was a daughter of John Speed. Mrs. Raney had 
 often heard her mother talk of John Speed and his children. 
 She had visited the old homestead in Mecklenburg. John 
 Speed and his wife were buried there in the family burying 
 ground, and large trees have grown over their graves. She 
 says John Speed was a great man in the Episcopal church. 
 She had his prayer-book in her possession, he having given 
 it to her grandmother, Sarah Speed Hansard. She says 
 that about a mile from the old homestead there was a 
 church known as " Speed's church," built by John Speed, 
 but it was torn down many years ago, and another was built 
 and called St. Andrews. This statement is confirmed in 
 Bishop Meade's "Old Families of Virginia." He says: 
 " There was an old house of worship in the time of Bishop 
 Ravenscroft's ministry called Speed's church." Bishop 
 Meade also says John Speed was vestryman in his parish 
 church. She says' her mother, Mrs. Phillips, had the old 
 
 (25) 
 
26 JOHN SPEED AND MARY TAYI.OR. 
 
 family Bible with all the records in it, but it went into the 
 hands of her brother, Dr. D. P. Phillips, who carried it to 
 Mississippi, where it was lost or destroyed. 
 
 A letter written by John Speed to his son, Captain James 
 Speed, and addressed to him in Kentucky, Lincoln county, 
 has been preserved. It is dated September 12, 1784. It is 
 as follows : 
 
 "My Dear Son: I do a little expect that this will be the last 
 scrape of my pen you will ever see in the land of Kentucky. I have 
 been very unwell for a }ong time. I think I am going the down-hill 
 road very fast. I am far advanced in the seventieth year of my age, 
 which is an age but few survive. 
 
 " I have had a very bad cold and cough for about twelve months. 
 I am now much troubled with fever, which has brought me very 
 weak and low. And, above all, I have a wounded spirit. Oh. a 
 wounded spirit who can bear? Perhaps you will say, why is my 
 spirit wounded? Why, my son, I know I am going tc leave this 
 countr}', and where am I going? Not to Kentucky. God only 
 knows; I do not! This is mj' grief. 
 
 " I have, at present, a very fine prospect for crops of corn. To- 
 bacco is middling. We have a little bug of some kind which has 
 hurt our wheat very much. Billy Bilbo will give you a detail of them. 
 
 '• I have had the misfortune to lose my best barn, about half full 
 of tobacco, by the carelessness of Mr. Combe. I suppose you will 
 hear from Hal by Billy Bilbo (the bearer of this letter). Sally writes 
 by him. I heard from Joseph about two months ago ; he was well 
 then. Matt and family were well about a month ago. Luc}' is about 
 setting out for North Carolina. Poor Lucy, I shall never see her 
 again, I expect. Sally, widow, is well, I believe. Johnny and little 
 Sally are living with Joe. Little Joe is at school with Mr. Petitt, 
 Betsy with Mr. Bell. 
 
 " I am glad to have you say 5-ou have good decorum in your coun- 
 try. I heartily wish it may last. You may depend upon it we are 
 very poorly ruled here. For my part I endeavor to make myself 
 easy, knowing I must soon leave this laud. My eyesight fails me so 
 much I can't see to read my great Bible, and it is with difficulty that 
 I can see to write. I am, with parental love and esteem, your aged 
 and very much distressed and disconsolate father, 
 
 "John Speed. 
 
 "P. S. Howdy old Mollie, howdy 5'oung Mollie, howdy Tommy, 
 howdy Johnny, howdy Hal, howdy all my babies. God Almighty 
 bless you and all my children. God Almighty's blessing and mine 
 
JOHN SPEED AND MARY TAYLOR. 27 
 
 "will be upon you alwaj'S ; so prays your aflfectionate father and 
 grandfather. Amen and Amen. John SpEEd. "* 
 
 In a letter written by Joseph Speed, his son, to Joseph's 
 brother, Captain James Speed, in Kentucky, dated April i8, 
 1784, he says: " Our old father is as hearty as I have known 
 him to be for a long time past." 
 
 In a letter written by Sarah Hansard, his daughter, to 
 Captain James Speed, dated August, 1786, upon the subject 
 of religion, she reminds him "of the many kind reproofs 
 and admonitions you have had from your aged father, 
 whose lips are now cold in the clay, and can never give a 
 word of fatherly advice again." 
 
 John Speed was a man of considerable fortune, and his 
 -estate, though divided among nine children, gave each one 
 a handsome share. 
 
 He died March 8, 1785, aged seventy-one years. 
 
 John Speed and Mary Taylor had seven sons and four 
 daughters : 
 
 1. John, born August 3, 1738. 
 
 2. James, born March 4, 1740. 
 
 3. Henry, born March 28, 1742. 
 
 4. Sarah, born February 14, 1743- 
 
 5. Lewis, born January 25, 1745. 
 
 6. Martha, born August 11, 1748. 
 
 7. Joseph, born May 27, 1750. 
 
 8. Ivucy, born April 11, 1752. 
 
 9. Mathias, born June 18, 1754. 
 ID. Son, died young. 
 
 II. Mary, died young. 
 
 As all the Speeds in this country are descended from 
 these nine children, each is considered as the head of a 
 branch of the family. 
 
 Four of the brothers served in the Revolutionary war, 
 and, perhaps, the others also. John, James, Lewis and 
 
 "*In this postscript the old man's feelings found expression in call- 
 ing the names of his grandchildren and their mother, who had gone 
 to the far West, and he knew he would never see them again. 
 
28 
 
 JOHN SPEED AND MARY TAYLOR. 
 
 Mathias certainly did. James was wounded but recovered. 
 Lewis was wounded and died of his wounds. All that is 
 known of these brothers and sisters, and of their de- 
 scendants, who are found in Virginia, Kentucky, New York, 
 Michigan, North Carolina, Alabama, Missouri, Illinois and 
 other States, will be given in the pages following. 
 
JOHN SPEED AND SARAH BAIRD. 
 
 FIRST BRANCH. 
 
 John Speed, the first child of John Speed and Mary 
 Taylor, was born in Virginia, August 3, 1738. He was a 
 Revolutionary soldier in the nth and 15th Virginia regi- 
 ments, which were consolidated. He served in company 
 No. II. 
 
 In 1784 he was the presiding justice in Mecklenburg 
 county, as shown by a letter written by him in response to 
 a letter from the Governor. 
 
 The following is his letter,* dated September 13, 1784, 
 addressed to the " Worshipful Court of Mecklenburg: " 
 
 " Gentlemen : I saw the Governor's letter directing us to certify, 
 €tc., with regard to the justices doing the business of the county. 
 You may depend it is with the utmost concern that I see the busi- 
 ness is not done. I shall only answer for myself. As to my former 
 conduct and behavior as a magistrate, it is well known to this county 
 in general and to most of you in particular. I am still as willing to 
 serve as ever, as far as I am able, but can do no more. I am now, 
 and have been for a long time, very unwell. 
 
 " You will please take this on my part for answer to the Gov- 
 ernor's letter. From your very humble servant, 
 
 "John. Speed." 
 
 At this date John Speed was forty-six years of age. He 
 probably died soon afterwards. In the year 1763 he was 
 married to Sarah Baird in Virginia. 
 
 Their children were five : 
 
 I. William, born 1764. 
 
 *It is probable that John Speed did not live long after the date 
 •of the letter just quoted, from the fact that in a letter written by his 
 sister, Mrs. Sarah Hansard, dated August, 1786, to her brother. Cap- 
 tain James Speed, in Kentucky, she says: "The girls, Sally and 
 Betsy Speed, still live with me." These girls were Sarah and Eliza- 
 beth, daughters of John Speed, and their living with their aunt 
 would indicate that their father had died. 
 
 (■29) 
 
30 JOHN SPEED AND SARAH BAIRD— FIRST BRANCH. 
 
 2. John, born 1766. 
 
 3. Sarah, born 1769. 
 
 4. Elizabeth, born 1770. 
 
 5. Joseph, born 1773- 
 
 The first of these, William, died without children. 
 
 The second, John, left a number of children whose 
 names will be given. 
 
 The third, Sarah, married Sherrod Burgh and her 
 descendants are in Mecklenburg, Va. 
 
 The fourth, Elizabeth, married Roger Gregory, and 
 afterwards married Daniel Middaugh. 
 
 The fifth, Joseph, was Dr. Joseph Speed, of Caroline, 
 Tompkins county, N. Y. He left seven children, whose 
 names will be given. 
 
 JOHN SPEED AND MARY WADE. 
 
 The second son aforesaid, John, married Mary Wade, of 
 Mecklenburg county, Va., July 12, 1799. She was born 
 August 22, 1 78 1. The ceremony was performed b}^ Rev. 
 Henry Patillo. Tradition says he was well educated, and 
 one of the best and kindest of men. He held a prominent 
 place in the community where he lived, and was a leading 
 man in his church. He had a numerous family. There 
 are some discrepancies in the records, but at or near the 
 dates given, the following children were born : 
 
 1. Elizabeth Julia, December 25, iSco. 
 
 2. William Henry, April 26, 1802. 
 
 3. John Joseph, October 17, 1803. 
 
 4. James Hopkins, March 2, 1805. 
 
 5. Robert, October 12, 1806. 
 
 6. Edward, October 26, 1808. 
 
 7. Maria, j ^^^j^^^ March 10, 1810. 
 
 8. Eliza, -) 
 
 9. Thomas, May, 1812. 
 
 10. Mary, 1814. 
 
 11. Harriet, 1816. 
 
JOHN SPEED AND SARAH BAIKD — FIRST BRANCH. 31 
 
 12. Sallie, 1818. 
 
 13. David Smith, January ig, 1820. 
 
 The records of some of these can be given, but not all. 
 William Henry died unmarried. 
 Robert, also, died unmarried. 
 Eliza died unmarried. 
 Sallie died unmarried. 
 
 JOHN JOSKPH SPEED. 
 
 John Joseph Speed, son of John Speed and Mary Wade, 
 was born 1803. The following is an extract from a letter 
 from his son, Robt. A. Speed, now living at Laurel, Franklin 
 county, N. C. : 
 
 " My father was educated at William and Mary College, and stud- 
 ied law and settled in Boydton, Mecklenburg county, but did not 
 practice bis profession long before he married Ann Strachan Jones 
 (my mother), whose father was a wealthy man and settled them on a 
 plantation near Buffalo Springs, where he lived only a few years, when 
 he bought Rose Hill, in Granville county, N. C, where he lived the 
 balance of his life, and died 1872, aged 75. He was buried by the 
 side of my mother at Shiloh Presbyterian church cemetery, which 
 church he and my mother joined when they first moved to Granville 
 county, and of which church he was a ruling elder until his death. 
 He was always looked up to and thought ver)' highly of for his high 
 moral character, his good sense and judgment, his politeness and 
 hospitality Being a man of means, with large agricultural and mill- 
 ing interests, he never practiced his chosen profession, but gave his 
 undivided attention to his farms and mills. He was, for years, chair- 
 man of the County Court of Granville county, it being then presided 
 over by three justices : J. J. Speed, John Bullock and Lunsford Pas- 
 chal, of which Board he was chairman for a long time. 
 
 " He was the most conscientious man I ever saw and came nearer 
 being a true and pure Christian in my eyes than any man I ever 
 knew. He was always the most conservative and the most prudent 
 man, never expressed his opinions until he had fully thought over 
 and formed conclusions, after which he was as firm as a rock." 
 
 He married Miss Ann Strachan Jones. 
 Their children were : 
 
 1. John, died in infancy. 
 
 2. Rosalie, married Thomas J. Taylor, of Virginia. 
 
32 JOHN SPEED AND SARAH BAIRD — FIRST BRANCH. 
 
 3. Robert A., married Mary P. Davis. 
 
 4. Sallie, married Dr. L. C. Pettus; moved to Forest City, 
 Arkansas. 
 
 5. John S., married Virginia Yerby, Houston, Texas. 
 
 6. Jennie, married William Boyd, of Virginia; lived in 
 Covington, Tenn. 
 
 7. Isabella, married Dr. William H. Davis; lives at Gains- 
 ville, Ga. 
 
 8. Henry, killed at battle of Ream?' Station. 
 
 9. Nannie T., married I. H. Braham, Como, Miss. 
 
 He again married Cynthia Tunstall, of Danville, Va. 
 The children of this marriage were : 
 
 1. Thomas. 
 
 2. William Henry. 
 
 3. James. 
 
 4. Ida, married R. P. Spence,- Columbus, Ga. 
 
 Robert A. Spked, third child of John J. Speed and 
 Ann Strachan Jones, married Mary Plummer Davis, of 
 Franklin county, N. C. They now live at the town of 
 Laurel, Franklin county, N. C. 
 
 Their children : 
 
 Nannie, married Captain E. M. Clayton, Georgia. 
 Robert A., married Eva Harris, North Carolina. 
 Eula Alston, married S. J. Beckwith, Georgia. 
 John Davis, married Maggie Harris. 
 Rosa Belle, married Ed. T. Alston, North Carolina. 
 Alfred Alston, unmarried. 
 Henry Plummer, unmarried. 
 Minnie S., unmarried. 
 9. Eugene D., unmarried. 
 
 10. St. Elmo M., unmarried. 
 
 EDWARD SPEED. 
 
 Edward Speed, sixth child of John Speed and Mary 
 Wade, was a physician. He lived in Granville county, N 
 C. He was the father of Joseph H. Speed, of Marion 
 Alabama. Dr. Edward Speed married Frances Young. 
 
JOHN SPEED AND SARAH BAIRD — FIRST BRANCH. 33 
 
 Their children were : 
 
 I. Virginia F., born 1832, married William Gray. 
 
 Joseph H. , born September 12, 1834. 
 
 Nannie, born 1836, married Mangan. 
 
 Susan, died. 
 
 Mary, born 1840, married Dr. Fox. 
 
 Edward, born 1842, married Mary Moore. 
 
 Joseph H. Speed, of Marion, Ala., second child of Dr. 
 Edward Speed, married Virginia M. Lockett, of Virginia. 
 Their children were : 
 
 1. Edward, born August 25, 1858. 
 
 2. Frances Virginia, born August 4, i860. 
 
 He married again Miss Pattie T. Pack, in Alabama. 
 Their children were : 
 I. John, born 1865. 
 
 James, born 1868. 
 Rosa, born 1870. 
 Alice, born 1872. 
 Pattie, born 1875. 
 Francis. 
 
 Joseph H. Speed became a prominent man in Alabama. 
 He served in the Confederate Army as a captain. He vis- 
 ited Washington about the close of the war and then met 
 Attorney-General James Speed. He afterward visited 
 Ivouisville about 1868. He was the United States Marshal 
 for the State of Alabama, and afterwards was Superintend- 
 ent of Public Instruction for the same State, and was pres- 
 ident of a large female college at Marion, Ala. He was a • 
 man of great intelligence and activity. 
 
 Dr. Edward Speed, youngest son of Dr. Edward Speed, 
 born 1842, now lives at Mt. Tirzah, in Person county, 
 N. C, practicing his profession. He is a very excellent 
 and successful physician and stands high in his profession. 
 
 JAMES HOPKINS speed. 
 
 James Hopkins Speed, son of John Speed and Mary 
 Wade, born March 2, 1805, married a Miss Lewis and moved 
 to Missouri. No record of this family has been obtained. 
 
34 JOHN SPEED AND SARAH BAIRD — FIRST BRANCH. 
 
 MARIA SPEED HARRIS. 
 
 Maria Speed, fifth child of John Speed and Mary Wade, 
 was a twin-sister of Eliza Speed, who died. She was born 
 1810. She married her first cousin, Henry Goode Speed, 
 of Tompkins county, N. Y. He was the sixth child of 
 Dr. Joseph Speed, and Dr. Joseph was a brother of the 
 father of Maria. There Vv^ere no children of this marriage. 
 He only lived four years after his marriage. 
 
 Maria again married Mr. Harris, of Mecklenburg, Va. 
 She is now a widow living in that county. 
 
 She has had no children. She, however, raised a daugh- 
 ter of her brother James. This daughter married J. P. 
 Bagby, and her son, Wm. H. Bagby, lives with Mrs- Harris. 
 At the age of eighty-three, Mrs. Harris writes without 
 glasses. She has furnished much of the information about 
 her brothers and sisters. She lives on a part of her father's 
 plantation on the river Dan, eight miles above Clarksville. 
 Her address is Bufialo lyithia Springs. 
 
 THOMAS SPEED. 
 
 Thomas Speed, son of John Speed and Mary Wade, born 
 May, 1812, married Miss Young, a sister of the wife of Dr. 
 Edward Speed, his brother. He lived in Franklinton, N. C. , 
 and was a tobacconist. He died a number of years ago 
 leaving two sons, Thomas and William. 
 
 DAVID SMITH SPEED. 
 
 David Smith Speed, son of John Speed and Mary Wade, 
 born January 19, 1820, married Miss I^ouisa Wythe. He 
 died not long after his marriage, leaving two children. 
 
 DR. JOSEPH SPEED, OF NEW YORK. 
 Joseph Speed, the fifth child of John Speed and Sarah 
 Baird (and brother of John Speed, who married Mary 
 Wade), was born in Virginia, 1773. He married Mary 
 Goodloe Harper, of Granville county, N. C , December 30, 
 1796. He studied medicine with the celebrated Dr.^^Sj^ic, 
 of Philadelphia. At the age of thirty-one, in the year 1804, 
 
Of 
 
 Tompkms county„N. Y. From a wood engraving 
 
 DR. JOSEPH SPEED, 
 
 furnished by his granddaughter, Miss Sallie P. Speed. 
 
JOHN SPEED AND SARAH BAIRD — FIRST BRANCH. 35 
 
 he went on a prospecting tour to New York State. The 
 central and western parts of New York were then unset- 
 tled and called the wilderness. He traveled through the 
 State from the Hudson to I^ake Erie. He purchased sev- 
 eral thousand acres of land in the county then called 
 Oswego, in the portion which later became Tompkins 
 county. ■ 
 
 The following spring (1805) found him journeying to his 
 new home in the wilderness with his wife, four little chil- 
 dren, a niece and a number of slaves. The journey from 
 Virginia to Tompkins county, New York, lasted six weeks. 
 Dr. Speed, though not the first settler in this section of 
 New York, was among the earliest and became the most 
 important figure in the new settlement. He was one of the 
 first men of means identified with the place. He was 
 a man of large frame, being six feet in height and his 
 weight two hundred. He was a strikingly handsome man 
 with deep blue eyes. His character and reputation were 
 such as to give him a commanding influence, and he was 
 looked up to and reverenced as no other man was in a 
 wide circle of acquaintances. His letters and printed 
 addresses show that he was a man of learning and culture. 
 Among his correspondents was his first cousin, Major 
 Thomas Speed, of Bardstown, Ky. They seem to have 
 been much alike in character and they had a warm affection 
 for each other. 
 
 About the same time that Dr. Joseph Speed moved to 
 Tompkins county, New York, his uncle, Henry Speed, also 
 moved to the same place. The families established them- 
 selves in a settlement, and the little village became a post- 
 ofBce town called Speedville. A son of Henry Speed, John 
 James Speed, was post-master at one time. Dr. Joseph 
 Speed and his cousin, John James, lived on large tracts of 
 land adjoining each other. They both owned the slaves, 
 which they took with them from Virginia, until slavery 
 was abolished in New York. 
 
 Following is a letter written by Dr. Joseph Speed to 
 Richard Hansard, who married Sarah Speed, and lived in 
 Virginia: 
 
36 JOHN SPEKD AND SARAH BAIRD— FIRST BRANCH. 
 
 " Oswego, October 12, 1805. 
 " Unci,E Hansard : I feel it a duty I owe to you to send you a 
 few lines by Mr. Patillo, who will probably soon start for Granville. 
 "Knowing the little opinion you have of people moving to new 
 countries, I thought it would be some satisfaction for you to hear 
 that we were well pleased with the one we have found and feel well 
 paid for the trouble of moving so great a distance. I must not tell 
 you all the fine tales about our country lest I should tetapt you to 
 break up and move here immediately. This, I think, would be 
 rather an imprudent step for you, considering how well fixed you 
 are there. However, we should be glad to have you for a neighbor 
 upon almost any terms. 
 
 " I have written to the gentlemen of the store some little account 
 of our corn and potatoes. If I were to write you the truth about our 
 garden, dairy, pastures, hay, etc., I don't know whether I would be 
 believed, even where I was raised and am known not to be given to 
 telling lies. 
 
 " In the course of a few years, when we get better fixed for living 
 and raising crops, I suppose I shan't dare tell all the news for fear I 
 shall be given up for a common story-teller. However, we shall 
 have the pleasure, at least, of faring sumptuously, though we may be 
 afraid to tell of it lest we shouldn't be believed. All that we shall 
 ask will be for our friends to come and see us and know for them- 
 selves the truth of the matter. Such as have no wish to move from 
 their old country I would advise to arm themselves strongly against 
 temptations, for I don't know but even you yourself, who think so 
 little of moving, would be tempted, strongly tempted, to break up 
 and begin the world anew in this land of good things. But I must 
 break ofi" from this subject to tell you we enjoy abundance of good 
 health and ask you how you. Aunt Sally and the little toads are. 
 I wish you abundance of health and happiness, and hope you may 
 enjoy both. Polly joins me in sending our best love, requesting you 
 to present the same to Cousin Polly, Cousin Sally and their families. 
 We shall always be glad to hear from you. 
 
 " Believe me to be sincerely yours, 
 
 "Joseph Speed. 
 "Mr. Richard Hansard, Mecklenburg, Virginia." 
 
 The following extract from a letter about Dr. Joseph 
 Speed, written by his granddaughter, Sally Peters Speed, of 
 Tompkins county, N. Y., is so expressive it is given here ■ 
 
 " Joseph Speed married Mary Goodloe Harper, sister of General 
 Harper, of Revolutionary fame, who married a daughter of Charle 
 Carroll, of CarroUton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Inde- 
 
JOHN SPEED AND SARAH BAIRD — FIRST BRANCH. 37 
 
 penddnce. They moved to Tompkins county, N. Y., early in the 
 present century. Grandmother died beloved by all. In 1847, grand- 
 father, feeling his end drawing near, started for Virginia, saying he 
 wished his bones to lie in his native soil. But he only lived to reach 
 Baltimore, Md., where his eldest son lived, and there he is buried. 
 He left seven children, but one of whom is now living (1876) , William. 
 Two of his sons were lawyers, two farmers, two died unmarried. 
 Henry married his cousin, Maria Speed, and left no children. 
 William has nine children, and there are six of us —father's children." 
 
 Her father was the youngest child of Dr. Joseph Speed 
 — James Richard. 
 
 The following obituary of Dr. Joseph Speed was written 
 by Hon. B. G. Ferris, one of the ablest lawyers of Ithaca. 
 It was furnished for these memoirs by Miss Sallie P. Speed : 
 
 " The announcement of the decease of our fellow-citizen, Dr. 
 Joseph Speed, at the residence of his son in Baltimore on the 23d 
 instant (December, 1847), though not wholly unexpected, is received 
 with no ordinary emotion. He had, indeed, reached an advanced 
 age in the journey of life and we could not, in the usual course of 
 mortality, hope for a much longer sojourn with us, but he belonged 
 to the generation of great men, and we feel that the world of mind 
 suffers a void in his absence. 
 
 " Dr. Speed has filled a large space in the estimation and affections 
 of his widely-extended acquaintance, possessing an intellect acute, 
 philosophical and commanding, which was continually exerted in 
 efforts to promote the good of his fellows. He has left an influ- 
 ence which must long survive his mortal remains. 
 
 " Dr. Speed was a native of Virginia, and early in life was mar- 
 ried to a sister of the celebrated Robert Goodloe Harper. On 
 account of the unhealthiness of the climate of his native State, he 
 and other Virginia families removed to the town of Caroline, this 
 county, in 1805, where he continued to reside until his death. For 
 a time he continued the practice of his profession as a physician, but 
 his tastes led him into extensive agricultural pursuit and his profes- 
 sion was eventually laid aside except occasional visits of benevolence. 
 
 " His marriage relationship furnishes one of those beautiful 
 instances of mutual attachment, continuing through a long life and 
 outliving youth and mere personal attractions, which we read of but 
 seldom see. This connection was terminated, so far as time is con- 
 cerned, by the decease of Mrs. Speed about two years ago, an event 
 which produced a marked effect upon the survivor, so much so that 
 an allusion to the subject would often break down the stoicism nat- 
 ural to a strong understanding and melt him to tears. 
 
38 JOHN SPEED AND SARAH BAIRD— FIRST BRANCH. 
 
 " Dr. Speed, at an early period of his life, became an ardent sup- 
 porter of that great scheme of benevolence — the colonization of 
 emancipated slaves — which has resulted in the establishment of a 
 growing republic on the coast of Africa. Originally a slave-holder 
 himself, he clearly saw the whole evil of slavery and the necessity 
 of its earliest practical extinguishment. He likewise entered with 
 great zeal and efficiency into the temperance movement from its 
 very commencement. The success of this cause within this State 
 was mainly owing to his untiring efforts with pen and purse, word 
 and deed, in connection with comparatively few kindred spirits, who 
 cordially appreciated each other's views and motives. His essays 
 and correspondence on the subjects of colonization and temperance 
 would form a volume of great interest. His thoughts were, how- 
 ever, by no means confined to these subjects, but embraced a great 
 variety of topics, and he invariably clothed them in a pleasant and 
 fascinating garb. 
 
 " The subject of this sketch was a gentleman in the true sense of 
 the term ; dignified in his deportment, he possessed an intuitive 
 sense of what was due to others, and was keenly indignant at any- 
 thing which bordered on meanness or injustice. He possessed 
 extraordinary powers as a controversialist; fair, honorable and 
 courteous when his adversary, was worthy of him, but unsparing of 
 the lash in a case proper for its infliction. 
 
 " His education was highly finished. His literary taste possessed 
 too much severity to allow him to be an orator. He was quick to 
 detect the use of inappropriate words common to fluent speakers, 
 and this quality may have discouraged any effort on his part in popu- 
 lar assemblies. But this severity of taste enabled him to wield a 
 powerful pen. His style of composition was chaste and polished, 
 and, as the servant, an instrument of great power. 
 
 " He was so perfectly a master of language when committing his 
 thoughts to paper that he could play with his subject at will. How- 
 ever dry or abstrusive the subject, he invariably presented it in a 
 drapery so attractive as to keep up the interest to the end. His 
 mind was remarkably sociable and communicative. Nothing de- 
 lighted him more, when leisure permitted, than to correspond with 
 particular friends on subjects connected with literary criticisms in a 
 humorous, playful manner. He kept up with the intelligence of the 
 age in which he lived and made himself an agreeable and instruct- 
 ive companion to the young as well as the aged. 
 
 " Dr. Speed was warm in his attachments. His friends could not 
 help loving him. His intercourse with them exhibited all the con- 
 fiding tenderness of childhood. His confidence once bestowed could 
 not easily be shaken, and he took pleasure in showing it was 
 unbounded. In this respect he united the simplicity of the child to 
 
JOHN SPEED AND SARAH BAIRD — FIRST BRANCH. 39 
 
 the wisdom of the sage, and his friends, while basking in the sun- 
 shine of his affection, felt proud of the distinction shown him. 
 
 "Religious subjects were, with him, frequent topics of discourse 
 and correspondence. Religion was, with him, a rule of life, a sys- 
 tem of good works from good ends. He reposed with confidence 
 and reverence upon the truths of revelation, and looked with the 
 calm eye of Christian philosophy on the future. 
 
 "He became sensible when he left for the South that the proba- 
 bilities were against his return, and he calmly arranged his affairs 
 and set his house in order preparatory to the coming emergency. 
 His anticipations have proved too true. He has gone from amongst 
 us at the age of seventy-four years — a green old age— leaving to us 
 the richest legacy which a man can leave to his fellows — a great and 
 good name. 
 
 " This rapid and meager sketch is felt by the author to be far 
 beneath the merits of its subject, but he makes it as an humble 
 offering to that much-cherished friendship which he hopes will be 
 renewed beyond the grave." 
 
 The wife of Dr. Joseph Speed is described as in every 
 way a worthy partner of her excellent husband She was 
 above the average height, unusually handsome, of great 
 intelligence and sweet and winning manner. 
 
 Their married life was extended over a period of nearly 
 fifty years, from 1796 to 1845, when she died at the age of 
 seventy-one. 
 
 They had ten children, five of whom were born in Vir- 
 ginia, and five in the " wilderness" of New York : 
 
 1. Joseph John, born November 18, 1797. 
 
 2. Mary Harper, born December 15, 1799. 
 
 3. Son, died 1801. 
 
 4. Robert Harper, born November 29, 1802. 
 
 5. William Patillo, born November 20, 1804. 
 
 6. Henry Goode, born September 14, 1807. 
 
 7. Son, born and died 1809. 
 
 8. Son, born and died . 
 
 9 Diana Caroline, born October 12, 181 1- 
 10. James Richard, born March 20, 181 5. 
 
 JOSEPH JOHN SPEED. 
 
 Joseph John Speed, the oldest son of Dr. Joseph Speed, 
 born November 18, 1797. He lived in Baltimore, Md., and 
 
40 JOHN SPEED AND SARAH BAIRD — FIRST BRANCH. 
 
 became a lawyer of distinction and a leading citizen of that 
 city and State. He lost his life by the explosion of the 
 steamer Henry Clay on the Hudson river, July 28, 1852, at 
 the age of fifty-four years and eight months. He never 
 married. He was engaged to be married to Miss Isabella 
 Steele, who died suddenly, and he never formed another 
 attachment. Mr. James Speed, of Louisville, Ky. (Attorney- 
 General), knew him, and had a very high opinion of him as 
 a lawyer. He visited him at his apartments in Baltimore, 
 where he lived as a bachelor in handsome style. He lived 
 on Gay street, near Lombard street, then a fashionable part 
 of the cit}^ but now entirely used for business purposes. 
 
 He became an intimate friend of Jerome Bonaparte, who, 
 having married a wealthy American lad>^, made his home in 
 Baltimore, where he died in 1870. Their tastes seem to 
 have been congenial, and they were much together. 
 
 He was an excellent lawyer, and had an unusually large 
 chancery practice which brought him many trusteeships. 
 
 In the year 1844 he was a candidate for the Whig nomi- 
 nation for Governor of Maryland, but was beaten by Thos. 
 G. Pratt, who received the nomination and was elected. 
 His interest in public affairs is shown by the further fact 
 that he wrote and published an argument against Repudi- 
 ation. Maryland was at that time largely in debt, and the 
 Whig party, of which he was an ardent member, favored the 
 pajmient of the debt, while repudiation was strongly urged 
 by the opposing party. He made nioney, but spent it 
 lavishly. 
 
 In the year 1852 he made a trip to Albany, N. Y., on busi- 
 ness, and when returning lost his life by the explosion of 
 the steamer Henry Clay, as stated. 
 
 He is said to have been a man of many tine qualities and 
 of first-class abilit}'. 
 
 MARY HARPER SPEED. 
 
 Mary Harper Speed, second child of Dr. Joseph Speed, 
 married Judge Amasa Dana, of Ithaca, N. Y. He was the 
 son of the distinguished jurist and author, Francis Dana, 
 and brother of Richard H. Dana. He was, himself, one of 
 
JOHN SPBED AND SARAH BAIRD — FIRST BRANCH. 41 
 
 the most distinguished lawyers and judges of New York. 
 He was a member of the New York As.sembly 1828-9, and 
 member of Congress from 1839 to 1841 and from 1843 to 
 1845. His wife, Mary Harper Speed, was noted for her 
 beauty. Those who knew described her as the handsomest 
 woman they ever saw. She died April, 1873. 
 There were no children of this marriage. 
 
 ROBERT HARPER SPEED. 
 
 Robert Harper Speed, fourth child of Dr. Joseph Speed, 
 was a young man of the finest talents. He was a lawyer 
 in Ithaca, and is remembered there b}' the older inhab- 
 itants as a brilliant and most promising young lawyer. 
 He died November 18, 1829, at the age of twenty-nine, and 
 was buried b}- the side of his mother at " Spring Farm," 
 the old homestead. He never married. 
 
 WILLIAM PATILLO SPEED. 
 
 William Patillo Speed, fifth child of Dr. Joseph Speed, 
 was a farmer in Tompkins county. (The name " Patillo " 
 was the name of a clergyman in Virginia, a friend of the 
 family.) He was twice married ; first, to Susan Hoard, 
 of Vermont. They had one child, Mary Harper, who 
 married, first, Mr. F. Reed Dana. Of this marriage were 
 born George, who died unmarried, and Clara, who married 
 Wni. Snow. They have three sons, Dana, Simon and 
 George. 
 
 Mary Harper married second, Joel Evans. Their children 
 were Susan, William and Harry. Susan married Ernest 
 Winchel and lives at De Ruyter, N. Y. She has one child. 
 
 William P. Speed married second, Frances Hubbard, who 
 belonged to a well-known and excellent New England 
 family. She is still living, seventy-seven years old. 
 
 The children of this marriage were : 
 
 Joseph John, born 1837, who married Miss Mary Thomas. 
 He died at the age of twenty -eight, and his wife soon 
 after. No children. 
 
 Susan Frances, married C. H. Morrell. They live at 
 Augusta, 111. They have two sons, Charles Gardner and 
 
42 JOHN SPEED AND SARAH BAIRD — FIRST BRANCH. 
 
 Fred Speed, the first-named having recently married Miss 
 Pitney. 
 
 Daniel Hubbard, born 1841. He married Miss Sarah 
 Chambers. He died in Texas. 
 
 Virginia Louise, married James Freeman, of Ithaca, N. 
 Y., who died. She has no children. 
 
 Amasa Dana, married Miss Emma Thompson, of Denver, 
 Col. They live in Wellington, Kan. He is proprietor of 
 the Arlington Hotel. 
 
 WiLHELMiNA, born 1849, married H. W. Skinner. They 
 lived in St. Louis, but removed to Augusta, 111. , where they 
 both died, leaving a son, who is engaged in mercantile 
 business. 
 
 RoLLiN H., married Miss Hughs, of St. Joe, Mo. They 
 reside in New Mexico on an extensive ranch. Thej^ have 
 one child, William P. 
 
 Fannie, married George Bissell, who is Professor of 
 Mechanical Arts in a State college at Ames, Iowa. 
 
 Julia Isabel, married F. M. Wilson, son of Professor 
 Wilson, of Cornell University. 
 
 The aforesaid William Patillo Speed was thrown from his 
 horse and killed at the age of seventy-five. He lived on a 
 farm adjoining the " Spring Farm " homestead in Tompkins 
 county, N. Y. 
 
 henry goode speed. 
 
 Henry Goode Speed, sixth child of Dr. Joseph Speed, 
 married his first cousin, Maria Speed (as already mentioned), 
 who was a daughter of John Speed and Mary Wade, of 
 Virginia. They went to Virginia and lived at the old home 
 in Mecklenburg. They had no children. He only lived 
 four years after his marriage. She afterwards married Mr. 
 Harris, and is now living at Buffalo Lithia Sprino-s, Va., 
 aged eighty-three years. 
 
 DIANA CAROLINE SPEED. 
 
 Diana Caroline Speed, ninth child of Dr. Joseph Speed 
 was born 1811, the year the town of Caroline, Tompkins 
 county, N. Y., was founded. On that account she was 
 
JOHN SPEED AND SARAH BAIRD — FIRST BRANCH. 48 
 
 named Caroline. She married Vincent Conrad, of Ithaca, 
 N. Y. She died July 4, 1842, aged thirty years. 
 Their children were : 
 
 1. Joseph Speed Conrad, born 1833. He was a West 
 Point graduate, and became the colonel of the 25th United 
 States Infantry. He served in command of the regular 
 United States troops in the Army of the Potomac, participat - 
 ing in its campaigns and engagements from the beginning to 
 the end of the war. His name has frequent mention in the 
 oflBcial records and historic accounts as a faithful and efficient 
 officer. He was promoted tq the colonelcy of his regiment 
 and served with it, and in command of various posts in the 
 West until his death, which occurred 1892. Those who 
 knew him de.scribe him as a fine, good fellow and an excel- 
 lent officer, strikingly handsome, and luxurious in his tastes 
 and style of living. 
 
 He left one son, Hugh V. Conrad, who lives at Cooper- 
 town, N. Y. 
 
 2. The second son of Diana Speed Conrad and Vincent 
 Conrad was George Vincent Conrad, born 1835, and died in 
 Chicago, 1 87 1. He was unmarried. 
 
 3. The third child was Caroline Conrad, born 1839. She 
 married John Lawrence, of Ithaca, N. Y. They have one 
 child, Antoinette, a graduate of Cornell University, and now 
 an instructor of L,atin and Greek in a school in New York 
 City. 
 
 JAMES RICHARD SPEED. 
 
 James Richard Speed, tenth child of Dr. Joseph Speed, 
 was born in Tompkins county, N. Y., March 20, 1815. He 
 was a well-educated, accomplished, and highly intellectual 
 man, and, but for the sad fact that he lost his life at the early 
 age of thirty-nine, he would have achieved noticeable dis- 
 tinction. His letters .show that while attending the courts 
 in Albany, N. Y. , and at Wa.shington, he was a keen and 
 intelligent observer. The following is an extract from a 
 letter to his wife, written in Philadelphia, January 26, 1850: 
 
 "I mentioned in my letter from Washington that I was about to 
 call upon the President. I did so next morning in company with 
 
44 JOHN SPEED AND SARAH BAIRD — FIRST BRANCH. 
 
 Wilmot. We were shown into the General's parlor and had half an 
 hour's conversation with him alone. The old fellow is as fat as a 
 bear, and was very agreeable ; talked of his change of life, from the 
 active duties of the iield to the more sedentary duties of his present 
 high ofBce, and, if I am not greatly mistaken, the old man would 
 gladly exchange places now with General Scott. I was much pleased 
 with him. He is very plain and old-fashioned in his appearance, 
 but evidently well bred. I told liiiii he had many friends at the 
 North, but that I was a Democrat I thought I would mention that 
 fact for fear the old d — 1 would think I was after office, and it seemed 
 to have a good effect upon him, tor he was extremely talkative and 
 agreeable afterward. I suppose he is dogged to death by Whigs 
 calling upon him for favors, and, whenever guests are announced, 
 he is suspicious they are after the crumbs from his table. 
 
 " Mr. Calhoun is very ill. I did not, of course, see him, but I saw 
 all the other great men of the day. 
 
 "Tell Chancey that I heard Henrj' Clay make a speech which 
 started the tears from my eyes. I stood very near him in the Senate 
 and heard every word, which was uttered with great distinctness. 
 It was in support of a resolution, offered by himself, authorizing the 
 purchase for the Government of Washington's farewell address in 
 his own handwriting. Clay's allusions to the character of Washing- 
 ton were far too overpowering for me, and, before I was aware of it, 
 the tears came tumbling down, down, down ; and, looking about me, 
 I saw a great number troubled with the same complaint. C]a}''s 
 eloquence is beyond all description. The Senate' was as still as 
 death, and all eyes were upon the old fellow from the beginning to 
 the end. 
 
 " He was followed by Webster, who also enchained his hearers for 
 some time with encomiums upon the Father of his country. Web- 
 ster, although a great man and a great orator, can not touch the 
 sympathies like Clay. He argues, reasons and debates well and has 
 not a superior, but Clay makes them all cry.'' 
 
 In a letter from Albany, N. Y., to his wife, dated January 
 12, 1850, after speaking of the Supreme Court, Legislature, 
 hotels, and the people he has met, he says : 
 
 " I have been more amused with the appearance of Dr. Brandreth 
 the pill-man, than any man I have met. He is a senator from West- 
 chester. He is about the size and age of Jerry Beebe, and his man- 
 ner precisely like his in his palmiest days, wears gold spectacles 
 and struts prodigiously, wealthy as a Jew, pays forty dollars per 
 week for his board and rooms and tells his landlord to charge him 
 ten dollars per day for wine whether he drinks it or not." 
 
JOHN SPEED AND SARAH BAIRD — FIRST BRANCH. 46 
 
 In the year 1854, May 5th, upon his father's farm in 
 Tompkins county, N. Y., he was carrying a young lamb to 
 a place of shelter during a thunderstorm, and while doing 
 so he was struck by hghtning and killed. 
 
 He was married to Miss Frances C Peters, of Philadelphia, 
 March 28, 1838. She is still living, an excellent and lovely 
 woman, in Tompkins county, N. Y. 
 
 She belonged to a most highly esteemed family in Phila- 
 delphia of English descent and connection. 
 
 The children of this marriage were : 
 
 Mary Caroline, born February 3, 1839. She married 
 Judge W. M. Boyer and lived in Winfield, Kan., when she 
 died, 1879, aged thirty -nine. Their children were Richard 
 Speed Boyer and Fanny Speed Boj^er. 
 
 Richard Peters Speed, born February 23, 1841. He 
 served in the Civil war under General Custer, and died from 
 injuries received. No children. 
 
 Robert Goodloe Harper Speed was- a prominent and 
 accomplished man in Tompkins county, N. Y. Graduate of 
 Cornell University, full of enterprise and public .spirit, and 
 has been honored with a number of important positions of 
 trust by his fejlow-citizens. He married Miss Romelia Van 
 Pelt, of Dryden, N. Y., in 1872. Their children were 
 Robert L., Bessie, Mary Harper, Lorenzo D., and Fmma R. 
 
 Henry L- Speed, born in 1847. He married Cora Tyman 
 in 1872. Their children were E- Maude, James Richard and 
 Winifred. They live at Caroline, Tompkins county, N. Y. 
 
 Jessie Harper Speed married Henry A. Graham, Decem- 
 ber 18, 1878. They live at Enfield, Tompkins county, N. Y. 
 Their children were Samuel Herbert and Fanny Speed. 
 
 SalliE Peters Speed is unmarried and lives with her 
 mother at61aterville Springs, Tompkins county, N. Y. She 
 visited Touisville in 1878, and it is to her industrious hand, 
 warm heart and intelligent head that much of the material 
 in this book is due. 
 
 James Richard Speed, youngest child of James Richard 
 Speed, died a child. 
 
HENRY SPEED AND ELIZABETH 
 J. SPENCER. 
 
 THIRD BRANCH. 
 
 [Although the second son, James, would come at this 
 place in order of ages, Henry is here given because of his 
 association, and that of his descendants, with the descendants 
 of the first son, John, in Tompkins county. New York. J 
 
 Henry Speed, the third son of John Speed and Mary 
 Taylor, was born in Virginia, March 28, 1742. As his 
 brothers, John, James, Mathias and I^ewis, served in the 
 Revolutionary war, it is not unlikely he did also, though it 
 can not be stated positively. 
 
 He married, September 9, 1772, Elizabeth Julia Spencer. 
 She was, in all probability, a sister of Mary Spencer, who 
 married his brother James. Thej' were daughters of Thomas 
 Spencer, and they had a brother, Thomas Spencer, Jr. , who 
 is mentioned several times in a letter dated at " Robert 
 Burton's, on Nutbush, i8th April, 1784," from Joseph Speed 
 to his brother. Captain James Speed, then in Kentucky. The 
 letter begins thus : ' ' Dear brother : Yours of the 25th 
 February last I received a few days ago at Mr. Thomas 
 Spencer, Jr.'s, of whom I received 4,521 pounds of tobacco." 
 The names given to their children by the two brothers, 
 James and Henry, indicate that they married sisters. Both 
 had daughters named Elizabeth and Mary. 
 
 Henry Speed was called " Hal " by his father and brothers. 
 His father writing to Captain James Speed in Kentucky in 
 1784 mentions his brother, " Hal," as well as all of his own 
 children. Joseph Speed also mentions " Brother Hal " in a 
 letter. 
 
 Henry Speed lived in Virginia until 1805, when he 
 removed with his family to that part of New York State 
 which is'now Tompkins county. At that period also occurred 
 
 (46) 
 
HSNRY SPEED AND ELIZABETH SPENCER — THIRD BRANCH. 47 
 
 the removal to that section of Dr. Joseph Speed with his 
 family, the latter being a nephew of Henry Speed. These 
 families took with them a number of slaves, and the place 
 of their location in the then wilderness of New York was 
 called Speedville. It became a post-office town. 
 
 Henry Speed settled in his New York home and there 
 spent the remainder of his life. He died in 1822 at the age 
 of eight}^ and was buried on his farm about one mile from 
 the home of Dr. Joseph Speed. 
 
 He was a man of happy temperament, fond of jokes, 
 and, like his brother, James, had a natural turn for mak- 
 ing puns and rhymes. He was a man of considerable 
 means, having inherited land and slaves from his father, and 
 being prosperous himself. 
 
 The children of Henry Speed and Elizabeth Julia Spencer 
 were as follows : 
 
 1. Spencer, born January 21, 1775 ; died June 28, 1818. 
 
 2. Henry, born July 6, 1776 ; died young. 
 
 3. John James, 
 
 , , 11 J T> 11 f twins, born November 10, 1777. 
 
 4. Mary, called Polly, j ' > / / / 
 
 5. Elizabeth Julia, born August 12, 178c; died Feb- 
 ruary 9, 1808. 
 
 6. William, born July 17, 1784; died July 5, 1815. 
 
 7. Joseph Flournoy, born September 8, 1788, died May 11, 
 1819. 
 
 JOHN JAMES SPEED. 
 
 John James Speed, third son of Henry Speed, was born in 
 Virginia, November 10, 1777, being twin-brother of Mary 
 Speed, who married Robert W. Hyde. 
 
 He went with his father from Virginia to New York in 
 1803, and made his home, for the greater portion of his life, 
 in that portion of the State which became Tompkins county. 
 He lived at Caroline, and also at Ithaca, and for a time was 
 the postmaster of the town of Speedville. 
 
 Before his removal from Virginia he married Lucy Swep- 
 SON. This was in 1 801, when he was twenty-two years of 
 age. 
 
48 HENRY SPEED AND ELIZABETH SPENCER — THIRD BRANCH. 
 
 The following letter written by him to his cousin, Major 
 Thomas Speed, of Bardstown, Ky., is full of interest : 
 
 " Ithaca, 22d September, 183^. 
 
 " Cousin Thomas : I am really glad to hear from you. Am much 
 pleased with your letter to the Rev. Spencer Clack. It is possible 
 I mentioned it in my letter to you, or you may have heard by the 
 way of the Doctor, that myself wife, sister and daughter, Martha 
 Caroline, all belong to the Methodist E. church. My daughter, 
 Eliza Julia, lives with her brother. She, however, is to be married 
 soon to a pious young man, a Presbyterian, which suits very well, 
 she also being a Presb3'terian. 
 
 "John James, who cares but little about religion, has taken sides 
 altogether with the Episcopal church. 
 
 " From your saying ' our society ' in your (printed) letter to Rev. 
 Mr. Clack, one might suppose you are a member of his church. 
 Are you ? 
 
 "la the list of letters received by the editor of the Christian 
 Advocate, as mentioned some weeks ago, I think I saw the name of 
 T. Speed. Was it you? It's possible, indeed, that you may be a 
 Methodist. Please let me know from 3'ou on this subject. 
 
 " Very unfortunately for me when I first came to this country, in 
 1803, I made a large purchase in wild lands, which has proved to be 
 very unprofitable. I have always had something of a disposition to 
 move to the West; I do not suppose I shall, but if I were, Cincinnati • 
 would be the place to which I would probablj' go. How far are you 
 from that place ? 
 
 "I meddle but little in politics. The three parties here (Jackson, 
 Clay and Wirt) all think they will get the majority. Anything but 
 Jackson for me. I always have been opposed to Masonry, and yet 
 I am not called a political anti-Mason. I would, in some things, 
 prefer Wirt to Clay, but would be perfectly satisfied with either. 
 I am truly sorry that Dr. Joseph Speed and my son have taken sides 
 with the Jacksonians, and Robert H. Hyde, who married Sister Polly 
 being a full-blooded Mason, has turned to the Jackson party, because 
 he is so much opposed to the anti-Masons. I say anything but 
 Jackson. 
 
 " My mother is yet alive and in tolerable health. The rest of us 
 ara as well as usual. My best love to all my kinsfolk. 
 
 "Very respectfully, John jAMES Speed. 
 
 " By the time I get an answer from you, or before, I shall give up 
 my commission as postmaster. I shall recommend my son, who is 
 the assistant postmaster, and he will probably be appointed. I 
 think it prudent, as I do not live at Speedville, to resign. 
 
 "J-J. S." 
 
JOHN JAMES SPEED, Jr., 
 
 OF MICHIGAN, 
 
HENRY SPEED AND ELIZABETH SPENCER— THIRD BRANCH. 49 
 
 John James Speed moved from Tompkins county, N. Y., 
 to Detroit, and shortly before his death he moved to Gorham, 
 Me., where he died, aged eighty-two. The removal to 
 Maine was that he might be with his son. Colonel Speed, 
 vs^hose business located him there and whose remarkable 
 career is given below. 
 
 The children of John James Speed and Lucy Swepson 
 were : 
 
 1. John James, born July 20, 1803. 
 
 2. Elizabeth Julia, 
 
 After the death of his wife, Lucy Swepson, he was again 
 married to Mary T. Nicholson, who died June 5, 1854. 
 They had one child : 
 
 Martha Caroline, born January 17, 1815. 
 
 The second above, Elizabeth Julia, married Cuyler, 
 
 of New York. 
 
 COLONEL JOHN JAMES .SPEED. 
 
 John James Speed, son of John James Speed, was born in 
 Mecklenburg county, Va., 1803, about the time his father 
 and grandfather, together with Dr. Joseph Speed, were 
 malting the removal from Virginia to New York. Through 
 a long and useful life he was known as Colonel Speed. His 
 connection with the business of telegraphy, in the early 
 stages of its development, made him a noted man in New 
 York and other States. Upon his death in 1867, which 
 occurred in Brooklyn, N. Y., the newspapers published 
 extended accounts of his life, and from them this sketch is 
 largely made up. Colonel Speed's youth was spent in agri- 
 cultural pursuits, but when he reached manhood he entered 
 upon a mercantile career in Ithaca, N. Y. This he gave up 
 after a few years to cultivate and improve a body of land 
 nearly one thousand acres in extent in Tompkins county, N. Y. 
 In 1836 he sold the land and again engaged in business in 
 Ithaca. He connected himself with one of the largest 
 woolen mills then in America, located at Ithaca. 
 
50 HENRY SPEED AND ELIZABETH SPENCER — THIRD BRANCH. 
 
 "Colonel Speed," says one of these papers, "was a man of large 
 and capacious abilities, and these were studiously and unremittingly 
 improved through life by close and careful observation and reflection. 
 His reading was unstinted, especially in the practical departments 
 of life. Chemistry and mechanism were favorite pursuits with him, 
 and the sympathy of thought which these inspired, combined with 
 a kind disposition and courteous manners, secured him a wider 
 and more friendly relationship with a greater number of men dis- 
 tinguished in our country for practical learning and of large enter- 
 prises than any other individual with whom intercourse with men 
 for thirty years has made us acquainted. 
 
 " A man so marked by large and intelligent views and notable for 
 integrity of purpose could not escape the claims of the public ; con- 
 sequently, in 1832, he was elected a member of the Legislature 
 of New York. He also held various places of public trust. In 1840 
 te was presidential elector of the Whig party. Until middle age he 
 was an active supporter of the military system of the States, and 
 lield various grades of office under commissions from Governor 
 DeWitt Clinton." 
 
 In 1846 Colonel Speed became associated with Mr. Ezra 
 Cornell (the founder of Cornell University) for the establish- 
 ment of the telegraph system in Western New York. He* 
 also became president and practically the sole manager of 
 the line from Buffalo to Chicago. While engaged in these 
 enterprises he resided with his family in Detroit. 
 
 In 1859 he was associated with business men of New York 
 in extending the lines of the American Telegraph Company 
 throughout the country. In 1862 he established an inde- 
 pendent line from Portland, Me., to Washington City. His 
 business led him to remove from Detroit to Maine, where he 
 spent the latter part of his life. 
 
 In Shaffner's Telegraph Manual it is said of Col. Speed : 
 
 " His parents belonged to a very old family of the ancient Com- 
 monwealth of Virginia, well known and of the old patriotic school. 
 
 "From 1832 to 1846," says Shaffner, "Col. Speed made many 
 experiments, having in view the perfection of telegraphing. He 
 was aided by Mr. Charles J. Johnson, of Oswego, N. Y. Their 
 attention was at first directed to the visual system, and they suc- 
 ceeded in making some very valuable improvements, greatly facili- 
 tating the transmission of intelligence by semaphore. In 1S37 they 
 sent their improvements to the Emperor Nicholas, of Russia, and in 
 return received a highly complimentary letter fully appreciating 
 
HBNRY SPEED AND ELIZABETH SPENCER— THIRD BRANCH. 51 
 
 the invaluable services they had rendered to the imperial gov- 
 ernment. 
 
 " These gentlemen," says he, " devised means of communicating 
 intelligence by electricity, but as they did not press their discoveries 
 to an early fruition, other systems were introduced and became gen- 
 erally accepted." 
 
 When Col. Speed died the Rev. Theodore L,. Cuyler, of 
 New York, wrote the following, which was published at the 
 time, June, 1867: 
 
 " On last monday afternoon was borne to Greenwood cemetery 
 the remains of a man so remarkable for mental powers and noble- 
 ness of character that he well deserves a tribute in your columns. 
 Col. John James Speed was born in Virginia, 1803, but spent his 
 early life among the hills in Tompkins county, N. Y. During 
 his residence in Ithaca his fertile brain invented a system of tele- 
 graphing by light signals which was adopted by the Russian gov- 
 ernment. When Professor Morse produced his magnetic telegraph, 
 Col. Speed and his intimate friend, Hon. Ezra Cornell, founder of 
 the University, zaere most efficient co-workers with the eminent Pro- 
 fessor in introducing and perfecting the apparatus. With many 
 scientific inventions and public enterprises Col. Speed was inti- 
 mately connected. At Detroit he was the president of the Western 
 Telegraph Company, and at Portland, Me., he established the. inde- 
 pendent line to Washington. 
 
 " He was not only ingenious in invention but powerful in persua- 
 sion as a public speaker both in the New York I,egislature and at 
 the hustings. During the late war he did good service as a loyal 
 patriot. One of his sons, Captain Wm. J. Speed, fell at Gettysburg, 
 and another was an officer on General Canby's staff. 
 
 " At the time of his death he was president of a company of rail- 
 way iron manufacturers. He leaves a large family and a host of 
 friends in this city and throughout the land to honor his memory 
 and lament his loss. He was a man of intense enthusiasm, untiring 
 energy, warm, genial affections and incorruptible integrity. The 
 tidings of his death will carry deep sorrow to many a heart that 
 loved him " 
 
 Col. Speed was married, September 30, 1829, to Miss Anne 
 Sophia Morrell, of New York. She died July 9, 1881, aged 
 seventy-three years. She was a sister of the mother of Dr. 
 T. L,. Cuyler, the distinguished minister, and a brother of 
 these sisters was the eminent physician, Dr. Henry K. Mor- 
 
52 HENRY SPEED AND ELIZABETH SPENCER — THIRD BRANCH. 
 
 rell, whose son married the granddaughter of Dr. Joseph 
 Speed, she being Mrs. Susan Speed Morrell, of Augusta, 111. 
 The children of Colonel John James Speed and Anne 
 Sophia Morrell, were : 
 
 1. Charles Henry, born August 20, 1S30, died 1890. 
 
 2. William Johnson, born March 27, 1832. 
 
 3. Anna Lewis, born March 12, 1834. 
 
 4. Francis Morrell, born August 9, 1836. 
 
 5. John James, born January 14, 1S39. 
 
 6. Frederick, born September 22, 1841. 
 
 7. Charlotte Morrell, born February 28, 1844. 
 
 8. Cornelia, born I\Iay 13, 1847, died 1884. 
 
 Correspondence has failed to obtain the records of all the 
 children of Colonel John James Speed. 
 
 Charles Henry, the first son, was engaged in the busi- 
 ness of telegraphy, which led him to visit different sections 
 of the country. On one occasion, being in L,ouisville, he 
 furnished some of the records of his father's family to the 
 present writer. He died in 1890, leaving two children. 
 
 William Johnson Speed, son of Colonel J. J. Speed, was 
 born £Lt Caroline, Tompkins county, N. Y. He went to 
 Detroit to live in 1852, and, after receiving a good education, 
 studied law in the office of Hon. J. M. Howard. He was 
 admitted to the bar in 1855 " He pursued his practice with 
 honorable success, was elected City Attorney for the city of 
 Detroit and served as such during i86o and 1861, to the per- 
 fect satisfaction of the public." 
 
 In 1862 he entered the service of his country as captain of 
 Company D, 24th Michigan Infantry, Colonel Morrow. His 
 service was ended by his death in the battle of Gettysburg. 
 The following are extracts from a Detroit paper : 
 
 " The large circle of friends, to whom he was endeared in Detroit 
 will never forget his amiable and modest character, his scrupulous 
 truthfulness, his high intelligence, and his patriotic devotion to his 
 country. 
 
 '' lyoved by all who knew him, admired and mourned by his sur- 
 viving companions in arms, he has sealed his devotion to his coun- 
 try and the great cause of free government, by pouring out his 
 blood in his early m;anhood. Honor to his memory! The tears of 
 
HENRY SPEEB AND ELIZABETH SPENCER — THIRD BRANCH. 53 
 
 friendship, of true soldierly honor and of patriotism, will never fail 
 to fall upon the grave of Speed." 
 
 The resolutions of the bar of Detroit mentioned his ' 'gen- 
 tle manners, his kindness of heart," that he had the respect 
 and esteem of all ; that his professional character was pure 
 both as a public ofiScer and practitioner ; that his career at 
 the bar was full of hope and promise. 
 
 Judge John James Speed, of Detroit, son of Colonel 
 John James Speed, was born in Ithaca, N. Y. , January 14, 
 1839. In 1848 he removed to Detroit, Mich. He was edu- 
 cated at the Michigan Universit}' at Ann Arbor ; studied 
 law with Robert P. Toms, Messrs. Jerome and Swift, and 
 Jacob M. Howard, and was admitted to the bar in 1861 ; 
 Representative in the State Legislature for the city of Detroit 
 for the years 1873-4; was elected School Inspector for the 
 fifth ward, Detroit, for years 1877-8. Under an act of the 
 Legislature to provide two additional judges for the Third 
 Circuit, he was appointed one of these judges by Governor 
 Jerome, December 2, 1881, and was re-elected in November, 
 1882, for the remainder of the term. He is now the City 
 Counselor of the city of Detroit. He is a lawyer of first-class 
 ability, and a most accomplished and popular gentleman. 
 
 He was married, August 20, 1867, to Miss Mary Clark, 
 They have four children : 
 
 1. Charlotte Madge, born October 2, 1869. 
 
 2. John James, born June 18, 1871. 
 
 3. Frederick Driggs, born October 2, 1873. 
 
 4. Robert Toms, born May 16, 1875. 
 
 Judge Frederic Speed, of Vicksburg, Miss., son of 
 Colonel John James Speed, was born in Ithaca, N. Y., Sep- 
 tember 22, 1841. He was educated in the public schools of 
 Detroit, but in i860 went to Portland, Me., with his parents, 
 and was residing there at the opening of the Civil war, and 
 raised the first company from that State for the Union Army, 
 although not the first to be mustered into the service. Being 
 too young to hold ofiice, he enlisted as a private sol- 
 dier. Before his regiment was mustered into the service 
 
54 HENRY SPEED AND ELIZABETH SPENCER — THIRD BRANCH. 
 
 of the United States he was promoted to the office of Sergeant- 
 Major, and soon afterward received his first commission as 
 Lieutenant of the Fifth Maine Volunteers, serving in the 
 Army of the Potomac. "When Colonel Neal Dow was raising 
 his regiment, which formed a part of the New Orleans expe- 
 dition under General Butler, Lieutenant Speed was appointed 
 his Adjutant, and upon the promotion of Colonel Dow to a 
 Brigadier-Generalship, he was appointed Assistant Adjutant- 
 General, with the rank of captain, and as such served upon 
 the staff of Generals Dow, Weitzel, I^mory, Thos. W. Sher- 
 man, Warren and Canby, as they respectively succeeded to 
 the command of the brigade, division and army corps with 
 which he was serving, being with the last named at the close 
 of the war at the headquarters of the Military Division of 
 West Mississippi. He participated in the battle of Bull Run, 
 siege of Port Hudson and in nearly all of the battles of the 
 Department of the Gulf, and was at Mobile, Ala., at the 
 termination of hostilities. In the fall of 1865 he settled at 
 Vicksburg, and the three following years were spent in 
 business, during which time he also read law, being admitted 
 to the bar in 1868. In 1867-8 he served as Circuit and 
 Chancery Court Clerk of Warren county, and during 1869-70 
 he was Judge of the Criminal Court of that county. From 
 1878 to 1885 he practiced his profession in all of the courts, 
 but since that time has given his attention principally to 
 real estate law. In 1880 he purchased sixty-nine acres 
 adjoining the southern part of the city of Vicksburg, now 
 known as Speed's Addition, and which is now one of the 
 most beautiful suburbs of that cit}^. 
 
 Judge Speed is a member of the Episcopal church, having 
 been a vestryman of that church for eighteen 3'ears. Judge 
 Speed presided over the convention which nominated Judge 
 Dent and took an active part in that canvass, editing the 
 Vicksburg Times and making a canvass of the State, during 
 which he developed great force and ability as a speaker and 
 editor. Failing to see the wisdom of the policy of recon- 
 struction as pursued by General Ames, he was, with Judge 
 Jeffords and other liberal-minded Republicans, summarily 
 removed to make way for others whose Republicanism was 
 
HENRY SPEED AND ELIZABETH SPENCER — THIRD BRANCH. 55 
 
 more pronounced, according to the standard then prevaiHng 
 in the Southern States, and retired from pohtics, and has 
 since devoted himself with unremitting attention to the 
 practice of his profession, accumulating means and winning 
 the good-will and friendship of the community in which he 
 resides, amongst whom he is justly popular. Initiated into 
 Masonrjr at Gorham, Me., in February, 1866, he has risen 
 step by step, filling nearly all of the offices in his lodge, 
 chapter and commandery to the most honorable position in 
 the gift of the craft — the Grand Mastership. 
 
 Leading an active and useful life, he has endeavored, by 
 the example of an honorable and upright career, to impress 
 upon the young men of his acquaintance the importance of 
 qualifying themselves for the duties and responsibilities of 
 life ; it was but natural to find him unanimously chosen for 
 two terms as the President of the Young Men's Christian 
 Association of Vicksburg. One of the most influential of 
 the Mississippi State papers, opposed to him in politics, 
 speaking of him recently, said : 
 
 "Judge Fre4eric Speed is a good lawyer, has had experience on 
 the bench, is in the prime of life, full of energy, fertile in resources,, 
 a sound thinker and forcible speaker and positive, but courteous, ia 
 announcing his convictions." 
 
 Another State paper, in referring to him, saj's : 
 "Judge Speed came to this State as a Federal officer during the 
 war and joined his efforts as one of the victors to aid in building up 
 and restoring the waste places- And right well has he done this in 
 practical work, also in the work of reconciliation and bringing 
 about kindly relations. A man of legal learning, as well as of large 
 general information and culture, a Christian gentleman who has 
 been eminent in good deeds, by reason of the modesty with which 
 they were performed ; largely acquainted throughout the State, and 
 where known respected; one loyal to his party, and yet in no 
 instance offensively antagonistic to his political opponents, he has 
 won for himself a position of honor which commands the trust and 
 esteem of all as a lawyer, earnest member of his party and public- 
 spirited citizen." 
 
 He is a conceded leader of the younger element, and, hav- 
 ing the courage of his convictions, he never fails to assert 
 himself upon the side of right, truth and justice, regardless 
 
66 HENRY SPEED AND ELIZABETH SPENCER — THIRD BRANCH- 
 
 of loss or gain to himself. Fortunately endowed with the 
 gift of oratory and a facile pen, he is enabled, upon all 
 proper occasions and in all causes which his conscience 
 approves, to make his opinions effective and of service to 
 his fellowmen. 
 
 He was married in 1871 to Miss Esther Adele Hilly er, 
 daughter of Col. Giles M. Hillyer, a distinguished citizen 
 and editor in Mississippi prior to the war. 
 
 Their children are five : 
 
 1. Anne Morrell, born March 22, 1872 ; died May 25, 1872. 
 
 2. Hillyer Rolston, born October 4, 1873. 
 
 3. Frederic Gordon, born March 2, 1879. 
 
 4. Esther Adele, bom November 23, 1880. 
 
 5. lyiscomb, born September 22, 1882. 
 
 MARY SPEED HYDE. 
 
 Mary Speed, daughter of Henry Speed, and twin sister of 
 John James Speed, married Robt. W. Hyde. She also lived 
 in Tompkins county, N. Y. She was born November 10, 
 1777, and died April 11, 1846. She is mentioned in the letter, 
 previously quoted, of her brother, John James, as his sister 
 Polly. The children were two sons : 
 
 1. Robert Henry Speed Hyde. 
 
 2. William Henry Speed Hyde, died unmarried. 
 
 The first above, Robert Henry Speed Hyde, married 
 Louisa Dederer. He lived all his life in Speedville, where 
 he died about 1884. His children are : 
 
 1. Charles H. 
 
 2. Mary J. 
 
 3. Antoinette. 
 
 The first lives in Tacoma, Washington. 
 Mary J. married Jeffry Renwick. 
 
 Antoinette married John Marshall and has two boys 
 Robert and Charles. 
 
CAPTAIN JAMES SPEED AND MARY 
 SPENCER. 
 
 SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 Captain James Speed, second son of John Speed and Mary 
 Taylor, was born March 4, 1739, in Virginia, Mecklenburg 
 ■county. He married Mary Spencer, December 10, 1767, in 
 Charlotte county, Va. He served in the war of the Revolu- 
 tion as a captain, and was wounded at the battle of Guilford 
 Court House, N. C, by a shot through the body, March 15, 
 1781. While I can not refer to the record-evidence of this 
 service, I can give the following : I often heard Mrs. Lucy 
 •G. Speed, who was his daughter-in-law and knew him well, 
 talk on the subject. I often heard her speak of his service 
 in the Revolutionary war and 'his wound received at Guil- 
 ford. She stated that he was never able to stand or walk 
 ■erect afterward, nor able to ride on horseback, but in his old 
 age when he could not walk, he used a sled for going about. 
 I heard his grandson, James Speed (Attorney- General), talk 
 about the same facts ; also his granddaughter, Mrs, Lucy F. 
 Breckinridge ; also his grandson, my father, Thomas S. 
 Speed, at who.se house, in Nelson county, Ky., Captain 
 James Speed's widow lived a good part of her last years and 
 there died. More conclusive still, his son. Judge John 
 Speed, in a published article written in 1828, refers to the 
 subject in this language : 
 
 " I was born previous to the Revolution ; my father was one of 
 the patriots of that day who shed his blood for liberty and equal 
 nights. In my youth I heard him, and others of our fathers, recount 
 (the oppression they resisted, the hardships, the privations they 
 ■encountered and endured for their own, but more especially for our 
 ■sakes." 
 
 Captain James Speed removed to Kentucky, with his 
 family, from Charlotte county, Va., in the fall of 1782, and 
 settled in what was then Lincoln county, on the road or 
 
 (67) 
 
58 CAPT. JAMfiS SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 trace leading from Danville station to Harrod's station^ 
 about four miles from the former place. He made that his 
 home, and died there and was buried there. The grave- 
 j'ard is still preserved, but his grave can not be distinguished. 
 When he moved to Kentucky in the fall of 1782, his 
 family consisted of himself and wife and six children, as. 
 follows : 
 
 1. Thomas, aged fourteen, born October 25, 1768. 
 
 2. Marj', aged twelve, born June 8, 1770 
 
 3. John, aged ten, born May 17, 1772. 
 
 ' ' [ twins, aged eight, born February 7, 1774. 
 
 5. James, ) 
 
 6. Henry, aged five, born August 15, 1777. 
 
 7. Julia, infant, who died the following year. 
 
 He also took with him a number of slaves. The move 
 was from Charlotte Court House, Caroline county, Va., over 
 the " Wilderness Road," which led through the mountains 
 of Virginia to Cumberland Gap, and from thence into the 
 level lands of Kentucky by way of Rockcastle, Crab Orchard 
 and Danville. There were but few inhabitants in Kentucky 
 at that time, the settlements having begun only seven years 
 before, and it was not until 1783 that immigration in large 
 numbers commenced. The mode of travel was on horse- 
 back and walking ; no vehicle could at that time pass over 
 the wilderness trace. The country was a wilderness, with 
 no accommodations, and infested with Indians. 
 
 Captain James Speed was well educated, had strong busi- 
 ness sense, and great energy. He had a large, well-developed 
 head, and his face showed intelligence, resolution and capac- 
 itJ^ He had ready wit, wrote well, and was fond of writing 
 humorous poetry. Some of his lines found their way into 
 the early school-books printed in Kentucky. A man named 
 Robert Rankin sent to him one spring for some turnip seed. 
 The seed were furnished, but with them the following 
 rhymes : 
 
 "You lazy Bob, myself I rob. 
 To send you turnip seed ; 
 Another year, take better care. 
 And do not beg from Speed." 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 59 
 
 Though not educated for the law, he was made one of the 
 early judges in Kentucky. Judge Bibb, who knew him inti- 
 mately, said he had a fine legal mind, and was a lawyer by 
 nature. He became the owner of large tracts of land in 
 Kentucky, which involved him in a number of lawsuits. 
 Some of these are reported in the Kentucky Reports. One 
 of his cases went to the Supreme Court of the United States. 
 He was a member of the early Kentucky conventions of May, 
 1783, August, 1785, and the one of 1787. He was a member 
 of the ' ' Political Club, ' ' a society of the leading men in Ken- 
 tucky, which met from 1786 to 1790 at Danville, then the 
 capital of Kentucky. He was also a member of the Society 
 for the Promotion of Useful Knowledge, which was composed 
 of the most public-spirited and enlightened men of the State. 
 
 He was a candidate for the office of delegate to the con- 
 vention which framed the first Constitution for Kentucky, 
 1792, but was beaten because he was an emancipationist. 
 
 It is a singular fact that his grandson, James Speed, of 
 Louisville (Attorney-General, United States), was beaten 
 for the same office in 1849, for the same reason. 
 
 The following letter from Captain James Speed to Gov- 
 ernor Harrison, of Virginia, found in the "Annals of Vir- 
 ginia," is worthy of reproduction here, on account of its 
 historic interest, and as showing the public spirit of the 
 writer. It is dated May 22, 1784: 
 
 "Sir: I am now an inhabitant of the most remote part of j'our 
 Government, in a place where your attention is more needed, though 
 less expected, than elsewhere. My personal acquaintance with you 
 and your disposition assures me that we may expect everything from 
 you that the Governor of Virginia can and ought to do for us. Were 
 it not so I would not undertake to address your excelleucy as an indi- 
 vidual, which (as the case is) I can make bold to do on the following 
 heads : 
 
 " It is in the power of the Indians to distress this part of the coun- 
 try very much, if not entirely to destroy us, and we are very doubtful 
 if it will not be done before we are able to defend ourselves, unless the 
 Government or Congress concludes a peace with them now while 
 they are, as I understand, much disposed for peace. 
 
 " Many of the inhabitants of this place are not natives of Virginia, 
 nor well affected to its government, and are sowing sedition among 
 the inhabitants as fast as they can, which I fear will have too great an 
 
60 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER— SECOND BRANCH 
 
 effect so long as we are pent up in forts and stations. Notwithstan 
 ing the Attorney-General has taken every step in his power to suppress 
 them, I fear the faction will increase and ere long we shall revo 
 from Government, in order to try if we can govern ourselves, whicU 
 in my opinion, will be jumping out of the frying-pan into the fare. 
 I hope your Excellency will endeavor to improve the present good 
 conditions of the savages towards us and have a peace concluded as 
 soon as possible. The Supreme Court in this country has had a very 
 salutary effect and tended greatly to improve the manners of the 
 people, but I greatly fear we shall lose our judges for want of 
 sufficient salaries.'' 
 
 The following letter, dated August ii, 1789, written by 
 him to his son Thomas, who was then twenty-one years of 
 age, .shows a pleasing confidence between father and son, 
 and true ideas of propriety and justice. 
 
 He saj's : 
 
 "I think it will be improper and will make against your cause, if 
 you make any further suit to the young lady, before you first know 
 whether it will be agreeable to her father. Indeed, it would not be 
 using him well. If I were you I would take the first opportunity to 
 obtain her leave to ask his permissiou to pay my addresses to her. 
 If she gives you this leave freely, you may expect you are on good 
 footing. If she refuses that, you may give the matter up. So thinks 
 your mother and so thiuks Your father, 
 
 "JAS. Speed." 
 
 The letters written by Joseph Speed, of Viro-inia, to his 
 brother. Captain James Speed, which are copied in the sketch 
 of Joseph Speed, contain some interesting information con- 
 cerning the removal of Captain James Speed to Kentucky. 
 
 Captain James Speed died -September 3, 181 1, ao-ed sev- 
 enty-two. 
 
 After his death, his widow lived a portion of her time 
 with her granddaughter, Elizabeth Fry, at " Spring House" 
 homestead in Mercer county, and a portion of her time with 
 her son. Major Thomas Speed, at Bardstown. At the latt 
 place she died March 5, 1829, and she was there buried 
 
 The children of Captain James Speed, who came with h" 
 to Kentucky, have already been named. 
 
 Two others were born in Kentucky, and it is noticeabl 
 
MAJOR THOMAS SPEED, 
 Of BardstoV'/n, Ky, From an old rainiature. 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 61 
 
 that they were named for their father's sisters. Neither of 
 them survived childhood : 
 
 Martha, born 1784, died the year following. 
 
 Sarah, born 1786, died the same year. 
 
 He also had a son born in Virginia, before the removal to 
 Kentucky, named after his brother, Joseph. This child also 
 died in infancj'. 
 
 An account will be given of each one of the six surviving 
 children and their descendants. Thomas was the ancestor 
 of the Bardstown family ; John was the ancestor of the 
 lyouisville family ; Mary married Wm. Smith, of Madison 
 county, Ky. , and was the mother of Colonel John Speed 
 Smith and grandmother of General Green Clay Smith. Her 
 daughter married Tom Fry, and was the mother of General 
 Speed S. Fry and others, all of which will be particularly 
 named. 
 
 Elizabeth married Dr. Adam Rankin, whose descendants 
 are in Henderson, Ky. James and Henry have no descend- 
 ants now living. 
 
 MAJOR THOMAS SPEED. 
 
 A sketch of the life and times of Major Thomas Speed, 
 first son of Captain James Speed and Mary Spencer, would 
 present a history of Kentucky through its most interest- 
 ing period. He was in Kentucky from 1782 until his 
 death in 1842. He was connected with the earliest politi- 
 cal movements, was a Representative in the State ^Legis- 
 lature and in Congress, and participated in the war of 
 1812. He was born in Virginia, October 25, 1768, and 
 moved to Kentucky with his father, Captain James Speed, 
 in the fall of 1782. He was then fourteen j'ears of age, and 
 was the eldest of the children The removal of this family 
 to Kentucky was from Charlotte county, Va., which 
 county adjoined Mecklenburg county, where Captain James 
 Speed was born. The trip was over the Wilderness Road, 
 through Cumberland Gap, and, as no vehicle could, at that 
 date, pass over that wilderness way, the travel was on foot 
 
62 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 and horseback with pack animals. The distance to be trav- 
 ersed was six or seven hundred miles, and the time spent on 
 such a journey was from six weeks to two months. The 
 memory of such a journey, and the ties of endearment 
 thereby engendered between parents and children, brothers 
 and sisters, friends and relatives, who were banded together 
 for mutual protection, were peculiarly strong and of life- 
 long endurance. The final halting place in Kentucky was 
 at no town or village, it was simply in the settlement in the 
 country where Danville soon afterward became a town. The 
 little procession moved into the good lands of Kentucky, 
 passing the Rockcastle hills, the place called Crab Orchard 
 and stopped about half way between Crow's station, which 
 afterward became the site of Danville, and Harrod's sta- 
 tion, the site of Harrodsburg. There, upon a splendid body 
 of land, Captain James Speed established himself, and there 
 his family grew up. The hardships, dangers and privations 
 of such a wilderness life are the features in that peculiarly 
 romantic coloring which belong to the pioneer life in 
 Kentucky. 
 
 The people who came to Kentucky in that day placed a 
 high estimate on education. Captain James Speed, himself, 
 at his own home, gave instruction in English branches and 
 also Latin and Greek to his own and other children, that 
 occupation being suited to his crippled condition. His chil- 
 dren also went to school to some one whom the old letters 
 simply designate as " the doctor,'' who seems to have had a 
 school at Danville. Thomas was well educated, and early 
 displayed a taste for learning. The letter written by his 
 father's uncle, W. T. Speed, of date 1787, mentions this : 
 " I have heard by thee and thy father that thou art getting 
 learning." He was then nineteen years old. A year before 
 this his precocity and attainments were evidenced by the 
 fact that he had been then associated with men of mature 
 years and leaders in pubhc affairs in the society at Danville 
 called the Political Club. The names of some of the mem- 
 bers of this society will show that a young man eighteen 
 years of age must have possessed unusual and even extraordi- 
 nary qualifications to be invited to join with them. The 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 63 
 
 society was begun in 1786 by Hon. Harry Innis, Thomas 
 Todd, Robert Craddock, Hon. John Brown, John Belli and 
 Christopher Greenup. They at once invited the following 
 persons to unite with them : Thomas Speed, Hon. George 
 Muter, Peyton Short, Stephen Ormsby, William McDowell, 
 Gabriel Jones Johnson, Thomas Allin and James Overton. 
 Shortly afterward the following well-known men became 
 members : Samuel McDowell, William McClung, General 
 Matthew Walton, James Speed, Willis Green, Abe Buford, 
 James Brown and others. Thomas Speed was made the 
 secretary of the club, and it is to his faithful care that the 
 preservation of the records of this remarkable society is due. 
 
 At the same period Thomas Speed was made secretary of 
 the Kentucky Society for the Promotion of Useful Knowl- 
 edge, a society composed of leading citizens of Kentucky, 
 an account of which is found in Collins' History. The rec- 
 ords of these societies which he preserved are in his hand- 
 writing, and they show, both by the elegant chirography 
 and the admirable composition, that he was a young man of 
 unusual intelligence and capacity. 
 
 As a further evidence the following letter is here given, 
 which is found in the publication known as the Virginia 
 Calendar : 
 
 Colonel George Muter to Governor Beverly Randolph : 
 
 Danvihe, Ky., March 9, 1789. 
 
 Sir : As it is probable the Executive, from not knowing the .people 
 that live at or near this place, may find some diflaculty in appointing 
 a proper person to receive the money from the clerks in this district 
 and settle with them, as directed by act of Assembly, I beg leave to 
 inform you that there is a young gentleman in this place, of unex- 
 ceptional character, who is willing to undertake that office and can 
 give the security required by law. His name is Thomas Speed, and 
 he is at present with Mr. Greenup, Clerk of the Supreme Court, and 
 assists him in his office. I have the honor to be, etc., 
 
 George Muter. 
 
 There is nothing to show whether he got the appointment 
 or not. His connection with the office of Colonel Christopher 
 Greenup, Clerk of the General Court, is shown by letters to 
 him from his father. 
 
64 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER— SECOND BR-ANCH. 
 
 He left the office of Colonel Greenup about 1790, and at 
 some time prior to 1794 he went into partnership with his. 
 brother John in merchandising. The st}'le of the firm was. 
 Thomas & John Speed. They sold goods both at Daiiville- 
 and at Bardstown prior to and subsequent to 1794 ; but how 
 long the partnership continued can not now be determined.. 
 A number of invoices of goods have been preserved among- 
 the papers of Thomas Speed, which show the shipment to- 
 the firm of Thomas & John Speed, at both Danville and 
 Bardstown, of dry goods, hardware, groceries, books, sta- 
 tioner}^ etc. The shipments were from Philadelphia and, 
 Baltimore. 
 
 Thomas Speed was first married to Susan Claj'ton 
 Slaughter, December 11, 1796, at Bardstown. They had 
 one child, Anna Maria, who died in 1803. 
 
 He was again married January 9, 1810, to Mrs. Mary 
 McElroy Allen, widow of Robert Allen. Her eldest sister 
 was the wife of General James Allen, of Greensburg, and 
 their daughters, Eliza and Maria, both married Barrett.. 
 Another sister was the wife of Rev. James Ely the and mother 
 of Mrs. Dr. Hjmes, of Bardstown. Another sister married 
 Felix Grundy. 
 
 Thomas Speed became Clerk of the Bullitt Circuit Court 
 and also the Nelson Circuit. He received these offices by- 
 appointment, and held them a number of years. Tradition, 
 says he was a most efficient officer, especially well qualified 
 in regard to the forms of legal papers and in the settlement 
 of estates. ' 
 
 He served in the war of 1812 as a major of volunteers, 
 from Kentucky. He participated • in the campaign against 
 the Indians on the waters of the upper Wabash in the fall 
 of 1 81 2 with a force of two thousand men under command of 
 General Hopkins. He also served in other campaigns, but 
 of the details of his service there is no record. 
 
 In the year 181 7 he was elected to Congress. His trips to> 
 and from Washington during his term were made on horse- 
 back over the old Wilderness Road. From Bardstown he 
 would ride through Debanon, Danville, Crab Orchard and 
 Cumberland Gap, and then pass on up through Virginia to. 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER— SECOND BRANCH. 05 
 
 Washington. The distance was at least eight hundred miles 
 b}- the way traveled. 
 
 He was fond of reading and a lover of books. He col- 
 lected an extensive library, which was divided between his 
 two sons after his death. His letters from Washington to 
 his wife are calculated to raise a smile when they set forth 
 the "book buyer's apology to his wife" in the usual per- 
 suasive style. In a letter written December 12, 1818, he says : 
 
 "I have again beeu dabbling in the book auctions, and purchased 
 to a small amount. The books you requested I have not seen, but am 
 going to-day to Georgetown to a large book store where I may prob- 
 ably find them. I am determined, if I can get them tolerably cheap, 
 to add considerably to my library. Besides affording needed instruc- 
 tion, thus will a rational, and I hope successful, source of amusement 
 be added as old age advances and deprives of other sources. I shall 
 never have another so good an opportunity. If you think of any 
 other books you would wish, name them." 
 
 In another letter he also writes ; 
 
 "I am still going on in the purchase of books. If I succeed in 
 -getting all I design to get, you will suppose, when you see them, that 
 I am about to become a student in my old age, and so I certainly shall 
 if I can bring myself to the task. But I fear the day for study is passed 
 with me. If so, they will still be useful. They will aid us in the 
 work of rectifying our hearts. They will amuse our solitary hours. 
 Above all, they will be highly beneficial to those who are to succeed 
 ■us." 
 
 He was fond of writing, and wrote well. He contributed 
 liberally to the papers of his day, among them the Natio7ial 
 Intelligencer, published at Washington. He was a Whig 
 in politics, an emancipationist, and an advocate of total 
 abstinence. He wrote liberally on all these subjects. 
 Those who knew him tell of his keen observation of men 
 and events, of his clear, intelligent judgment and wide 
 range of information. He was a friend and correspondent 
 of Henry Clay, and a number of Clay's letters to him are 
 still preserved. In 1821, 1822 and 1840 he was a member of 
 the Kentucky Legislature. 
 
 He was a refined, cultivated, dignified man. His man- 
 ner was graceful and polished. He was charming in con- 
 5 
 
66 CAPT. JAMES SPEKD AND MARY SPENCER— SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 versation, and his general character was pure and spotless. 
 Such is the testimony of those who knew him. He was a 
 little below medium height ; his weight about 170. Without 
 the advantages of stature, he 3'et had such a bearing as 
 made him attract attention, and especially when entering a 
 company he would at once put himself at ease with every 
 one by his friendly manner and pleasant speech. 
 
 He died at his home near Bardstown, February 20, 1842, 
 and was buried there in the family burying ground. His 
 wife died one year later and was buried by his side. 
 
 The following is an extract from a letter written by Dr. 
 Joseph Speed, of Caroline, Tompkins county, N. Y., to 
 Thomas S- Speed, son of Major Thomas Speed, when he 
 received information of his death : 
 
 "Caroline, N. Y., March 12, 1842. 
 " My Dear Cousin : I thank you for 3'our letter. I was thinking of 
 sending your father soon a long letter, and he has left us. I not 
 long ago received a long letter from your father. Little did I think 
 it was to be the last ! No ; I promised myself a long correspondence 
 with him, and hoped to get many a letter from him to cheer me as I 
 tottered down the hill ; for I never got a letter of his without getting 
 with it great pleasure and an improvement of my heart. He never 
 wrote without comnmnicating good to others, and he seemed alto- 
 gether unconscious of his own moral worth — disposed always to 
 debase rather than exalt himself. The last letter I got from him he 
 appeared to think very highly of his ancestors and of their descend- 
 ants who had gone before him, and grieved that being the oldest 
 then alive he was not worthy to stand at the " headship " of such a 
 family. When, thought I, did it ever have a more worthy member ? 
 When will it have such another? He is gone to realize the goodness 
 of that God whom he honestly and fervently adored. 
 
 And now, my younger cousin, son of him I so much loved and 
 respected, let me beg of you to walk in the footsteps of your father, 
 in all his goodness ; and I beg your brothers and sisters to be in all 
 things children worthy of so good and virtuous a father, and reflect 
 what joy it will give him if he is permitted to look down and see 
 you walking in virtue's paths, in friendship with one another, and in 
 love and affectionate duty to your mother who now has to look to 
 you for that affection, protection and thovisand little necessary duties 
 and services she once looked for to him who is now no more." 
 
 In order to give specimens of the style of writing of Major 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER— SECOND BRANCH. 67 
 
 Thomas Speed, one of his letters is here copied ; also an 
 extract from a pamphlet he published on Temperance in 
 1830, and also some verses he wrote in 1806 : 
 
 LETTER TO HIS WIFE. 
 
 " Washington City, January 30, 1819. 
 
 "DEAR Mary: Your letter of the i6th I have just received, and 
 it gives me great comfort to hear that you all continue well. 
 
 " Our time for a fortnight past has been employed in a debate on 
 the conduct of General Jackson in relation to the Seminole war on 
 the Southern frontier of the United States. The General has rendered 
 some very important services to his country, particularly at New 
 Orleans. But it is thought by many, and by myself among others, 
 that he has of late adopted some bold and high-handed measures 
 which require the monitory hand of Congress. The subject of this 
 discussion, in the form of resolutions, offered by Mr. Cobb, of Georgia, 
 j'on have seen in the Intelligencer. The execution of those two indi- 
 viduals, Arbuthnot and Ambruster, even admitting they were guilty 
 as charged, was without the sanction of any law or usage of Govern- 
 ment, and in cold blood. This is a power which ought not to be 
 countenanced in any man. The invading the Spanish provinces, and 
 forcibly taking possession of their forts, was unauthorized by any. 
 declaration of war by Congress, who alone have the power of declar- 
 ing war, and it is only owing to the weakness of the Spanish Govern- 
 ment if it does not involve us in a war with that power. The reasons 
 he has given for having thus acted might probably have been the 
 ground for declaring war by the proper authority, but can not justify 
 him, more especially as it was contrary to his instructions. These, 
 I say, are high-handed measures, but they are entirely in keeping 
 with General Jackson's character, both as a citizen and an officer. 
 He has never had the character of being very regardful of the rights 
 of others, and, though the energy of his character has rendered him 
 useful in some instances, it ought not to have unbridled sway. 
 
 " The debate has been very able and lengthy, but I expect the 
 popularity of the General, and of the Executive who takes his part, 
 will prevent the resolution of censure from passing. Indeed, I expect 
 the cause of the General will be the most popular among the people, 
 but I shall do what I conceive to be my duty, without regard to 
 whom it may please or offend. I am glad the session is drawing to 
 a close. I shall pack up and send my books next week. I had bought 
 Dwight's Hymns and Psalms, and Watts'. If I can find the one Eliza 
 wants, I will get it also. Give my love to Eliza and mother, and kiss 
 the little boys for me. Yours, 
 
 "Thomas Speed." 
 
68 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOSO BRANCH. 
 
 Extract from the pamphlet on Temperance : 
 "And is not the taste unnatural? Do we not all know that the 
 unpracticed natural taste rejects ardent spirits because of its burning, 
 smarting effect on the lips, the throat and the stomach? Nature 
 indeed seems kindly to have furnished to man in this instance an 
 instructive abhorrence of this great enemy. All animals are gov- 
 erned by native instincts — feeding on what is nutritious and avoiding 
 what is poisonous. 
 
 " In addition to the native instincts which he possesses in common 
 with all animated beings, to man alone has the creator bestowed the 
 distinguishing, the heavenl}' faculty of Reason to guide him through 
 this world of trial, in the path of duty and of safety. But, alas ! for 
 frail human nature ! How often do we say that the man of talent, the 
 ingenious artist, the substantial farmer, the man of kindest feelings, 
 as well as the illiterate, the indigent, the cmel-hearted, in despite 
 both of instinct and reason, sip and sip at the intoxicating bowl until 
 bis boasted reason is destroyed and his body degraded to the level of 
 the brute, incapable of speech, rolling in the dust or wallowing in 
 the mire. 
 
 "Has it not been demonstrated in thousands and thousands of 
 mournful instances that these specious pretexts, for the use of ardent 
 spirit, are deceptive with the exception of a few cases as medicine ? 
 Instead of making a man wise it exposes his folly. Instead of pre- 
 serving or restoring health, it is the fruitful parent of disease and 
 prepares the body to become the prey of every epidemic. Instead of 
 alleviating mental afflictions, it prompts men to acts which should 
 bring remorse. Promising to animate courage it unnerves the arm, 
 and instead of stimulating and sustaining labor it dissipates time in 
 idle talk and overcomes the strength." 
 
 Extract from a letter written by Major Thomas Speed to 
 Rev. James Freeman Clarke, August 30, 1838 : 
 
 " Slavery, in this enlightened day, and particularly in this enlight- 
 ened country, ought not to be a subject of discussion as to Us justice. 
 But it is much to be regretted that the fanaticism of the South, 
 excited and driven to extremes by the fanaticism of the North, has 
 courted and defied discussion as to its justice. 
 
 " The appropriate answer to such a challenge is that the mind that 
 can embrace the sentiment that slavery in the abstract is just, is 
 incapable of appreciating the arguments of reason, and, therefore, 
 unworthy of reply. The truth is, such a sentiment is of recent origin 
 within a few years past. I was a desperate refuge for a wounded con- 
 science from the discussions of the subject which have been urged 
 with greater and greater warmth for the last twenty years. Standing 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 60 
 
 now among the oldest of my cotemporaries, I do not recollect tliat 
 until within a few years past, I ever heard the justice of slavery de- 
 fended. I think I may defy any scrip, sentence or paragraph from any 
 document, journal or book in the United States openly professing such 
 a sentiment previous to the message of Governor McDuffie to the Leg- 
 islacure of South Carolina some three or four years ago. So far from 
 this, I had always heard of its injustice as an abstract question 
 admitted and its existence lamented. And the only apology for its 
 continuance was the difficulty, or, as it was conceived, the impossi- 
 bility of getting clear of it without doing injustice, in a. legal sense, 
 to the owner, or to the slave, or both. Such, I believe, was the senti- 
 ment generally of intelligent and philanthropic men in the slave- 
 holding States until recently. Such were my own until the discus- 
 sion of the subject of colonization, and the success of that scheme, 
 opened to my view a plan for the State of Kentucky to get clear of 
 slavery and ultimately of the colored race by prospective and gradual 
 emancipation, combined with the transportation to Liberia of those 
 made free. This, it is true, could not be done without encountering 
 what would be deemed hardship, if not injustice, by many masters 
 as well as many colored people. But I, satisfy myself by believing 
 that the injustice or hardship, whatever extent it may reach under ' 
 that plan, is less, far less, than the evil of slavery.'' 
 
 The following lines were written by Major Thomas Speed 
 in 1806 : 
 
 AUTUMN'S BREEZE. 
 
 When Autumn's breeze fans through the trees 
 
 And leaves begin to fall, 
 The leaves and wind bring to the mind 
 
 The certain fate of all. 
 
 The breeze of time which constant blows 
 
 On man with potent blast, 
 Though one by one it overthrows, 
 
 Still all must fall at last. 
 
 With man it is as with the leaves — 
 
 Each springs from mother earth ; 
 They rise and grow, and fade and fall, 
 
 To where they had their birth. 
 
 On the oak you'll see — the stateliest tree 
 
 In all the forest round — 
 Some leaves of humble, modest height, 
 
 And scarce above the ground. 
 
70 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 Whilst Others rise almost to skies 
 
 Upon the topmost bough, 
 Yet when they fall they're scattered all 
 
 Promiscuousl}- below. 
 
 Thus 'tis with mau, do all he can 
 
 To elevate his head, 
 In earth at last with millions past, 
 
 He mingles with the dead. 
 
 Gay scenes adorn man's vernal morn, 
 
 In fancy's pleasing views ; 
 One object gained, another feigned. 
 
 He ardently pursues. 
 
 Then come his cares in riper years, 
 
 The summer of his day, 
 With toil and strife, in future life. 
 
 His labors to repay. 
 
 His end attained, fruition gained. 
 
 His autumn more serene ; 
 But wealth, nor ease, here long can please, 
 
 For he must quit the scene. 
 
 As years prevail, his pleasures fail, 
 
 His strength declines apace. 
 And winter's bleak and chilling gale 
 
 Shall end his mortal race. 
 
 Then pause, Oh, man ! An emblem see 
 
 In ever3- falling leaf, 
 Of that frail body given to thee — 
 
 Ponder, but not with grief. 
 
 Thy nobler part, thy heaven-born mind, 
 
 If virtuous it be. 
 Enjoys, when freed and unconfined, 
 
 A blest eternity. 
 
 It is much to be regretted that one so cotnpetent with his 
 pen, and possessing such extensive information, having 
 Uved through the most interesting period of Kentucky -s 
 histor5% and having tlie taste for literary work, did not 
 write a volume about Kentucky. He had all the qualifica- 
 tions for such a work ; but, like many others, he allowed the 
 opportunity to pass, and with his death there perished a 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER— SECOND BRANCH. 71 
 
 vast accumulation of knowledge gathered through more than 
 half a century of intelligent observation and diligent study. 
 Major Thomas Speed left two sons, Thomas Spencer and 
 John James, sketches of whom here follow. 
 
 THOMAS SPENCER SPEED. 
 
 Thomas Spencer Speed, the oldest son of Major Thomas 
 Speed, was born at the old Cottage Grove homestead, near 
 Bardstown, August 30, 1814. He lived there continuously 
 until March, 1861, when he removed with his family to 
 Daviess county, Ky., and there lived on a farm in the 
 section known as Beech Woods for ten years. In the spring 
 of 187 1 he returned to Cottage Grove, where he lived until 
 his death, March 16, 1892. 
 
 Thomas S. Speed received his academic education at St. 
 Joseph's College, near Bardstown. After being graduated 
 there, it was his intention to study for the Presbyterian min- 
 istry, but severe sickness, which resulted in his being a 
 rheumatic sufferer all his life, interfered with his plans, and 
 he continued to live at Cottage Grove, and managed his 
 father's farm. A letter written by his uncle. Judge John 
 Speed, to his brother, Major Thomas Speed, has been pre- 
 ser\^ed, in which he says : 
 
 "Thomas will go to the pulpit where, God send, he may raise its 
 respectability and do good. His brother, John, will, in a few years, 
 be qualified to give pills and be set up with a few gallipots, worm dust 
 and a lancet." 
 
 He lived a retired, quiet life, and died at the age of seventy- 
 seven. While he always had a good and abundant home, 
 he was not a money-making man. He owned a good many 
 slaves, but was an Emancipationist. He was a kind master, 
 and was glad when his own and all other slaves were freed. 
 He was an earnest Unionist in the Civil war, and when 
 asked about the freeing of the slaves by President I,incoln, 
 he said he had willingl}' seen his two sons, who were old 
 enough, go into the Union army where they might lose 
 their lives, and, as he was willing to bear that loss if it 
 came, he was certainly willing to give up all his slaves. 
 
72 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER— SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 He was a sincere and earnest Christian, a member and 
 elder in the Presbyterian church. His house was ahvaj's 
 open to his friends, and it was a custom for the preachers to 
 stay at his house. Among those whom I remember being 
 there, were Doctors R. J. Breckinridge, N. L. Rice, E. P. 
 Humphrey, W. W. Hill, T. L. Hoyt, Wm. Mathews, and 
 many others of his own and other churches. 
 
 Bardstown was about half way from Louisville to Danville, 
 and before the railroads were built it was the custom of the 
 various relatives at Danville and Lebanon and other interior 
 places to stop at his house and stay all night. They were 
 always welcome. 
 
 The principal feature in the character of Thomas S. Speed 
 was his sincerity, and devoted adherence to what he believed 
 was right. 
 
 The following incident will illustrate this : He was advised 
 that a decoction of certain herbs and whisky would relieve 
 his rheumatism. He found it did, but gave up the use of it. 
 He said he would not use whisky even as a medicine ; that 
 he had a family of boys and he would suffer his pains rather 
 than do anything that might possibly set them a bad example. 
 He was fond of reading and was a great student of the Bible. 
 He gave all his children a good education, and was able to 
 assist them himself in their studies. 
 
 In his later years it was a custom for his sons to visit him 
 on his birthdays. On his seventieth birthday there was an 
 unusually large gathering, which gratified him very much. 
 He did not show age. His smooth-Shaved face and only 
 slightly gray hair gave him a youthful appearance. Among 
 the things presented on that occasion were some lines written 
 by one of his sons, which .showed how a God-fearing man, 
 who walks in wisdom's ways, lengthens his years, and while 
 blest himself, he blesses others. 
 
 The following stanzas from the poem illustrate his 
 character : 
 
 Such is a life of God's own care, 
 How pleasant its surroundings are ; 
 Like fertile valleys spreading wide, 
 Like gardens by the river's side. 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER— SECOND BRANCH. 74 
 
 Its influence spreads like odors sent 
 From trees with fragrance redolent ; 
 Frankincense trees and I,ignaloes, 
 O'er which the laden zephyr blows. 
 
 Such is his life who stands among 
 His friends to-day at seventy — young, 
 While from beyond a promise-ray 
 Lights up his feet in wisdom's way. 
 
 For seventy years, thanks be to God, 
 Our father that straight way has trod. 
 Lord strengthen still his pilgrimage 
 That e'en four score bring not old age. 
 
 He was jnarried twice. First to Sarah Whitney Sparhawk, 
 who was a teacher in the Female Academy at Bardstown, 
 taught by Rev. Nathan L- Rice. She was a native of New 
 Hampshire. She died in 1842, and was buried in the bury- 
 ing ground at the old Bardstown home. 
 
 The children of this marriage were three : 
 
 1. John James, died in childhood. 
 
 2. William O., born September 8, 1839. 
 
 3. Thomas, born November 26, 1841. 
 
 He was again married in 1846 to Margaret Hawkins, at 
 Crawfordsville, Ind. She was a sister of the wife of- his 
 brother, Dr. J. J. Speed. 
 
 The children of this second marriage were five, viz. : 
 
 i. Spencer Hawkins, unmarried. 
 
 2. Austin Peay. 
 
 3. Horace, unmarried. 
 
 4. Richard Canby. 
 
 5. Louisa J., unmarried. 
 
 William O. Speed, eldest son of Thomas S. Speed, of 
 Bardstown, was born September 8, 1839. He attended 
 Centre and Hanover Colleges. In the Civil war he served 
 as Sergeant-Major 8th Kentucky Cavalry, participating in a 
 number of campaigns and engagements in Kentucky and 
 Tennessee, and in the celebrated pursuit of Morgan through 
 
74 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 Kentuck}', Indiana and Ohio, 1863. For a number of years 
 he was in the Internal Revenue service. He now lives on 
 a farm near Owensboro, Ky. He married, in 1866, Sid- 
 ney Thruston, a daughter of Colonel Algernon Sidney 
 Thruston. Colonel Thruston was a member of the Louis- 
 ville family of that name. He went to Texas and became 
 prominent there in public affairs, and was for a time 
 Attorney-General of the State. He spent the last j^ears of 
 his life in Daviess count}', Kentucky, near Owensboro. 
 
 William O. Speed has one daughter, Hattie. 
 
 Thomas Speed, second son of Thomas S. Speed, of Bards- 
 town, was born November 26, 1841. He is the author of this 
 book. He attended Centre and Hanover Colleges. He 
 joined the Union Arm}' in 1862 as a private ; was made First 
 Lieutenant and then Adjutant of the regiment, 12th Ken- 
 tucky Veteran Infantry ; also served on brigade staff. The 
 principal engagements he was in were siege of Knoxville, 
 Beans' Station, the various battles of the Atlanta campaign, 
 Columbia, Franklin, Nashville, taking of Fort Anderson, 
 and W^ilmington, N. C. After the war he studied law at 
 the Michigan Universit}', and in the office of James Speed, 
 in Louisville, began practice with him, and was associated 
 with him in law practice till his death in 1887, and also from 
 1879 with John Speed, the eldest son of James Speed. He 
 wrote an account of the battle of Franklin, published by 
 the Ohio Commandery of the Loyal Legion ; also author of 
 "The Wilderness Road," a Filson Club publication, of which 
 club he is Secretary. On the gth of July, 1892, he was 
 appointed Clerk of the United States Circuit and District 
 Courts, at Louisville, Ky. 
 
 In 1870 he married Lucy Madison Buckner, daughter of 
 Colonel James F. Buckner, of Louisville. Colonel Buckner 
 was so highty esteemed by the Speed family in Louisville 
 and was himself so warmly attached to them, and became so 
 identified with them, he should be mentioned here. He was 
 born in Virginia, 1813. When quite young he went with 
 his parents to Hopkinsville, Ky., where, as a lawyer and 
 public-spirited citizen, he became one of the leading men in 
 Southern Kentucky. He served in the Legislature thirteen 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. Jo 
 
 years, being twice Speaker of the House, and being four 
 years in the Senate. Among the members at the time was 
 Major Thomas Speed, of Bardstown, for whom he had 
 great admiration and personal friendship. Although a large 
 slave owner, he was a Unionist, and at the beginning of the 
 Civil war raised a regiment for the Union service, which he 
 maintained in camp several weeks at his own expense. Be- 
 fore arms could be obtained he was taken prisoner and carried 
 South. His experiences in the earlj^ stages of the war would 
 fill a volume. In 1865 he made Louisville his home, where 
 he practiced law, and for twelve years held the ofBce of Col- 
 lector of Internal Revenue by appointment of President 
 Grant, with whom he had a personal friendship dating from 
 the earliest days of the war. 
 
 He was a man of great force of character and a fine public 
 speaker. The range of his information was very wide, and 
 his memory of men and events remarkable. He was very 
 warm in his friendships, and a brotherly intimacy existed 
 between him and the elder members of the Speed family 
 in Louisville, particularly Joshua and James. One of the 
 ' ' reunions " of the family occurred at his house on the occa- 
 sion of the visit of Sallie Speed, of New York, to Louisville, 
 in 1878. 
 
 The children of Thomas Speed and Lucy Buckner Speed 
 are two : James Buckner and Mary Whitney. 
 
 Spencer Hawkins Speed, son of Thomas S. Speed, was 
 educated in the schools at Owensboro. At an early age he 
 went to Texas, and from thence into Mexico. He is a man 
 of fine character. He prefers to live in Mexico, and has 
 never married. 
 
 Austin P. Speed, son of Thomas S. Speed, of Bardstown, 
 was well educated in the schools at Owensboro, Kj'. Studied 
 engineering and assisted in locating the railroad from Louis- 
 ville to Cincinnati, under the distinguished engineer. General 
 St. John. He afterward went into the coal business in 
 Louisville, and is a member of the firm of Byrne & Speed. 
 He has made a fine reputation as a business man, and is 
 a director in several corporations, among them the Ohio 
 Valley Telephone Company. 
 
76 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARV SPENCER— SECOND BRANC^J_ 
 
 He married Georgia McCampbell, of Louisville, daughter 
 of William McCampbell, of Louisville, and niece of J a 
 H. McCampbell, who, for many years, was the secretary and 
 treasurer of the J., M. & I. R- R- 
 
 Austin P. Speed has one child, Goodwm. 
 
 Horace Speed, son of Thomas S. Speed, of Bardstown, 
 was associated in the first years of his manhood, with his 
 uncle. General John P. Hawkins, in the army service. He 
 then studied law in the office of Hon. Benjamin Harrison, 
 at Indianapolis. He is an accomplished scholar, and a man 
 of unusual legal attainments and intellectual force. In 
 Indianapolis, where he practiced law for several years, he 
 was recognized as one of the best lawyers of that bar. He 
 was appointed, by President Harrison, United States District 
 Attorney for Oklahoma, which position he now holds. He 
 is unmarried. 
 
 Richard Canby Speed was named for his uncle. General 
 Canby, of the United States Army. He is the 3-oungest son of 
 Thomas S. Speed, of Bardstown. He was educated at Bloom- 
 ington, Indiana. For a number of 3'ears he was engaged in 
 the Internal Revenue service, and is now secretary and 
 treasurer of the Kentucky Building and Loan Association 
 in Louisville. 
 
 He married Emma Fullenwider, of Waveland, Indiana. 
 Their children : David T., William, Margaret, Mary Louise. 
 
 DR. JOHN JAMES SPEED. 
 
 John J. Speed was the second son of Major Thomas 
 Speed. He was born October 31, 18 16, at the old Bardstown 
 home. He graduated at St. Joseph's College, and in medi- 
 cine at Transylvania University, 1838. 
 
 He first practiced his profession at Crawfordsville Ind 
 where he met and married his first wife, Miriam Hawkins 
 
 In 1846 he returned to Bardstown aud practiced th 
 until 1850, in connection with Dr. Alfred W. Hynes T 
 1850 he moved to Louisville, where he resided until v,- 
 death. 
 
 He occupied a prominent position among the physic' 
 
DR. J. J. SPEED 
 Of Louisville. From a photograph 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER— SECOND BRANCH. 77 , 
 
 'of lyouisville. In 1874 he was elected president of the Col- 
 lege of Physicians and Surgeons. He was also professor in 
 the Hospital College of Medicine, and for a number of years 
 was secretary of the State Board of Health. 
 
 He was always a rather delicate man physically, which . 
 interfered to some extent with his success as a practicing 
 physician. He had a keen intellect and unusually quick 
 perception, but his strength was often so slight that it some- 
 what impaired his energies. But for this he would have 
 achieved a much greater reputation. As it was, he became 
 well known throughout this State and all over the country 
 as a learned and skillful physician. He wrote a great many 
 medical papers and lectures, which were published in the 
 medical journals and in pamphlets. 
 
 He was an excellent writer. His composition was clear, 
 •direct and forcible, and at times brilliant. He wrote with 
 great ease ; he thought clearly, grasped his subject strongly, 
 and expressed his thoughts in apt and striking language. 
 
 He was also very forcible in his speech. He expressed 
 himself well in conversation and added to the effect of all 
 that he said b}' a peculiarly emphatic voice and manner. 
 
 In all that he wrote or said, and in his practice, he was 
 noted for his perfect fidelitj' to the truth. If a patient was 
 not reallj' in need of medicine, he would give none, although 
 the friends and family were frantic to have "something 
 done.'' By this he, doubtless, failed to win popularity, but 
 he made a reputation for absolute candor. 
 
 He did not believe in giving much medicine. His faith 
 was in the " vis tnedicafrix 7iaturcE. ' ' He tried to assist nature. 
 He believed that disease had a certain course to run, and 
 that the ph3'sician could do more in aiding the system to 
 stand the strain and throw it off than by heroic efforts to 
 " cure " by medication. His perfect honesty made him re- 
 gard the welfare of his patient without a thought for hini- 
 -self pecuniarily or otherwise. He did not make as much 
 money out of his profession as many physicians of less 
 ability. 
 
 He was appointed postmaster of I^ouisville, in i86i, by 
 Mr. Lincoln. He held the office for eight or nine years. 
 
78 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AXD MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 During this time his health was not good. The office gave 
 him an income, but it injured him professionally. During 
 the war he had charge of one of the hospitals, in Louisville, 
 for the soldiers. 
 
 Dr. Speed had a very social nature. He loved to have his 
 friends and kinsfolk about him. Several family gatherings 
 were at his house, and he never failed to be present at every 
 reunion. He was very refined in his tastes, read a great 
 deal and was fond of literature. He had nice and delicate 
 perceptions, and loved music and fine art. His personal 
 appearance would attract attention in any compan}'. He 
 was erect and carried himself well. His head was well 
 poised, and there was intelligence and dignity in his counte- 
 nance. He had iron-gray hair neatl}' trimmed and light 
 side whiskers. In 1855 he had small-pox, which left its 
 marks, though not unpleasantly. His eye was a rich brown 
 and remarkably expressive, quick in its movements and 
 very keen, ordinarily soft and liquid and responsive to 
 pleasant emotions, but steel-like and piercing when excited. 
 He loved pleasant and agreeable things, and disliked in- 
 tensely everything to the contrary. 
 
 Following is an extract from an address he delivered to a 
 graduating class of the medical school in which he was pro- 
 fessor. It gives an idea of his style of thought and writing : 
 
 " The medical men of to-day are working in a broader daylight 
 than fell to the lot of their fathers. They are above the mists which 
 hang about the base of the mountains, and are climbing up bravely to 
 the height where lies the granite. They may never reach it ; perhaps, 
 never will. Never will, simply by reason of an imperfect humanity. 
 I know how impossible it is to stand squarely by our strongest con- 
 victions and work up to our highest conceptions. Conception is 
 always greater than execution. What painter ever realized his finest 
 ideal ? What chisel of greatest sculptor has ever revealed in marble 
 the glow of his imagination ? What poet ever achieved in verse the 
 dream of his spirit-life ? What warrior ever maneuvered and fought 
 his legions up to the precision and force of his own thought ? What 
 orator ever threw into speech the delicate cloud-tints of his revery, or 
 the rushing storm-winds which his genius waked from reason made 
 red hot by passion ? 
 
 "Human action has always fallen below the highest reach of 
 human thought. It is the fate of humanity in all lines of endeavor • 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 79 
 
 for, in our highest achievements, we instantly take that as our 
 standpoint from which we look up to greater heights." 
 
 Dr. Speed was first married to Miriairi Hawkins, of Craw- 
 fordsville, Indiana. She was a sister of Margaret Hawkins, 
 who married Dr. Speed's brother, Thos. S. Speed. Another 
 sister, Louisa, was the wife of Major-General E. R. S. Canby, 
 of the United States Army, and a brother is General John 
 P. Hawkins, United States Armj'. They were daughters of 
 John Hawkins, who belonged to a well-known and large 
 family of the name in Virginia and Kentucky. Said John 
 Hawkins, in company with a number of Kentuckians, 
 removed from Kentucky to Crawfordsville, Ind. 
 
 Dr. Speed and Miriam Hawkins left two children who 
 grew up to maturity — Mary Rose and Louise. 
 
 Other children died in infancy. 
 
 Rose Speed was born February 22, 1841, and died 
 
 , 1877. 
 
 She was greatly beloved by all who knew her. She was 
 admired for her beauty and accomplishments. Among other 
 gifts was that of music. She had many warm friends, and 
 her death was greatly lamented. She was never married. 
 
 Her sister, Louise, married Thomas Moore, of Indianapolis, 
 Ind. Louise died in Louisville, leaving two children — 
 Miriam and Louise. 
 
 The second wife of Dr. Speed was Belle C. Tevis, daughter 
 of Rev. John Tevis and Julia A. Tevis, of Shelbyville, Ky. 
 Mrs. Julia A. Tevis published an autobiography, which con- 
 tains an account of the Tevis family. 
 
 The burial place of Dr. Speed and his two daughters, Rose 
 and Louise, is Cave Hill Cemetery, at Louisville. 
 
 MARY SPEED SMITH. 
 
 Mary Speed, second child of Captain James Speed, mar- 
 ried William Smith, 1789. 
 
 He was a man of substantial means who went to Ken- 
 tucky from North Carolina about 1788. Being fine looking, 
 well educated and intelligent, he at once took his natural 
 
80 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 position among men and won friends in the new Kentucky 
 communit}-. He became acquainted with the family of Cap- 
 tain James Speed, and in 1789 he and Mary Spencer Speed 
 were married. 
 
 They continued to reside in Kentucky, and three children 
 were born to them : 
 
 1. Elizabeth, born 1790. 
 
 2. John Speed, born 1792. 
 
 3. Gu3^ born 1794. (There is no record of Guy, except 
 that he went to Shawneetown, Ills., and was there a clerk of 
 a court and Receiver of Public Moneys under a Government 
 appointment. ) 
 
 William Smith died 1796, and some years after his widow 
 married Samuel Hopkins, and two children were born of 
 this marriage : 
 
 1 . James Speed Hopkins, who was greatly beloved by all 
 the family. He went to Missouri several years before the 
 Civil war, and no record of him has been obtained for this 
 book. 
 
 2. Sarah Hopkins, who married Allen and lived in 
 
 the southern part of Kentucky. 
 
 ELIZABETH SMITH FRY AND THE FRY FAMILY. 
 
 Elizabeth Smith, daughter of William Smith and Mary 
 Speed, and sister of Colonel John Speed Smith, married 
 Thomas Walker Fry. They were a noted couple, and special 
 mention will here be made of the Fry family, though all the 
 lines will not be run out, for the reason that there is already 
 a book about the Fry family. 
 
 Thomas Walker Fry was a son of Joshua Fry, who was a 
 soldier in the war of the Revolution and came to Kentucky 
 1798. Joshua Fry's father was Colonel John Fry, who com- 
 manded the Virginia troops in the early colonial wars. 
 The father of Colonel John Fry was Colonel Joshua Fry, an 
 English gentleman and Oxford graduate, who went to Vir- 
 ginia from England and became a professor in William and 
 Mary College. He was colonel of a Virginia regiment, and 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 81 
 
 led it against Fort Duquesne, 1754, and died on the march. 
 After him the regiment was commanded by George Wash- 
 ington. The maiden name of Colonel Joshua Fry's wife 
 was Mary Micou, daughter of Dr. Paul Micou, a French 
 Huguenot. 
 
 Joshua Fry, the grandson of Colonel Joshua Fry, and 
 father of Thomas W. Fry, was born in Virginia. The exact 
 date of his birth can not be given here, but it was not far 
 from 1 760. He received the best classical education and had 
 a decided taste for scholarl}' pursuits. He inherited a large 
 estate, and in 1 798 left Virginia for Kentucky with his family. 
 His wife was a daughter of Dr. Thomas Walker, the early 
 Kentucky explorer. Upon his arrival in Kentucky he settled 
 at Danville and became the owner of very large tracts of the 
 finest land in the State. His tastes led him to engage in 
 teaching, and he became the most noted educator ever in 
 Kentucky. Strange as it may seem, he would never receive 
 compensation for teaching, but, through a period of many 
 years, gave instruction to hundreds of pupils gratuitously. 
 Even while professor in Centre College he adhered to his 
 rule of receiving no compensation for his services. Nor was 
 this from any whimsical conceit, but, being a man of large 
 means, he did not require the pay and taught because he 
 loved the occupation, and the society of the young. 
 
 In the published biographical sketches of many ot the 
 most prominent Kentuckians, the fact of being educated by 
 Joshua Fry is especially mentioned. 
 
 When he came to Kentucky, 1798, the eldest of his children 
 was about fourteen years of age. The date of the death of 
 his wife can not be given here, but for many years he was a 
 widower, and while he had his own house in Danville, he 
 made a habit of visiting his children in their homes, thus 
 spending much of his time with them. 
 
 There is a universal testimony to his rare qualities of head 
 and heart. Highl}' cultivated in the languages and mathe- 
 matics, he was also a practical business man. His dignity 
 and gentleness, and affability, and his readiness to give out 
 without reserve his great store of learning and information, 
 always made him a welcome guest. His grandson. General 
 6 
 
82 CAPT. JAilES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 Speed Smith FrJ^ who remembers him well, says that 
 " whether in the school-room or drawing-room, whether sur- 
 rounded by old or young, there was always an air of calm, 
 unostentatious dignity about him that attracted attention 
 and won the admiration of all." 
 
 Two of Joshua Fry's children, by marriage, made .the 
 relationship of the Speeds and the Frys very intimate. This 
 makes it proper to mention them all. 
 
 The children of Joshua Fry and Peachy Walker were : 
 
 1. John, married Judith Harrison. 
 
 2. Thomas Walker, married Elizabeth Speed Smith. 
 
 3. Lucy Gilmer, married John Speed. 
 
 4. Sallj', married John Green. 
 
 5. Martha, married David Bell. 
 
 6. Ann, married Wm. C. Bullitt. 
 
 7. Susan, died unmarried. 
 
 The children of John Fry, who married Judith Harrison, 
 were : 
 
 1. Peachy, who married Robert Montgomery. 
 
 2. Gary H., paymaster U. S. A. 
 
 3. John — Major John Fry, of lyouisville. 
 
 Thomas Walker Fry, second son of Joshua Fry, married 
 Elizabeth Smith, as already stated, she being a daughter of 
 Mary Speed Smith. They lived at the homestead in Mercer 
 county, Ky., known as " Spring House." There they reared 
 a large fa:mily, and "Spring House," hj reason of the 
 splendid qualities of Thomas Walker Fry and his equally 
 splendid wife and their rare famil3' of children, became one 
 of the most famous country seats in the Bluegrass region 
 of Kentucky. Their children were : 
 I. Mary. 
 
 Joshua. 
 Nanc}'. 
 Eucy. 
 Francis H. 
 Thomas W. 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 7- 
 
 Martha. 
 
 8. 
 
 Speed Smith. 
 
 9- 
 
 David. 
 
 lO. 
 
 Eliza Julia. 
 
 II. 
 
 SaUie. 
 
 12. 
 
 Susan, died. 
 
 13- 
 
 John James, died. 
 
 MRS. MARY GREEN. 
 
 Mary Fry, daughter of Thomas Walker Fry and Eliza- 
 beth Smith Fry, first married Mr. Eawrence. Major Fry 
 Lawrence, of I,ouisville, is her son. She married, second, 
 Rev. Lewis W. Green, D. D., the eminent Presbyterian 
 minister, of whom it was said b}^ one equally great, ' ' Lewis 
 W. Green was successively pastor in Baltimore, professor in 
 the Theological Seminary in Hanover, President of Hamp- 
 den Sidney College, President of Transylvania University, 
 and six years President of Centre College, everywhere equal 
 to his great opportunities, and one of the most eloquent men 
 of a generation in Kentuckj' abounding in eloquent men."* 
 
 The children of this marriage were two : 
 
 Julia, who married Matthew T. Scott, of Lexington, Ky. 
 Mr. Scott afterward became a citizen of Bloomington, 111., 
 where he was a business man of great ability. He died 
 May 21, 1 89 1, leaving two children, Mary Letitia and Julia. 
 
 The other daughter of Dr. L- W. Green and Mrs. Mary 
 Green was Letitia, who married Hon. Adlai E. Stevenson, a 
 distinguished lawyer of Bloomington, 111. When a young 
 man at Centre College he met Miss Lettie Green, whom he 
 shortly afterward married. She was beautiful and accom- 
 plished and beloved by all who knew her. 
 
 Mr. Stevenson was born in Christian county, K3'. He 
 was a member of Congress and Assistant Postmaster-General 
 during the administration of Mr. Cleveland. Being now 
 prominent before the country as a candidate for the Vice- 
 
 "Rev. E. P. Humphrej'. 
 
84 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 Presidency, it is needless to present a fuller sketch of him 
 here. 
 
 The children of this marriage : I^ewis, Mary, Julia, I^ettie. 
 
 JOSHUA FRY. 
 
 Joshua Fry, son of Thomas W. Fry and Elizabeth S. Fry, 
 left one child, Henry Fry. 
 
 NANCY FRY BARBEE. 
 
 Nancy Fry, daughter of Thomas W. Fry and Elizabeth S. 
 Fry, married Colonel Thomas Barbee, a prominent citizen 
 of Danville, Ky. Their children : 
 
 1. Joshua Barbee. 
 
 2. Fannie, married Mr. Talbott. 
 
 3. Lucy, first wife of John Y. Brown, now Governor of 
 Kentuck}^ 
 
 4. Sallie, married Dr. Best. 
 
 5. Thomas F. , lawyer in Carroll, la. 
 
 6. Nannie. 
 
 7. Alice. 
 
 LUCY FRY COCKE. 
 
 Lucy Fry, daughter of Thomas W. and Elizabeth S. Fry, 
 married Mr. Cocke. Their children : 
 
 1. Julia, married Moody. 
 
 2. Mary R., married Kilpatrick. 
 
 3. William. 
 
 4. Fannie, married Wilkins. 
 
 FRANK H. FRY. 
 
 Frank H. Fry, son of Thomas W. and Elizabeth S. Fry, 
 married Miss Caroline Amelia Seymour, daughter of Felix 
 and Caroline Seymour, who lived near Louisville. She was 
 a very beautiful and popular lady. They made their home 
 at Crawfordsville, Ind. Their children : 
 
 1. William Smith. 
 
 2. Frances Amelia. 
 
 3. Martha Bell, died. 
 
 4. Sallie Seymour. 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 85 
 
 5. Ivucy J., unmarried. 
 
 6. Martha Bell, died. 
 
 Of these, the first, William, married lyucy Wallace, at 
 Crawfordsville, and lived there until his death. 
 
 The second, Frances Amelia, married Mr. Harrison Boudi- 
 not, one of the leading citizens of Terre Haute, Ind. 
 
 The fourth, Sallie Seymour, married Clayton S. Hilde- 
 brand, of Indianapolis. 
 
 DR. THOMAS WALKER FRY. 
 
 Thos. Walker Fry, son of Thos. W. and Elizabeth S. Fry, 
 became an excellent physician, and was a most agreeable 
 and lovable man. He lived in Indiana. During the war he 
 was a surgeon in the field, and also in charge of hospitals at 
 Louisville and New Albany. 
 
 His children are : 
 
 I. Thos. Walker. 
 
 Julia, married Mr. Matthews. 
 
 William. 
 
 Lewis. 
 
 Lettie, married Mr. Little. 
 
 The above Thos. Walker Fry, son of Dr. Thos. W. Fry, 
 was a captain in an Indiana regiment during the Civil war. 
 He died a few years after. 
 
 GENKRAL SPEED SMITH FRY. 
 
 General Speed Smith Fry, son of Thos. W. and Elizabeth 
 S. Fry, was born September 9, 1817. He received a collegiate 
 education and studied law in the office of his uncle. Colonel 
 John Speed Smith, and practiced for a time in Danville. He 
 commanded a company in Colonel McKee's regiment during 
 the Mexican war, and bore a distinguished part in the battle 
 of Buena Vista. He held the office of county judge for a 
 number of years at Danville, Ky. At the beginning of the 
 Civil war he raised one of the first of the Kentucky Union 
 regiments, the 4th Infantry. He was conspicuous in the 
 battle of Mill Springs in January, 1861, where the Confed- 
 
8G CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 erate general, Zollicoffer, fell by a shot from Colonel Fr}- s 
 pistol. 
 
 In March, 1862, Colonel Fry was made Brigadier-General, 
 and served with distinguished ability through the war. For 
 several years after the war he filled the position of Supervisor 
 of United States Internal Revenue in Kentucky. 
 
 Through all his active career he maintained the char- 
 acter of a sincere and earnest Christian, holding the office of 
 ruling elder in the Presbyterian church. He was a man of 
 absolute courage in all his convictions and conduct. He was 
 exceedinglj- warm in his friendship, of perfect simplicity 
 and dignified in his manner. All who knew him respected 
 him, and all his friends and kinsfolk loved him. He was 
 in charge of the Soldieirs' Home, near Louisville, Ky., where 
 he died August i, 1S92, while this book was going through 
 the press. 
 
 He was twice married, first to Miss Mildred T. Smith, of 
 Jefferson county. His second wife was Cynthia A. Pope. 
 
 His children ; 
 
 1. Mildreds. 
 
 2. Thomas J. 
 
 3. Speed S. 
 
 DAVID FRY. 
 
 David Fry, son of Thos. \V and Elizabeth S. Fry, left two 
 children. Walker and Belle. 
 
 SALLIE FRY WINSTON. 
 
 Sallie Fry, daughter of Thos. W. and Elizabeth S. Fry, 
 married Mr. Winston, of Tennessee. 
 Their children : 
 
 Sue. 
 
 Kate. 
 
 William. 
 
 Emma, married Mr. Shelton. 
 
 Nannie, married Mr. Gardner. 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 87 
 
 MRS. IvUCY FRY SPEED. 
 
 Eucy Gilmer Fry, daughter of Joshua Fry and Peachj' 
 Walker, married Judge John Speed, of Louisville. Their 
 descendants are given in this book under the head of Judge 
 John Speed and Eucy Fry Speed. 
 
 It will be observed that, as Thomas Walker Fry, the 
 brother of Eucy G. Fry, married Elizabeth Smith, whose 
 mother was Mary Speed, a double relationship exists among 
 their descendants. For instance, the children of Judge 
 John Speed and his wife, Eucy Fry, are first cousins of the 
 children of Thomas W. Fry and Elizabeth Smith, because 
 Eucy Fry and Thomas Walker Fry were brother and sister ; 
 but Elizabeth Smith was a daughter of Judge John Speed's 
 sister Marj^ and this also made the children cousins. 
 
 The sisters of Thomas Walker Fry and Eucy Fry Speed 
 will here be mentioned, not only on account of the relation- 
 ship, but also because the families have associated in the 
 most intimate and friendly manner. 
 
 SAEEY FRY GREEN. 
 
 Sally Fry, daughter of Joshua Fry and Peachy Walker, 
 married Judge John Green, of Danville. Their children : 
 
 1. John. 
 
 2. Willis, married a daughter of Bishop B. B. Smith. 
 
 3. Peachy, married Rev. R. A. Johnson, of Danville. 
 
 4. Sally, married Mr. John Barclay, of Danville. 
 
 5. Joshua F. 
 
 6. William. 
 
 7. Susan, married James Wier, of Owensboro, Ky. 
 
 Mary Barclay, daughter of the above Sally Barclay, mar- 
 ried Rev. Wm. R. Brown, and Jessie Barclay, her sister, 
 married Mr. E. W. C. Humphrey, of Eouisville. 
 
88 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 MARTHA FRY BELL- 
 
 Martha Fr3^ daughter of Joshua Frj^ and Peachy Walker, 
 married David Bell, of Danville, and was the mother of 
 Hon. Joshua F. Bell and of Mrs. Ann Beatty, wife of Pro- 
 fessor Ormand Beatty, and of James Bell, who was the father 
 of Ben Bell, David Bell, and Bettie Bell, who married 
 Colonel John Faulkner. 
 
 MILDRED ANN BULLITT. 
 
 Mildred Ann Fry, daughter of Joshua Fry and Peachy 
 Walker, married Wm. C. Bullitt, of Jefferson count)', Ky. 
 Their children : 
 
 I. Judge Joshua F. Bullitt, of Louisville. 
 
 '2. Thomas W. Bullitt, of Louisville. 
 
 3. John C. Bullitt, of Philadelphia. 
 
 4. Henry Massy Bullitt, of Jefferson county, Ky. 
 
 5. Mrs. Arch Dixon, of Henderson, Ky. 
 
 6. Mrs. Dr. Chenoweth, of Louisville. 
 
 7. James Bullitt, killed during the war. 
 
 COLONEL JOHN SPEED SMITH. 
 
 John Speed Smith, of Madison county, Ky., son of Wm. 
 Smith and Mary Speed Smith, and brother of Elizabeth 
 Smith Fry, was born July 31, 1792. He became one of the 
 most prominent men in Kentucky — being a lawyer of great 
 ability and a public man of wide reputation and influence. 
 In 1819 he served in the State Legislature, and was elected 
 to the same body in 1827, 1830, 1839, 1841 and 1845. In 
 1827 he was Speaker of the House. He was a member of 
 the State Senate from 1846 to 1850. In 1821 he was elected 
 to Congress. He twice received appointment by the Presi- 
 dent of the United States, being sent by President Adams 
 on a mission to South America, and being made United 
 States District Attorney for Kentucky by President Jackson. 
 
COLONEL JOHN SPEED SMITH, 
 Of Madison couQty, Ky. From a picture furriished by hiis granddaughter, Mrs, Alma S. Rogers. 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 89 
 
 He took part in the War of 1812, serving as aid-de-camp to 
 General Harrison. 
 
 The various positions he filled show that he was held in 
 the highest estimation bj' his countrymen. It has been 
 said of him that ' ' he was one of the most accomplished and 
 able lawyers of his da}^ and one of the most enterprising, 
 popular and valuable citizens of Kentucky." He died in 
 1854. 
 
 He married, July 31, 181 5, Miss Eliza I,ewis Clay, a 
 daughter of General Green Clay and sister of Hon. Cassius 
 M. Clay, of Kentucky. Their children were : 
 
 1. Sallie Ann, born July 10, 1818. 
 
 2. Curran Cassius, born July 12, 1822. 
 
 3. Green Clay, born July 10, 1827. 
 
 4. Pauline Green, born September 30, 1829. 
 
 5. Junius Brutus, died unmarried. 
 
 6. :Mary Spencer, died unmarried. 
 
 7. John Speed. 
 
 SALLIE SMITH GOODLOE. 
 
 Sallie Ann Smith, daughter of Colonel John Speed Smith, 
 married David S. Goodloe, of Lexington, Ky. He was in 
 early life a merchant in Richmond, Ky., but removed to 
 Lexington in 1844 and resided there until his death in 1880. 
 He and his wife were both remarkably handsome, and he 
 was a most elegant and popular man. He was prosperous 
 in his business, and had a beautiful home. He was a de- 
 voted husband and father, and was most highly esteemed 
 wherever known. The children of this marriage : 
 
 1. Speed Smith, born February, 1837. 
 
 2. Cassius Clay, born 1839, died 1840. 
 ■1. William Cassius, born 1841. 
 
 4. David Short, born 1843. 
 r. Green Clay, born 1845. 
 6 Percy, bo™ 1S48, died 1849. 
 
 „ ggp Smith Goodloe married Miss Shreve, of Louis- 
 ville. He died in 1877. 
 
90 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 William Cassius Goodloe became one of the most con- 
 spicuous men in Lexington, Ky. He was a man of the 
 finest personal appearance and courtly manners. He was 
 educated at Transj'lvania University, and in 1861 went as 
 Secretar}^ of Legation with his uncle, Cassius M. Clay, who 
 was Minister to Russia by appointment of President Lincoln. 
 He served a number of times in the State Legislature in 
 both Houses, and in 1876 was the candidate of the Republi- 
 cans for United States Senator. He was an exceedingl3r 
 brilliant man and died lamented by all. He was married in 
 1865 to Miss Mary E. Mann, daughter of Hon. Samuel Mann, 
 of Rhode Island. The children of this marriage are ; 
 
 1. Mary Mann Goodloe, wife of Thomas Clay McDowell. 
 
 2. Annie Cla}^ Goodloe, wife of Andrew Gilmore Leonard. 
 
 3. Louise Brownell Goodloe. 
 
 4. Wilhelmina Goodloe. 
 
 5. Elizabeth Leslie Goodloe. 
 
 6. Grace Goodloe. 
 
 7. William Cassius Goodloe. 
 
 8. Green Cla5^ Goodloe. 
 
 David Short Goodloe is a physician living in Lexing- 
 ton, K}'. He is unmarried. 
 
 Green Clay Goodloe married a daughter of United 
 States Senator James B. Beck, of Lexington, Ky. He is an 
 officer in the United States Navy, and resides in Washing- 
 ton, D. C. 
 
 CURRAN CASSIUS SMITH, M. D. 
 
 Curran Cassius Smith, son of Colonel John Speed Smith, 
 was born June 12, 1822. He received an excellent education 
 and studied medicine. He made his home with his widowed 
 mother, and managed the large estate left bj' his father. He 
 has practiced his profession successfully for forty years, and 
 is universally beloved for his many virtues and noble 
 qualities. 
 
 He married, in 1854, Miss Sallie W. Goodloe, daughter of 
 Judge Wm. C. Goodloe, who was an elder brother of David 
 S. Goodloe. 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER— SECOND BRANCH. 91 
 
 The children of this marriage were : 
 
 1. Marj' Spencer, unmarried. 
 
 2. Alma Goodloe. 
 
 3. John Speed. 
 
 4. Bessie Barrett. 
 
 5 . Curraleen ) 
 
 6. Willie C. r"'i^=- 
 
 Alma S. Rogers, second child of Dr. Curran C. Smith, 
 married Rev. H. M. Rogers, a Presbyterian minister, and 
 resides at Daj^ton, Ind. She kindly furnished to the author 
 of this book a great part of the information about the 
 Goodloe family'. Her children : Bessie Goodloe, Louise 
 Tinsley, Marj' Spencer and James Speed. 
 
 John Speed Sjiith, son of Dr. Curran Smith, is a lawyer 
 in Washington City. Unmarried. 
 
 Bessie Smith Benton, daughter of Dr. Curran Smith, 
 is the wife of James M. Benton, a lawj^er of Winchester, Ky. 
 Their children : Curran Smith and Sarah Goodloe. 
 
 general green clay smith. 
 Green Claj' Smith, son of Colonel John Speed Smith, has 
 had a distinguished career. He was born July 2, 1832, 
 graduated at Transylvania and at the law in 1853. At the 
 I age of fifteen, however, he volunteered for the Mexican war 
 in Colonel Humphre}^ Marshall's cavalry regiment. Captain 
 James Stone's company, and was elected second lieutenant. 
 After obtaining license as a lawyer, he practiced in Richmond 
 and Covington, Ky. , serving in the Kentucky lyCgislature 
 in i860, until the Civil war. He entered the Union service 
 at once, and assisted in recruiting the 3d Kentucky Cavalry ; 
 was offered the position of Major in that regiment, but was 
 appointed Colonel of the 4th Cavalry ; commanded that regi- 
 ment until 1862, when he was made Brigadier-General ; com- 
 manded a Brigade of Cavalry in Rosecrans' army until 1863, 
 and was brevetted Major-General for gallant services. In 
 1863 ^^ 'w^s elected to Congress, and was elected the second 
 time. After the war he was appointed the governor of 
 Montana. 
 
92 I CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 In 1876 he was the Prohibition candidate for the Presidency 
 of the United States. 
 
 He gave up worldly pursuits and became a minister in the 
 Baptist church. His worth and talents and high character 
 have been recognized in this service. For nine years he was 
 moderator of the General Association of Kentucky Baptists. 
 He has been pastor in Richmond, Mt. Sterling, Frankfort 
 and lyouisville, and is now pastor of the Metropolitan Bap- 
 tist church, Washington, D. C. 
 
 He married Miss Lena Duke, daughter of James K. Duke, 
 of Scott county, Ky. , she being a grandniece of Chief 
 Justice Marshall. 
 
 They have had five children, three daughters and two sous: 
 
 1. Eliza Clajr, married James B. Hawkins, of Frankfort; 
 died 1891. 
 
 2. Mary Buford, unmarried. 
 
 3. Keith Duke, unmarried. 
 
 4. L,ena Duke, married John -Whitehead. 
 
 5. Green Clay, unmarried. 
 
 PAULINE SMITH TALBOTT. 
 
 Pauline Smith, daughter of Colonel John Speed Smith, 
 was born September 30, 1829. She married Guilford A. 
 Talbott, of Boyle county, Ky. They had five daughters 
 and one son : 
 
 1. Eliza, married Thomas Jackson. 
 
 2. Maria E. , married Charles Dunn. 
 
 3. Marj' Junius, unmarried. 
 
 4. Henry. 
 
 5. Alberta. 
 
 6. Pauline. 
 
 JOHN SPEED SMITH. 
 
 John Speed Smith, the 3-oungest son of Colonel John 
 Speed Smith, married Miss Mary Barret, of Eouisville. 
 She was the daughter of Hon. Wm. F. Barret, the well- 
 known lawyer of Louisville, whose wife was a daughter of 
 Judge William C. Goodloe, brother of David S. Goodloe. 
 
JUDGE JOHN SPEED, 
 Of FariTiington, qear Louisvills, From an old miniature 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 93 
 
 The wife of Judge William C. Goodloe was a daughter of 
 Governor Owsley, of Kentucky. 
 
 The children of John Speed Smith and Mary Barret : 
 
 I. Maria W. 
 
 Elizabeth lycwis. 
 John Speed. 
 Margaretta B. 
 Almira G., died. 
 Curran. 
 Mary Barret. 
 
 y JUDGE JOHN SPEED, OF IvOUISVIIvLE. 
 
 John Speed, son of Captain James Speed, was born May 
 17, 1772, consequently, he was ten years old when he came 
 to Kentucky with his father in 1782. He received such edu- 
 cation as could be obtained in the schools in the early days 
 of Kentucky, and when he reached manhood he and his 
 brother, Thomas, engaged in merchandising. They were 
 also partners in making salt at the licks near Shepherds- 
 ville, Ky. About the beginning of this century he became 
 the owner of a large tract of the celebrated ' ' Beargrass '' 
 land near I,ouisville, on the road leading to Bardstown, the 
 place where his brother Thomas lived. The two brothers 
 were very fond of each other, and often exchanged visits, 
 traveling on horseback or in their carriages. They both 
 inherited handsome estates from their father. Captain James 
 Speed, and John added much to his inheritance by his enter- 
 prise and business capacity. He built a large house of the 
 old colonial style of architecture upon the land mentioned, 
 and established himself at the place which he called ' ' Farm- 
 ington." The house was in the midst of a grove of trees, 
 and the grounds about it were very spacious and adorned 
 with flowers and shrubbery. Here, in the enjoyment of the 
 abundance supplied from fields of extraordinary fertility, 
 cultivated (as was customarj' then) by slaves, he reared a 
 large family of children, all of whom partook of his own 
 sterling characteristics. Here, too, he dispensed that lavish 
 hospitality for which Farmington became noted. Not only 
 
94 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 did it extend to his friends and kinsfolk in unlimited num- 
 bers, but displayed itself to the magnitude of entertaining 
 an army ! When the volunteers from Kentucky, in the 
 War of 1812, began to assemble at Louisville, coming in 
 from the interior over the Bardstown road, he took them to 
 his house, whether they were passing in companies or larger 
 bodies, footmen and horsemen, and fed them and supplied 
 them with food to carry away. 
 
 Although he was a slaveholder, he was an Emancipationist. 
 He deplored the existence of slavery, but, under the laws 
 regulating the institution, he could not do otherwise than 
 he did, which was to treat his slaves humanely and make 
 them comfortable and as contented as possible. His views 
 upon this subject will be seen in the " Recollections " of 
 James Freeman Clark published below. Those who knew 
 Judge John Speed speak in the highest terms of his great 
 capacitj', and the influence he exerted. He was a man of 
 strong masculine characteristics, methodical and systematic 
 in his business. He received the title " Judge " because he 
 was appointed one of the Judges of the Quarter Sessions 
 Court. He was not a member of any church. His relig- 
 ious views appear in the following extract from a letter he 
 wrote to his brother, Thomas, dated December 9, 1834 : 
 
 " M}' confirmed opiniou of true religion, after having read some- 
 what, and reflected and observed with all the capacity I am master 
 of is, it consists in the conscientious performance of our duties as 
 men in all our relations to each other and all sentient beings, under 
 a cultivated and habitual sense of future responsibility to God, that 
 Being who made us and gave us our feelings, passions, reason, judg- 
 ment, etc." 
 
 John Speed served with the volunteer forces in the service 
 of the United States against the Indians, in 1791, under the 
 command of Brigadier-General Charles Scott. The details 
 of this service can not be given. 
 
 He did not serve in the War of [812 on account of his 
 physical condition, which incapacitated him for a journey of 
 anj^ distance, either on foot or horseback ; but he very 
 actively and liberally' assisted in the equipment of the troops 
 and in furnishing supplies. The following extract from an 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 95 
 
 address which he published in 1827, when candidate for the 
 I^egislature, shows his views at that time and also the part 
 he performed as a patriotic citizen in the War of 1812, 
 although he was phj'sically unable to enter the service. It 
 is an interesting fact that among the troops he made pro- 
 vision for were those under command of his brother, Major 
 Thomas Speed : 
 
 "Justice to my own reputation as a man and justice to such of my 
 fellow citizens as have expressed themselves favorable to my success 
 as a candidate, imposes on me the duty of noticing, thus publicly, 
 reports which have been put in circulation to my prejudice. 
 
 " They are these : That I was opposed to the declaration of the late 
 war (,1812) ; that I was an enemy to its success, and that I was an old 
 Federalist. 
 
 "When a man is brought before the tribunal of human judgment 
 for approval or condemnation, all will agree that his acts form the 
 best and safest practical test for sound and just decision. 'The tree 
 is best known bj- its fruit.' By this test I am willing to be tried. 
 
 "The call made by General Harrison, then Governor of Indiana, 
 to resist a numerous body of Indians, is known by most of you. It 
 will also be recollected that this took place in the fall preceding the 
 declaration of war. I was in a condition for years, both before and 
 after this period, which forbade m}' performing a journej' of any dis- 
 tance, either on foot or horseback. I, however, immediately equipped, 
 at my own expense, a nephew, the son of a widowed mother, whom I 
 had raised, and started him as a horseman in the company of Colonel 
 Davies' blues. I furnished the late Colonel Springer Augustus, then 
 a young man, another horse. I equipped our schoolmaster, the 
 much-lamented Mr. Somerville, who was killed in action, with a rifle, 
 etc., etc. They were all in the battle of Tippecanoe. 
 
 " When it was announced that they were approaching the river on 
 their return, at my instance and by m3' active exertions, a most re- 
 spectable number of the citizens of Louisville mounted their horses 
 and we met them on the bank of the river. There, at my request, 
 they were formed into a square. Frederick W. S. Grayson, Esq., 
 with but a few minutes' preparation, advanced on horseback and de- 
 livered them a neat, patriotic and appropriate speech, closing with 
 the thanks and twirling hats and huzzas of the surrounding citizens 
 to the brave defenders of their country. 
 
 "The next year, in the fall after the declaration of war, it is 
 known to you that troops were assembled and rendezvoused at Bear- 
 grass, near Louisville, under General Winlock, of Shelby, to proceed 
 under the command of General Hopkins against the Indians. The 
 expedition was called Hopkins' Campaign. 
 
96 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER- SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 "The fact is generally known that war was declared to resist 
 aggression which could no longer be borne, at a time when we were 
 in almost every sense unprepared — without money, without arms, 
 and destitute of clothing, blankets, etc. But the reliance of our dis- 
 tinguished councils was on the American spirit of our country and 
 such resources as it could and would call into action. The result 
 proved their correct knowledge of the American character. 
 
 "Considering myself called on by the very declaration of war, 
 thus based upon our own resources and the spirit of patriotism of our 
 citizens, I waited not, or hesitated to inquire, whether the declaration 
 was, at the time, wise or unwise. I knew it was the decision of the 
 councils of my country. I felt that it was the duty of every patriotic 
 American citizen, who justly appreciated the blessings of libert}' and 
 felt the love of country, to aid personally, if he could, by going into 
 the field, but substantially by his means when he could not go himself. 
 
 " Under the latter impulse I acted. When the volunteer troops to 
 go on Hopkins' campaign began to assemble — living as I do on the 
 Bardstown road — I caused invitations to be sent ahead on the road 
 inviting them to call by companies or by detachments, whether horse 
 or footmen. They called in all ways — by companies, by detachments 
 and singly — eating and .drinking the best I could give and takiug 
 what they could carrj' of corn and meat. I was exhausted of both 
 corn and meat, and had to buy both.. 
 
 " It was soon discovered after the rendezvous was effected, that the 
 soldiers were almost without blankets, lying on the naked ground, 
 badly clothed and shod, and without money. No money arriving 
 from the War Department, discontent began to show itself. Many 
 -of my neighbors seut them blankets — I sent all I had, twenty-one in 
 number, and bought buffalo robes to cover m3'self and children. 
 Still they were so illy provided that mutiny was threatened, and, 
 indeed, might reasonably have beeu expected. 
 
 "At my suggestion the men were drawn up, and Governor Duvall, 
 a man of eloquence and possessing patriotic fire in a high degree, 
 delivered them an address suited to the occasion. It resulted as 
 was expected, in arousing their pride and a promise to wait yet 
 longer, and a reliance upon individual exertion for their relief. I 
 wrote and seut out subscription papers through the crowd. The sums 
 individually subscribed were so small, and the amount grew so 
 slowly, that relief in that way was hopeless. While this measure was 
 trying, the sum needed was ascertained by the officers. It was re- 
 ported to be $5,000 to enable the army to move. Without stating 
 further in detail my active and zealous agency, it resulted in obtaining 
 from the branch Bank of Kentuckj', at Louisville, upon my note 
 with endorsers, the said sum of jts.ooo, together with the promise not 
 to make a call for twelve months, unless pressed by the necessities of 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. '97 
 
 that iustitution. This was done upon the faith and in the cause of 
 niy countrj'. The money was paid upou my check to the proper offi- 
 cer. Orders were then given to prepare for a march. 
 
 " But on the next day Governor Duvall called on me and said that 
 $500 more were wanted. It was, however, at my instance, critically 
 examined into, and ascertained that $200 would do. David L- Ward, 
 Thomas Bullitt and myself handed them the money, on the faith of 
 the Government, and it was all refunded within the year. 
 
 "The night before the army was to march, Governor Shelby sent 
 for me about or after dark. Upon meeting him, he addressed me in 
 language to this effect; 'Mr. Speed, I am fully apprised of the zeal 
 you have shown and the important services you have rendered at a 
 period so critical and important. Accept my warmest thanks in be- 
 half of our common country. But, sir, there is yet more to be done, 
 and which I must impose on you. The British may have picketed 
 the Indians, aud to oust them may cost the best blood of our country. 
 There is a mounted cannon here which must go along, and this night 
 you must have ready a team of at least three horses and gear, with 
 a driver. There is also a baggage-wagon wanted, which must be 
 ready in the morning, all to move with the army.' 
 
 " I told him that it should be done. By eleven o'clock I succeeded 
 in hiding a wagon, team and driver for the baggage, to go on the faith 
 of the Government, but could not get the horses and gear for the 
 carriage. I got home about twelve, waked up my overseer, took 
 three of my own horses and gear to the shop — was up all night — but 
 had them shod and upou the ground, together with a driver, in time 
 the next morning. James Stephens, son of Henson Stephens, of this 
 county, was the driver. I paid him on his return one dollar a day 
 for going to and returning from Vinceunes, and seventy-five cents a 
 day for ten or twelve days he was kept there in suspense. 
 
 '' A soldier of Major Thomas Speed's company was on his return 
 with a lame horse. I took a horse out of my plow, sent him baclJ, 
 and kept his horse till his return. 
 
 " For the Canada expedition I aided all I could in getting volun- 
 teers, and I furnished Nath. Floyd a horse for that expedition under 
 Captain Shively, and a horse to James Hall, of Captain Kite's com- 
 pany. I also furnished Captain Kite the sum of money he supposed 
 would be sufficient to furnish whisky for his company until he joined 
 the army at Newport. 
 
 " I may have received pay for sending the cannon to Vincennes, 
 but for anything else I did or furnished I never charged or received a 
 cent. 
 
 "These, fellow-citizens, have been my adi in relation to the war, 
 and such the fruits of my ' old Federalism.' I claim at your hands no 
 additional favor for any services which it had been my consolation to 
 
98 CAPT. JAMBS SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 feel that I had rendered to our common country. I have, indeed, 
 been deprived of half their value, in my own estimation, from the 
 necessity resulting from my situation as a candidate, of speaking of 
 them at all. On the other hand, it is for you to decide whether I 
 ought to sink in your estimation for the part I did take as a citizen 
 who was incapable of going himself into the ranks. 
 
 "Being at present, though in good health, not in a condition to 
 ride, and, of course, verj' much confined, permit me, fellow-citizens, 
 here to . remark finally, that should other reports be made to my 
 injury, at a period so nearly approaching the election, it could not be 
 expected that a reply from me could reach you. I commit m3'self, 
 therefore, to the friendly consideration of those who know me. 
 Although I have erred in many wa3'S, as it falls to the lot of human- 
 ity to do, yet I trust it will be accorded to me that I have ever main- 
 tained the character of an honest man and a useful citizen. I am a 
 farmer aud a cultivator of the soil. To a judicious application of 
 labor and industry — in this way alone, do I look for a support for my- 
 self and a numerous family. My interests, therefore, are identified 
 with those of the great body of the people. I will further add, that, 
 should I be favored with your approbation and confidence, such tal- 
 ents or capacities for advancing the general welfare by legislation, as 
 I may on trial be found to possess, shall be faithfully and zealously 
 devoted and applied as your representative. Respectfullj-, 
 
 "Your fellow citizen, 
 
 " Louisville, July 17, 1827. John Speed." 
 
 In 1828 Judge John Speed wrote a series of articles upon 
 the poUtical topics of the day, which were published in a 
 paper, in Louisville, called " The Focus." They were 
 signed " Plain Farmer." They are strongty written, show- 
 ing that the writer was a man of wide information and of 
 vigorous thought. In a time of great political excitement 
 he counseled calmness and the exercise of reason, and dep- 
 recated violence. 
 
 The following is an extract from the last article of the 
 series : 
 
 "The purpose of my last essay was further to show that Congress 
 has not only the right, but she is in duty bound to use it for the pur- 
 pose of protecting our infant manufactures. To prove this, I have 
 necessarily to rely on such simple sources as are within the reach of 
 men entirely unlearned in political research. I have reasoned upon 
 the principles aud considerations which ha,ve led to and must always 
 be found in the very institution and existence of government, and I 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARV SPENCER— SECOND BRANCH. 99 
 
 have satisfactorily, to my owu mind, shown that all government, or 
 any branch of government, always has the right and is therefore 
 bound to use appropriate and vested power for the advancement and 
 protection of the interests of those who granted and vested it. That 
 the power being taken from the States and given to Congress over 
 import duties, etc., was not to weaken but to strengthen its use for 
 onr benefit, and I have, by the way, reasoned upon the proper use of 
 powers as between the States and general Government. But lest my 
 reasonings might not be deemed orthodox by Governor Giles, of 
 Virginia, by the Southern States generally, who deny the right in 
 question, and by the prominent and influential friends of General 
 Jaclrson in Kentucky, I then proceed to further show that it was an 
 old doctrine ; that it was asserted in the first Congress — received the 
 fatherly care and patronage of Washington to the last moment of his 
 administration. The same doctrine was held by Adams, his successor — 
 more warmly espoused by Jefferson — higher still in the estimation 
 of INIadison, and sanctioned and recommended by Monroe. It would 
 be tedious to quote from their various messages on this subject. But 
 it is certainly a circumstance worthy of particular remark that our 
 five previous Presidents were all patriots and statesmen of the first 
 order, and all participated in the Revolution and the great political 
 steps which ended in the present form of our Government, or, say in 
 the present division and investment of power. The four first were 
 members of the Convention which framed the Constitution, and the 
 last, Monroe, was a member of the Virginia Convention which 
 adopted it. Those men, and such men too, had no doubt upon the 
 subject. Those who, at the present day, entertain serious doubts of 
 this right and this policy, may consistently enough join the men of 
 the South in order to put down this administration. But they would 
 show more candor if they would enlighten us with their reasons 
 upon which their doubts are founded. In the absence of these 
 reasons, in the absence of an open avowal of the great changes in- 
 tended to be effected by the election of General Jackson— and when 
 we see, too, such a body of men, nay States, openly and avowedly 
 opposed to the policy we approve (all ranged under the standard of 
 the General) with legislative resolves, threatening resistance, if the 
 policy, is persisted in, / say, seeing this, fellow-citizens, let us pause 
 and reflect well what we are about. When a determination is avowed 
 ' to put down this administration, if as pure as the angels at the right 
 hand of God ! ' ' to take a long pull, a strong pull and a pull all to- 
 gether,' their decided and sudden preference for military over civil 
 attainments anight be guessed at." 
 
100 CAPT. JAMES SPKED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 RECOI,I<ECTlONS OF REV. JAMES FREEMAN CLARK, OF JUDGE 
 JOHN SPEED, TAKEN FROM HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 
 
 The following extracts from the autobiography of Rev. 
 James Freeman Clark show some interesting facts about 
 Judge John Speed. The date was between 1830 and 1840 : 
 
 " One day I noticed in church a gentleman whom I had not seen 
 there before, whose arm hung over the pew-door, holding in his hand 
 a riding-whip. After church I inquired who he was, and learned that 
 he was Judge Speed, a gentleman who had a farm a few 'miles out of 
 the city. I was informed that people called him an infidel, but that 
 he was universally respected and was a very good man. Afterward 
 I became very intimate with him and his family. He was like a father 
 to me, and his house was like my own home. He had a large farm 
 about six miles out of town ou the road to Bardstown. One field of 
 his farm contained eight}' acres, and hemp was raised in it every year 
 and grew ten or twelve feet high. Hemp is an exhausting crop, but 
 the field had produced it for a great many years without any fertilizer 
 being used, the land being among the richest in Kentucky. Walking 
 across this field one day I found a smooth stone about six inches long. 
 It looked like an Indian ax, but I left it where I found it, and when 
 I reached the house spoke about it to Judge Speed. He asked me 
 where I had fotfnd it, and on my reply said, ' no, that is not an 
 Indian stone; I know the stone you mean.' He seemed to be ac- 
 quainted with every stone in his eighty-acre field. 
 
 "Judge Speed explained to me why he was called an infidel. He 
 said, 'when I was a boy and went to meeting, the minister took the 
 Bible in his hand and said, ' every word within these lids is the word 
 of God, and if you do not believe it you will be damned as sure as I 
 kill that fly,' slapping his hand on a fly on the Bible. I was an 
 infidel to this kind of religion, and thought it my dutj' to protest 
 against it. But I have no hostility to the kind of religion which you 
 and many others now preach. I go from one church to another and 
 watch you all, and see that all the churches are making progress.' 
 
 " Several of Judge Speed's children became members of our 
 society, and all of them were like brothers and sisters to me. One of 
 his sons, Joshua, kept a store at one time in Springfield, Ills., and 
 there became the intimate friend of Abraham Lincoln— the most 
 intimate friend, in fact, the President ever had. Lincoln visited 
 Farmington, the Speed place, some time after I left Kentucky. Many 
 years later, when I was revisiting Kentucky, I spent a day with 
 Joshua Speed, who told me many interesting and characteristic 
 anecdotes of his friend. 
 
 "Although Judge Speed had few opportunities for education and 
 had spent his life in Kentucky as a farmer, up early and late, ridino- 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER— SECOND BRANCH. 101 
 
 over his plantation, superintending seventy negroes and educating 
 twelve children, I possess some letters from him which would be 
 creditable to the most finished scholar. His mind was active, vigorous 
 and free, ever open to new truths. He thought and read with the 
 ardor of a young student, laying aside old opinions and accepting 
 better ones when he found them. His heart was as fresh as his mind, 
 throbbing tenderly as that of a woman, in answer to a kind word. 
 He was a true and faithful friend, a wise and kind father. When he 
 lost his youngest child, his little daughter, Anne, he mourned over 
 her as one who had fully sympathized with her young thoughts and 
 desires. He was called 'Judge' because he had been appointed 
 associate judge in one of the court districts. The associate judges 
 were men, usually without legal training, who were put by the side 
 of fhe chief judge in order to temper his decisions with practical 
 common sense. 
 
 "Judge Speed was a slaveholder, but he did uot believe in slavery. 
 He thought it wrong in itself and injurious to the State, and expected, 
 like most intelligent Kentuckians at that time, that Kentucky would 
 before long emancipate its slaves. Meantime he held them as a trust, 
 and did everything he could to make them comfortable. If one of 
 his slaves was discontented and ran away, which rarely happened, 
 he did not try to bring him back. A young man from the North once 
 said to him : 'Judge, I do not see but the slaves are as happy as our 
 laboring classes at the North.' ' Well,' said the Judge, ' I do the best 
 I can to make my slaves comfortable, but I tell you, sir, you can not 
 make a slave HAPPY, do what you will. God Almighty never made 
 a man to be a slave, and he can not be happy while he is a slave.' 
 'But,' continued the Boston visitor, ' what can be done about it, sir? 
 They could not take care of themselves if set free.' ' I think I could 
 show you three men on my plantation,' replied Judge Speed, 'who 
 might go to the Kentucky Legislature. I am inclined to believe they 
 would be as good legislators as the average men there now.' " 
 
 The following is one of the numerous stories handed down 
 by tradition. It illustrates the cordial relations which ex- 
 isted between Judge John Speed and his brother Thomas : 
 
 Judge John Speed had no habit of using strong drink, but 
 he was not a total abstainer. His brother, Major Thos. 
 Speed, however, was an advocate of total abstinence. 
 
 When the two brothers were both old men, John made a 
 visit to Thomas at the Bardstown home. The evening he 
 arrived, after supper when thej^ were all sitting around the 
 
102 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER— SECOND BRANCH- ^ 
 
 fire, Joliu got up and went out upon the porch and began to 
 call Moses (one of the servants). Thomas, hearing him, 
 went out quickly to inquire what he wished. "Oh," says 
 John, "never mind, I don't want to trouble you, brother 
 Thomas, but my ' tickler ' is out and I wanted .Moses to step 
 into town and get it filled for me." At this Thomas assured 
 him that he need not do that ; he was sure " Mary had some 
 about the house, though you know I don't use it, brother 
 John." 
 
 They both went in and nothing more was said, but Marj- 
 found a bottle of liquor and put it in the room John was to 
 occupy, with sugar and water by it. 
 
 The next morning Thomas went into the room and noticed 
 the bottle had not been touched. John, seeing him notice 
 this, laughed out and declared he was only playing a joke 
 at the expense of his brother's temperance views. "Ah," 
 said Thomas, "and a cruel joke it was, brother John, for 
 Mary and I scarcel}- slept at all last night, grieving to think 
 that you had come to use liquor regularly." 
 
 Judge John Speed was twice married. First to Al>b}' 
 Lemaster, who died July, 1807. 
 
 The first child of this marriage was named James. It 
 died in infancy. The second was also named James, who 
 also died in infancJ^ 
 
 Two others were born, viz.: Mary and Eliza. 
 
 They lived to advanced years in Louisville, and neither 
 ever married. 
 
 His second wife was Lucy Gilmer Frj', daughter of 
 Joshua and Peachy Fr^'. She was born in Albemarle county, 
 Va., March 23, 1788. She came to Kentucky when ten years 
 of age with her parents, riding on horseback and walkino- 
 over the "Wilderness Road." She was one of a large 
 family of children, and this marriage makes an extensive 
 kinship between the Speeds and Frys, BuUitts, Bells and 
 others, which connection appears in another part of this 
 book. John Speed and Lucy G. Fry were married in Mercer 
 county, Ky., November 15, 1808. She died in Louisville 
 January 27, 1874, aged eighty-five. She possessed many 
 
1-:^^ ■?' 
 
 O £ 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND DRENCH. 103 
 
 splendid qualities, beauty, dignity, intelligence and sound 
 judgment. All who knew her admired and loved her. 
 The children of this marriage were : 
 
 1. Thomas, born September 15, 1809 ; died 1812. 
 
 2. lyucy Frj', born February 26, 1811. 
 
 3. James, born March 11, 181 2. 
 
 4. Peachy Walker, born May 4, 1813. 
 
 5. Joshua 'Bry, born November 14, 1814. 
 
 6. William Pope, born April 26, 1816. 
 
 7. Susan Fry, born September 30, 1817. 
 
 8. Philip, born April 12, 1819. 
 
 9. John Smith, born January i, 1821. 
 
 10. Martha Bell, born September 8, 1822. 
 
 11. Ann Pope, born November 5, 1831 ; died 1838. 
 
 Judge John Speed died March 30, 1840, aged sixty eight, 
 and was buried at the Farmington homestead, but the 
 remains were afterward removed to Cave Hill Cemetery, in 
 which cemetery his wife was also buried. 
 
 MRS. LUCY F. BRECKINRIDGE. 
 
 Lucy Fry Speed, daughter of Judge John Speed and 
 Lucy G. Fry, was born at the Farmington homestead. 
 
 She married James D. Breckinridge, a prominent lawyer 
 of Louisville, who died 1849. He was a widower with one 
 child, Eliza, who married Wm. Shakespeare Caldwell, and 
 was the mother of Mary Gwendolyn and Mary Elizabeth 
 Caldwell, of New York. 
 
 Mr. Breckinridge was the son of Alexander D. Breckin- 
 ridge, who was the half brother of John Breckinridge 
 (the latter being the father of Revs. R. J. and Wm. L. and 
 Joseph Cabel Breckinridge, and John C. Breckinridge was 
 a son of Joseph Cabel Breckinridge). He was a man of 
 large fortune, the greater part of which went to his daughter, 
 Eliza, and afterward to Mr. Caldwell, who was a fine busi- 
 ness man, resided in New York, and left his two daughters, 
 above named, extremely wealthy. 
 
 Mrs. Lucy Breckinridge never had any children, but she 
 
104 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPBNCEK — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 raised from childhood her nephew, James Breckinridge 
 Speed, son of her brother William, who has become one of 
 the most prominent and successful business men of Louis- 
 ville. 
 
 She is still living, and has resided all her life in L,ouisville 
 and vicinity, and is now eighty-one years old. She has 
 always enjoyed the warmest love of all who knew her. A 
 woman of the finest intelligence and judgment, a warm 
 heart and quick sympathies, she has exerted the best influ- 
 ence in her own family and a wide circle of friends. 
 
 JAMES SPEED (attorney-general). 
 
 James Speed, son of Judge John Speed, was born March 
 II, 1812, at the Farmington homestead, five miles from 
 l/ouisville, on the road leading to Bardstown. He attended 
 St. Joseph's College at Bardstown, when he was graduate3 
 at sixteen years of age. He then wrote in the clerk's office 
 at Louisville and afterward attended the law school at 
 Transylvania, from which he was graduated, 1833, being 
 twenty-one years old. He very soon became a successful 
 practicing lawyer, his first partnership being with Henry 
 Pirtle, afterward the well-known Chancellor Pirtle. He 
 devoted himself closely to his practice and became a leading 
 and widely known lawyer. He also did his duty as a pub- 
 lic spirited citizen. He served the city of lyouisville in the 
 General Council, the State in both branches of the Legis- 
 lature, the country in military appointment and in the 
 Cabinet. He bore a part in many public enterprises of 
 Louisville. In 1847 he was a member of the Lower House 
 of the State Legislature. Froiti 1861 to 1863 he was in the 
 State Senate. He was an earnest and active friend of the 
 Union cause during the Civil war, and while in the State 
 Senate he was a recognized leader. The proposition made 
 by the general Government to pay the owners of slaves in 
 Kentucky for their slaves was supported by him alone. 
 In his speech on that subject he took the ground that 
 slavery was an evil and ought to be abolished, and that 
 it would be, and that Kentucky ought to accept the propo- 
 sition. He stated in after years that while no one agreed 
 
HON. JAMES SPEED, 
 
 AttorqeLi-Gerieral United States (Abraham Liacolri's Cabinet) 
 about three montins before liis de; l 
 
 hrom a noios™' T "^^ri 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AXD MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 106 
 
 with him he felt that his influence in the State Senate was 
 increased by the stand he took. 
 
 At the beginning of the war he was made the mustering 
 oihcer for Kentuck}-, and he mustered into the United 
 States service the soldiers enlisted under the first calls. 
 He was a close friend and adviser of the military officers in 
 command in Kentucky, and his influence was very great 
 upon the Union sentiment throughout the State. 
 
 In 1S64 he became Attorney-General of the United States 
 in Lincoln's Cabinet, in which office he continued until 
 1866, when the political difference between himself and 
 Andrew Johnson led him to resign. 
 
 In 1866 he presided over the Convention of Southern 
 Unionists in Philadelphia which protested against the policy 
 of Andrew Johnson. In 1868 he received the vote of the 
 Kentucky delegation in the National Republican Conven- 
 tion for the office of Vice-President on the ticket with Gen- 
 eral Grant. 
 
 He was a delegate to the National Republican Conven- 
 tions of 1872 and 1876, and each time served on the Com- 
 mittee of Resolutions. He favored the 13th, 14th and 15th 
 amendments to the Constitution and the reconstruction 
 measures. 
 
 Upon his retirement from the Cabinet in 1866, he entered 
 at once upon his law practice in L,ouisviIle and continued 
 to be an active worker until his death, 1887. His dis- 
 tinguished ability caused him to receive employment in 
 many important cases, which gave him constant and profit- 
 able occupation. In 1872 he became professor in the 
 Louisville Law School, which position he had formerly 
 filled from 1856 to 1858. He loved to teach law and loved 
 the companionship of young men. He often talked about 
 the students, detailing the fine traits of promising young 
 men. His kindness to the students and young lawyers was 
 proverbial. He would put aside any business to talk to 
 them and render them assistance. 
 
 His patience and equanimity of temper were, perfect. I 
 was intimately associated with him more than twenty years, 
 and I never saw him get angry with anybody or about 
 
106 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPP;kCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 anything. He did not allow even the most vexatious mat- 
 ters to annoy or worry him. He was a constant reader of 
 law books. He read books of reports and would annotate 
 on the margins with his pencil. He loved the old law- 
 writers, especially Chittj'. 
 
 He enjoyed reading all good literature. He was particu- 
 larly fond of Cervantes, Dean Swift, Sterne, Montaigne, 
 Gibbon, Plutarch (morals), Milton (prose works), Shakes- 
 peare, Burns, and especiallj' the Bible. He said the his- 
 torical books of the Old Testament were by far the best of 
 all historical compositions. He never became tired of read- 
 ing these books. He could turn instantly to favorite pas- 
 sages, and loved to read them aloud. When he did so his 
 eye would kindle, and he would show the intense pleasure 
 it gave him. He had ver^' tender sensibilities, and when 
 reading a pathetic passage his fine rich voice would become 
 tremulous and tears would fill his eyes. A well-known 
 illustration of this was in reading the story of Le Fevre, 
 by Sterne. 
 
 As a speaker he had many of the finest qualities. He 
 was clear and strong in his statement. His sound judgment 
 showed itself and his manner carried conviction. He was 
 never prolix and did not repeat himself; all he said was 
 directly to the point, and he stopped when he had said 
 what was important. He never spoke without commanding 
 the entire attention of all present. 
 
 Whatever he wrote was concise. He had the faculty of 
 expressing himself with great brevity, clearness and pre- 
 cision. 
 
 His appearance was striking. It commanded respect at 
 once. His stature was medium, but he carried himself 
 well. He was always well dressed, wore full beard and had 
 a custom of wearing a flower on his coat. 
 
 He had the entire confidence of every one who knew 
 him. He was respected and admired by all, and those who 
 knew him best became warmly attached to him. It is 
 remarkable, that a man of such positive character should 
 have enjoyed the good-will of every one to the extent he did. 
 
 He had a religious nature and great respect for religion.. 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 107 
 
 He loved religious conversation, and among his friends was 
 Rev. Dr. Humphrej', who often came to his office and talked 
 with him. He also talked on such subjects with his brother 
 Smith, whom he respected as much as he loved, but his 
 views were of an independent order and he never united 
 with any church. 
 
 He had a warm affection for all his brothers and sisters 
 and their families, and others of his kin. He was the 
 originator of the family reunions at Louisville, and was 
 always present. He was fond of dancing, and would enter 
 into all the sports of the young people at the family picnics 
 with as much heartiness as any of them. 
 
 He loved to go on fishing excursions, and went often 
 with his brother, J. Smith Speed, and others. 
 
 He was a very successful and prosperous man in his 
 business. Though extremely liberal with his money, he 
 accumulated a handsome fortune 
 
 The last twenty years of his life he lived at a country 
 place about two and one-half miles eastwardly from the 
 city of Louisville, driving into the city everj' day in his 
 buggy. This life kept him in vigorous health up to his 
 last year, when he began to fail. About a year before his 
 death he made an argument in the Sherley will case, of 
 about four hours' length, and it was regarded as the best 
 effort of his life. 
 
 Less than two months before his death he attended a 
 meeting of the Society of the Loyal Legion, of which he 
 was a member, at Cincinnati, when he responded to a toast 
 to Abraham Lincoln. This was the last work he attempted. 
 
 He died June 25, 1887, at his country home, and was 
 buried in Cave Hill Cemetery. A handsome monument 
 marks his resting-place. 
 
 BAR MEMORIAL. 
 
 Upon the death of James Speed the lawyers of Louisville 
 adopted a memorial which was a beautiful and just tribute. 
 It has the additional interest of having been prepared by 
 one to whom Mr. Speed was tenderly attached. When he 
 was a partner of Henry Pirtle, as stated, Mr. Pirtle named 
 
108 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 one of his sons James Speed, and not long after Mr. Speed 
 named one of his sons Henry Pirtle. Mr. Pirtle's son, 
 James Speed Pirtle, followed in the footsteps of his honored 
 father, and has risen to be one of the most distinguished 
 lawyers of I/Ouisville, and the memorial was prepared by 
 him, from which the following extracts are made : 
 
 "Ttie man, in tueinoiy of whom we have met to-day, was so modest 
 that eulogy to the e.xteiit of his merits would be displeasing to him, 
 but he so valued the love of his friends that the expression of our 
 regard would be grateful to him. 
 
 " In remembrance of his talents and his virtues his brethren of the 
 bar, joining with the people of the State and the Nation, in the simple 
 language of truth record our respect, admiration and affection for 
 the great dead. "^ ?■ » s 
 
 "The history of James Speed increases the pride of the lawyer in 
 his profession ; his character deepens respect for human nature. 
 That simplicity which marked him he carried into the highest station. 
 In every place he filled he brought to bear all the powers of his mind 
 and the honesty of his character, taking up easily and naturall}' the 
 severe toils and cares of State with the same alacrity as the humblest 
 duties of life. Having attained a most exalted position in his profes- 
 sion at a time to test his qualities to the utmost, aud having sustained 
 himself with distinction, he came back to his work among his old 
 associates with his affections as warm, his tastes as pure, his habits as 
 simple as in youth. His ambition was unselfish, and success never 
 unduly elated him. He had the temperament and mind of a philos- 
 opher, viewing life from a high point and regarding man, in the 
 dignity of his nature, as the grandest of God's works. His studies 
 and thoughts were much turned to the contemplation of moral ques- 
 tions. He considered himself fortunate in having had so much pros- 
 perity, and met the ills of life, which come to all alike, as something 
 to be borne with calmness, as becomes a man. Nothing embittered 
 him. His temper was sweet, but that in no wise detracted from his 
 firmness and resolution. His business associates kept their regard 
 for, him to the end. He was conciliatory- and never self-seeking. 
 His last thought would be his owu wishes and interest. His was a 
 sympathetic and refined nature ; he loved music, poetry and flowers ; 
 in the trees, the flowing stream, the growing plants of his country 
 home he found companionship in solitude. He loved the societj' and 
 conversation of his friends, of children and of those near and dear 
 to him. The weak and oppressed, the needy and friendless found in 
 him a friend and protector. 
 
 " The character of Mr. Speed was so attractive that young and old, 
 and of all ranks and conditions, were drawn to him and gave him 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. lOtt 
 
 their fullest confidence. It is pleasant to dwell upon his virtues, to 
 speak well of one of whom the truth is the highest praise. 
 
 " At the bar his most strikiug qualities were judgment, conimoij 
 sense, candor and fairness, united with fine business capacit}-. lie 
 seemed more anxious to have justice done than to prevail in liis case, 
 maintaining only such principles as he believed to be the law, and 
 having great power of logic and learning to present them strongly, 
 he would stand or fall by the correctness of his positions. With the 
 court and the jury his integrity of character gave him deserved weight, 
 and added to the influence of his persuasive eloquence and reasoning.. 
 He had a captivating manner and an unsurpassed capacity for pre- 
 senting the facts of the case clearly and strongly, with an intermixture 
 of caustic comment and illustration at once convincing and enter- 
 taining. His fame as a lawyer rests upon the 'Work he did in the State 
 and Federal courts during a half century of practice, his wise coun- 
 seling in his office and his services as Attorney-General of the United 
 States. He was always a student, both of books and men, eminent 
 in the practice in the common law and equity courts, and in the 
 criminal courts also on great occasions. His great power was in 
 careful thought and the application of original principles to questions 
 under consideration. His arguments were short, close and confined 
 to the leading points and stated with clearness and purity of diction 
 in a strong, deliberate and careful manner. He had thought out 
 what he had to say to a conclusion, and his sentences fell from his 
 lips complete as if written. 
 
 "The life of James Speed was spent in industry, which won for him 
 fortune and fame. He was the most distinguished man ever born in 
 Jefferson county. He lived beyond the three score and ten years, 
 with his intellect bright, his health good, his enjoj'ment of the society 
 of his children and friends keen, and blessed by the respect and 
 honor of the people among whom he had lived all his life. His end 
 was peace. But a few days since he was in our midst, and the end 
 came quickly. Such a life and such a death give nothing to regret. 
 We grieve for ourselves, not for him. 
 
 " Resolved, That this memorial of James Speed be presented to the 
 courts of this city, including the United States Circuit Court, with 
 the request that it be spread upon their records, and a copy be deliv- 
 ered by the Secretary to the fatiiily of the deceased." 
 
 It would require a volume to set forth the .splendid charac- 
 teristics of James Speed and his great services, both in 
 public and private station. A volume might also be filled 
 with his writings, but space forbids to give more than the 
 following extracts and letters. 
 
110 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 He was a warm advocate of equal rights to all, and his 
 influence in shaping the legislation of the country to this 
 end was sensibly felt in the troublesome times immediately 
 following the war. The following extract from one of his 
 speeches is illustrative of the man as well as the period 
 when it was delivered. In 1868, in a case pending before 
 the Federal court at Louisville, where the validity of an 
 act of the Kentucky Legislature was questioned on the 
 ground that it was in violation of the Fourteenth Amend- 
 ment to the National Constitution, he said : 
 
 " If I stood here the advocate of the negro, I might insist that the 
 wealth and comforts of the State have to a large extent been created 
 by his labor ; and may I not say his unrequited labor ? For, as a rule, 
 labor brings to the laborer means of his own ; but the negro, after 
 generations of toil, stands before us to-day as empty as the sluggard — 
 poor to almost nakedness, and practically friendless — without land, 
 without money to buy tools to work with, without a shelter he can call 
 his own, without education, his ambition, spirit, and hope even, fettered 
 by the memories and effects of slavery. I could plead for him that 
 he is a human being with God-given feelings and capacities ; I could 
 show how he is despised by the thoughtless and oppressed by the 
 lawless ; and I could invoke for him from this court the protection of 
 a just and impartial administration of the law, before which the rich 
 and the poor, the white and the black, stand equal. But this is a con- 
 troversy between white men. I stand here the advocate of justice 
 and the Constitution. Where justice reigns under the Constitution, 
 oppression is now unknown to any class or color. I would not have 
 violated that equality in the social compact which the Constitution 
 proclaims and seeks to guard. I would strike down the hand that 
 would tear the now perfect bandage from the eyes of Justice. To-day 
 the right of equal protection belongs to all, without distinction of 
 race or color. It is now the office of the courts to enforce an equal 
 law, and justice is too sacred to be confused by the illusions of color 
 or awed by the frowns of prejudice." 
 
 The following is an extract from an address made at 
 the decoration of soldiers' graves at Cave Hill Cemetery, 
 Louisville, May 30, 1875. Dr. J. J. Speed said these words 
 were worthy to be printed on silk : 
 
 "The men who sleep beneath this sod and whose memories we 
 this da}' celebrate died in open war ; no private feud or personal feel- 
 ing impelled them to the death-struggle. At the call of their country 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. Ill 
 
 ■and in obedience to law they went to do battle against men they did 
 not personally know and against whom they had no private anioiosity. 
 They were moved alone by the sense of public duty. In looking 
 upon their graves let it be remembered that they gave their lives in 
 •obedience to law, and so let it ever be borne in mind that their sur- 
 vivors should with cheerful alacrity yield a like obedience to the law 
 which comes with peace proclaimed. There was war which made 
 men public enemies who at heart loved and cherished each other ; 
 but it was only as public enemies that they were at enmity. Now we 
 have peace, and the law of peace is mutual forgiveness, confidence, 
 friendship and affection. The same authority that ordered war has 
 now commanded peace. The command is addressed alike to victor 
 and vanquished, and a true sense of moral duty demands a like 
 obedience from a whole united people. 
 
 " The desire of the people is for peace. Private friendships, love 
 for our kindred and fellow men, and all the interlacings of human 
 interests which spread like a network over our whole land — all cry out 
 for peace. Around us we see what nature has done. Within this 
 inclosure, in almost undistinguishable dust, lie the Federal and the 
 Confederate dead. The grass is as green, the flowers as beautiful 
 upon the one as the other. We should heed this lesson from these 
 graves, and as nature is ever in harmony with herself, if we could 
 hear the voices of the spiritual bodies which have risen from this dust 
 and are now hovering over us, there would come to our ears one 
 sweet song of peace. Thus from beneath this earth and from above 
 the earth, there comes to us upon the earth the lesson and the song 
 o'f peace." 
 
 The following letters were written to the author of this 
 book. They have been carefully treasitred, and they are 
 now published that others may derive benefit from them 
 and appreciate the lofty qualities of mind and heart of the 
 distinguished writer, who, amid the duties of a high ofiice, 
 found time to write these letters with his own hand to k 
 
 law student : 
 
 " Washington, April i8, 1865. 
 
 "Dear Thomas: If you have decided to attend the law school 
 next winter, which I would advise you to do, then read no law till 
 you go there. An instructor is more needed at the beginning of your 
 professional studies than at any other time. Your summer can be 
 more profitably spent in studying history. Read Gibbon's Decline 
 and Pall of the Roman Empire ; then Hallam's Middle Ages and 
 Robinson's Charles V. Do not simply read, but study them and 
 study them closely ; not to know who reigned in such a year, when 
 
112 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 and where great battles were fought and thousands of human beings 
 slaughtered, but that you may have a good idea of the frame-work 
 of society in the past. Gibbeu's is certainly the greatest history ever 
 3'et written. From his work you will learn the causes and progress 
 of the decline of a very high order of civilization. Hallam brings 
 you through the gloom that followed the extinction of the Roman 
 lights. Robertson, in his introduction and history, will show how, by 
 little and little, order was adduced from chaos. 
 
 " You should of course read, and with great care, Bancroft's History 
 of the United States. That will teach you how our American insti- 
 tutions were planted, grew and were molded into their present shape. 
 It seems to me you can not do more than this during the summer. 
 Of course your whole time will not be engrossed with these books, 
 or rather your reading will not be exclusively in them ; some of 3-our 
 time must be given to light literature. In that you must consult 
 j'our own peculiar taste. I can prescribe your work. Your pleasures 
 must be of 3'our own selection. That they will be instructive as well 
 as pleasing I am sure. 
 
 "A great calamity has fallen upon our nation. We are severely 
 tried, but the nation and our institutions will live. The destiny of 
 this people and our Government were not bound up in the life of 
 the greatest and best man I ever knew. 
 
 " Your affectionate cousin, 
 
 ■'James Speed." 
 
 •'Attornev-General's Office, \, 
 
 "Washington, January 27, 1866. / 
 
 " Dear Thomas ; I received your letter of the nth of January by 
 due course of mail, and though much interested in the subject-matter, 
 have not had time until now to give it a thought. 
 
 "I am, dear Thomas, exceedingly anxious that you should pursue 
 the profession of your choice. I think the necessity you are under 
 of turning your attention to another business for a short time will 
 not be in the way of your ultimate success. There is nothing of 
 greater advantage to a lawyer than a large experience in the practical 
 affairs of life. The study of law can probably be more beneficially 
 carried on with this experience than without it. 
 
 "As to what you should do when your mouey gives out, my notion 
 is that teaching is the best business for you. While teaching you can 
 still pursue your profession, or if you have a distaste for that line of 
 life, then I would advise you to take a position as clerk in some mer- 
 cantile establishment, which would give you practical ideas that 
 would be very useful in your professional life. 
 
 " Until you come to the practice of your profession you can not be 
 made to understand how closely allied is the business of a lawyer to 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 113 
 
 that of a merchant. The principles upon which merchandise is con- 
 ducted in all the civilized countries of the world — nay, as far as I can 
 learn, in China also — are pure principles of equity as laid down in the 
 most approved authors. Those principles are more clearly appre- 
 hended and permanently fixed in the memory in the practical life of 
 a merchant than in the closest life of a lawyer. We are all well. I 
 am most truly your friend and relative, JAMES Speed." 
 
 James Speed was married in 1841 to Jane Cochran, 
 daughter of John Cochran, of L,ouisville. She was a sister 
 of Gavin H. and Arch. Cochran, of lyouisville, and her 
 sister Margaret married the distinguished Unitarian min- 
 ister. Rev. J. H. Heywood. 
 
 The children of James Speed: 
 
 1. John. 
 
 2. Henry Pirtle. 
 3. ' Charles. 
 
 4. Breckinridge. 
 
 5. J^mes. 
 
 6. Joshua. 
 
 John Speed, son of James Speed and Jane Cochran, was 
 born, 1842, in lyouisville. He was graduated at the Louis- 
 ville High School, and became a clerk in a bank first in 
 Louisville and then in Chicago, where he and his cousin, 
 James B. Speed, worked in the banking house of Badger 
 & Co. The war coming on, both the young men entered 
 the Union service. John Speed enlisted as a private in the 
 gth Kentucky Cavalry. His intelligence and capacity 
 caused him to be quickly promoted, being made Second 
 Lieutenant in August, 1862. He served, with his regiment, 
 under General Nelson against Kirby Smith in the Rich- 
 mond, Ky., campaign. He was on General C. C. Gilbert's 
 staff in the battle of Perryville. He also served on Gen- 
 eral Nelson's staff, and a short time on the staff of General 
 Rosecrans. In May, 1863, he was made Captain and Assist- 
 ant Adjutant-General. He then served on Division staff in 
 the Army of the Cumberland. During the Atlanta cam- 
 paign and march to the sea he was on the staff of Major- 
 General W. T. Ward, General Butterfield and others.. In 
 
114 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 April, 1865, he was made paymaster, with the rank of 
 major. He resigned June, 1865. His personal gallantry 
 and valuable services were distinctly recognized by the 
 commanding Generals in the West, Buell, Rosecrans and 
 Sherman. After the war, whenever General Sherman 
 would meet anj' of the Louisville family he would inquire, 
 " How is John ? " 
 
 After the war John Speed went into business as dealer in 
 plumbing and gas-fitting supplies. The business proving 
 unprofitable, he gave it up and entered the law practice, and 
 is now one of the most successful practitioners at the 
 Louisville bar, his partner being Thomas Speed, the author 
 of this book. 
 
 In 1864 he was married to Aurore Combe, of Owensboro, 
 Ky. Their children were James, Shippen and John. John 
 died. 
 
 Henry P. Speed, son of James Speed, after graduation 
 in the High School at Louisville, studied law in the Louis- 
 ville Law School and at Harvard. During the war he was 
 paymaster's clerk. Afterward he was in partnership with 
 his brother John in the business of plumbing and gas-fit- 
 ting supplies, in which business he is still engaged wnth the 
 house of M. J. Duify & Co., Louisville. He displayed, 
 from his youth, a naturally bright, quick intellect and great 
 ready wit, and is now a man of the most excellent business 
 capacity and qualifications. 
 
 He married Mrs. Lizzie Goldbach, of Louisville They 
 have no children. 
 
 Charles Speed, son of James Speed, inherited the home 
 place where his father lived the latter years of his life, and 
 now makes it his home. 
 
 He married Eliza Homire, daughter of John Homire, of 
 Louisville. Their children are Jennie, Bessie, Helen, Hugh, 
 Eliza. 
 
 Breckinridge Speed, son of James Speed, studied civil 
 engineering and is now located in Wichita, Kan., as resi- 
 dent engineer of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Rail- 
 road. He married Lizzie McGoodwin, of Princeton, Ky. 
 Their children are Preston, Forrester and David. 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER— SECOND BRANCH. 115 
 
 James Speed, Jr., son of James Speed, was educated 
 for the law, being a graduate of the lyouisville I^aw School, 
 and studied with his father, and for a time practiced in 
 partnership with his father. Not liking the profession, he 
 turned his attention to business, and is now engaged with 
 the L,ouisville Trust Companj'. 
 
 He married Hattie Morton, daughter of Henry Morton, 
 who was a brother of the well-known publisher and dealer 
 in books, John P Morton, of Louisville. They have two 
 children, Nellie and Hallie. 
 
 Joshua F. Speed, youngest son of James Speed, lives in 
 Grand Rapids, Mich , engaged in the furniture business. 
 The maiden name of his wife was Anna Granger. They 
 have one child : Granger. 
 
 MRS. PEACHY W. PEAY. 
 
 Peachy Walker Speed, daughter of Judge John Speed, 
 was born at the Farmington homestead. May 4, 1813. She 
 married Mr. Austin Peay, of lyouisville, who died in 1850. 
 She died January 18, 1891. Mr. Peay was a prosperous 
 business man, intellectual and accomplished, possessing 
 many of the finest qualities, with promise of great useful- 
 ness. He was cut off in the prime of his life. He was the 
 son of John Peay, who was a native of Virginia, and came 
 to Kentucky with his mother, Mildred Turner Peay, who, 
 with a large family of children, made her home, nearly a 
 century ago, at a country place in Jefferson county about a 
 mile from the mouth of Harrod's creek. Shortly before 
 the removal of this family to Kentucky the father of John 
 Peay, whose name was Austin Peay, died. John Peay was 
 an intelligent, refirfed and courtly gentleman, and his son, 
 Austin, who married Peachy W. Speed, inherited these 
 qualities. 
 
 After his death Mrs. Peay lived at the Farmington 
 homestead for some years, and then in the city of lyouis- 
 ville the remainder of her life. She was a very splendid 
 woman, beautiful in youth, always handsome and striking 
 looking. Her extraordinary intellectual power was recog- 
 
116 C-APT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 nized by all who knew her. She had a bright and cheerful 
 disposition which did not grow old, and she was greatly 
 endeared to her family and friends. The children of Mrs. 
 Peay : 
 
 1. George N. 
 
 2. J. Speed, died unmarried. 
 
 3. Eliza- 
 
 George N. Peay married Ella Keats, younger sister 
 of the wife of his uncle, Philip Speed. She was a 
 daughter of George Keats and niece of John Keats, the 
 English poet. She was unusually beautiful and greatly 
 beloved by all. 
 
 Their children : Emily, Austin, Alice, Minnie, Ella, 
 Speed, Ward ; the latter died young. 
 
 Emily married E. C. Hull, a business man of l,ouisville, 
 associated with the firm of Cannon & Bj^ers. 
 
 Their children : Roy Clinton, died ; George Keats, John, 
 Peachy. 
 
 Alice married Dr. Samuel A. Hartwell, of lyouisville. 
 She is a woman of extraordinary beauty and lovely char- 
 acter. 
 
 Ella married David Van Alstine, a civil engineer, and 
 lives in New Orleans. They have one child. Ward. 
 
 J. Speed Peay was educated in the schools at Eouisville, 
 and was an extremely popular young man wheu the Civil 
 war called the youth and manhood of the country to arms. 
 In response he promptly entered the Union service as cap- 
 tain in the 3d Kentucky Cavalry. After the war he was 
 for a number of years clerk of the Common Pleas Court in 
 Louisville, and had the reputation of being the most popu- 
 lar and efficient officer who had held that position. He 
 afterward was elected and repeatedly re-elected a justice in 
 his district of the city, which position he filled till his death. 
 He was a strikingly handsome man, and had a most pleas- 
 ing manner. He was esteemed by all, and his death was 
 greatly lamented. He died April 15, 1889. He was never 
 married. 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 117 
 
 EuzA Peay, daughter of Mrs. Peachy W. Peay, married 
 Colonel John H. Ward. 
 
 Their children are Herman, Ossian and Hardin. 
 
 Colonel Ward was a young lawyer of Greensburg, Ky., 
 when the Civil war came on. He entered the service at 
 once and became colonel of the 27th Kentucky Infantry. 
 The first colonel of this regiment was Charles D. Penne- 
 baker, who was a warm friend of the Speed family, and the 
 adjutant of the regiment was James B. Speed. 
 
 Colonel Ward was the son of Major General William T. 
 Ward, one of the most distinguished officers furnished by 
 the State of Kentucky in the Civil war. General Ward 
 was also a soldier in the Mexican war. 
 
 After the war Colonel John H. Ward practiced law in 
 lyouisville. He was appointed Register in Bankruptcy, 
 which office he held as long as the bankrupt law was in 
 force. Since that time he has practiced his profession, and 
 is now President of the Louisville Title Company. Colonel 
 Ward and Eliza Peay Ward both possess unusual gifts and 
 cultivation. Endowed by nature with rare intellectual pow- 
 ers, they have added the accomplishments which come from 
 a wide range of reading and extensive travel, and their 
 own qualities in this respect are not only inherited by their 
 children, but are also displayed in their education and train- 
 ing. 
 
 JOSHUA FRY SPEED. 
 
 Joshua F. Speed, son of Judge John Speed and Lucy G. 
 Fry, was born November 14, 1814. He was well educated 
 in the schools of Jefferson county and under the tuition of 
 Joshua Fry, and at St. Joseph's College at Bardstown. 
 After leaving college he spent between two and three years 
 as a clerk in the wholesale store of Wm. H. Pope, then 
 the largest mercantile establishment in Louisville. After 
 this he spent seven years of his life as a merchant in 
 Springfield, 111. At Springfield he became an intimate 
 friend of Abraham Lincoln, Stephen A. Douglass, Colonel 
 John Hardin, Colonel Baker, General Shields, Judge Gil- 
 lespie, Nathaniel Pope and others. It is noticeable that he 
 preferred associates of this kind. From his boyhood he 
 
118 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 regarded life with a serious, business-like gravity, which led 
 him to seek the companionship of young men of like dis- 
 position or those older than himself. His life at Springfield 
 furnished many incidents which he was fond of relating. 
 Often in after-years his memory would recur to that period, 
 and he would tell his experiences as a country merchant in 
 his crisp, narrative style, half playful, half serious, so as 
 to charm all who heard him. 
 
 The incident which led to the close friendship between 
 Mr. Lincoln and Joshua Speed has been often related. It 
 will be given here in Joshua Speed's own words, as he wrote 
 them in his lecture on Abraham Lincoln. He says: 
 
 " It was in the spring of 1S37, and on the very day that he obtained 
 his license, that our intimate acquaintance began. He had ridden 
 into towu on a borrowed horse, with no earthly property save a pair 
 of saddle-bags containing a few clothes. I was a merchant at Spring- 
 field and kept a large country store, embracing dry goods, groceries, 
 hardware, books, medicines, bed clothes, mattresses, in fact, everything 
 that the country needed. Lincoln came into the store with his saddle- 
 bags on his arm. He said he wanted to buy the furniture for a single 
 bed. The mattress, blankets, sheets, coverlid and pillow, according 
 to the figure made by me, would cost seventeen dollars. He said that 
 was perhaps cheap enough, but, small as the sum was, he was unable 
 to pay it, but if I would credit him till Christmas and his experiment 
 as a lawyer was a success he would pay then, saying in the saddest 
 tone, 'if I fail in this I do not know that I can ever pay you.' As I 
 looked up at him I thought then and I think now that I never saw a 
 sadder face. 
 
 "I said to him: 'You seem to be so much pained at contracting 
 so small a debt, I think I can suggest a plan by which you can avoid 
 the debt and at the same time attain your bed. I have a large room 
 with a double bed up stairs which you are very welcome to share 
 with me.' 
 
 " 'Where is your room?' said he. 
 
 " 'Up stairs,' said I, pointing to a pair of winding stairs which led 
 from the store to mj' room. 
 
 "He took his saddle-bags on his arm, went up stairs, set them 
 down on the floor and came down with a changed countenance. 
 Beaming with pleasure, he exclaimed: 'Well, Speed, I am moved.' " 
 
 While in Illinois he took a lively interest in public affairs 
 and assisted in editing a newspaper. He returned to Ken- 
 tucky^ from Springfield in the year 1842 and engaged in 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER— SECOND BRANCH. 119 
 
 farming for about nine years. He was married February 
 15, 1842, to Fanny Henning, a sister of James W. Henning, 
 and he and Mr. Henning afterward were partners. From 
 1851, until his death in 1882, he and Mr. Henning were 
 associated together as real estate agents, and the firm of 
 Henning & Speed became one of the best known in Louis- 
 ville. The two partners were admirably suited to each 
 other. Mr. Henning possessed an unequaled knowledge 
 of the real estate in the city and county, and Joshua Speed 
 had no superior as a financier. The public records show 
 the large interests intrusted to their care by wills, deeds 
 of trust and appointments by the courts. 
 
 Joshua Speed became the manager of a great many 
 estates, and the uniform testimony of all was in praise of 
 his ability and fidelity. He gave his personal attention to 
 all business entrusted to him. No one knew better how to 
 invest money or better how to buy and sell property. His 
 skill and judgment not only built up for himself a great 
 estate, but it was put forth also to the best advantage for 
 the benefit of all whose interests were in his care 
 
 In 1861 his whole heart was in the cause of the Union, 
 and his intimate acquaintance with President Lincoln 
 enabled him to exert all his ability in the interest of the 
 Union cause. His acquaintance with Mr. Lincoln in Illi- 
 nois led Mr. Lincoln to make a visit to the old Farmington 
 home some years prior to the war. This gave him a gen- 
 eral acquaintance vi'ith the family at Louisville, and he 
 formed a strong attachment for them all. Soon after he 
 was elected President he sent a large photograph of him- 
 self to Joshua Speed's mother with these words written 
 upon it: " To Mrs. Lucy G. Speed, from whose pious hand 
 I received an Oxford Bible twenty years ago." 
 
 Mr. Lincoln wished to have Joshua Speed in his Cabinet 
 as Secretary of the Treasury, but he declined to take the 
 place. Afterward his brother, James Speed, was made 
 Attorney-General. 
 
 During the war Joshua Speed's life was very active. 
 Kentucky was a very important field of military operations, 
 and President Lincoln, as well as the officers of the army. 
 
120 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 depended much upon Joshua Speed's knowledge of the 
 situation and his judgment. He made many trips to 
 Washington, and was intrusted with many important and 
 delicate missions. 
 
 In Perrin's History of Kentucky the part concerning the 
 Civil war period was written bj' Colonel G. C. KniflBn, who 
 served in the war on the staff of General Thomas. Colonel 
 Kniffin says this concerning Joshua F. Speed : 
 
 In a recent interview with General Sherman he related to the 
 writer the following : 
 
 "Some time after I had superseded General Anderson in com- 
 mand of the Department, I one day confided to Hon. Joshua F. Speed, 
 a true-hearted Union man of Louisville, the embarrassments under 
 which I labored, soundly berating the War Department which had 
 placed me in command while it withheld the means necessary to make 
 my force effective. ' What do you want ? ' said Mr. Speed. ' Every- 
 thing,' said I, 'arms, wagons, tents, bread and meat, money and a 
 competent staff.' ' Name what you want ou paper,' said Mr. Speed, 
 ' and give it to me.' I did as requested and handed it over. Nothing 
 more was seen of Mr. Speed for several days, when he entered my 
 room and handed me copies of orders directing Colonel Thomas 
 Swords, Assistant Quartermaster-General, and Captain H. C. SymondF, 
 Commissary of Subsistence, to report to me for duty. The order 
 directed Colonel Swords to draw for present needs f 100,000. He also 
 had a copy of an order drawn by President Lincoln himself upon the 
 advance department for 10,000 Springfield rifles of the latest design. 
 'How is this,' I exclaimed, 'that more attention is paid to the 
 requests of you, a citizen, than of me, a general in the army ? You 
 had better take command here.' ' I can explain it,' said Mr. Speed." 
 
 Here the book contains the incident already narrated 
 of the beginning of the intimacy between himself and Mr. 
 Lincoln in Illinois, and concludes : 
 
 "Mr. Lincoln lived with me long enough for me to love and 
 admire him, and to watch his upward course with certainty that it 
 would not stop short of the White House, and I was not surprised 
 when he reached it. I took your memoranda and went to Wash- 
 ington. I immediately called on the President and made known our 
 wants in Kentucky. He complied readily with every request I made, 
 and the only mistake you made. General, was in not asking for more." 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 121 
 
 The following words from General Fiunell, Adjutant- 
 General of Kentucky during the war, are very expressive : 
 
 "His position was peculiar. Without at any time an office, civil 
 or military, he was the trusted confidant, adviser and counselor of 
 both the civil and military authorities of the State and nation all 
 through the rebellion. He was a man of few words, often painfully 
 reticent, never in a hurry, never disconcerted ; he seemed intuitively 
 to know the right thing to do and the right time to do it. His com- 
 pensation was found alone in the consciousness of duty performed. 
 He uniformly declined to receive pay for any time or effort he was 
 asked to give to the cause of his country." 
 
 From the close of the war until his death he devoted him- 
 self to his business, and was one of the most important 
 citizens of Louisville. 
 
 In 1867 he purchased a beautiful tract of laud near the 
 city, being a portion of the old Farmington tract, and there 
 built a residence and beautified the place with trees, shrub- 
 bery and flowers. There he and his wife, to whom he was 
 devotedly attached, lived over again, amid rural scenes, the 
 earlier years of their married life. 
 
 With his ability as a business man he united other striking 
 qualities. He was very public-spirited and engaged in 
 many enterprises affecting the public welfare. He was also 
 fond of reading and a lover of good literature. The follow- 
 ing extract from a letter to his wife gives an idea of the 
 vein of poetic sentiment which was well known to those who 
 knew him intimately : 
 
 " Last evening as I sat upon the porch watching the sun set, as we 
 usually do, I thought of you and wished for you. Old Sol sank to 
 rest in the arms of night so grandly, giving some new beauty with 
 each expiring ray. It seemed as though the clouds had more beauti- 
 ful phantasms of every shape and form, like bridesmaids and bride- 
 grooms, waiting in graceful attendance upon the wedding of day and 
 night, than I ever saw before. Night, like the blushing bride, was 
 coy and shy, and gave evidence of her modesty in her blushing 
 cheeks, while day, like a gallant knight who had won his spurs upon 
 the bloody battle-field in the heady current of the fight, had done 
 his duty, laid aside his helmet and his spear, and approached his 
 bride in the rich and beautiful garb of a lover. The wedding over,, 
 the stars came out, like guests invited to the feast, and, I suppose,. 
 
122 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 kept up the carousal till dawn of day. I retired, and give uo further 
 report." 
 
 Ill 1876, with his wife and his sister, Mrs. Breckinridge, 
 he made a visit to the Pacific coast, and after his return he 
 prepared and delivered two lectures, one describing this 
 visit and giving his impressions of California, the other 
 being his Recollections of Abraham Lincoln. Each one 
 showed his qualities of great intellectual strength mingled 
 with the humorous and poetic. 
 
 He was very fond of his brothers and sisters and their 
 children, and they all in turn regarded him with the greatest 
 love and admiration. He had no children, but his kindness 
 and gentleness to children was most striking. Some of his 
 nieces or nephews were nearly always inmates of his home. 
 
 He united with the Methodist Episcopal church near the 
 clo.se of his life. He was always a believer in the Christian 
 religion, and said he believed in the Bible, not because he 
 understood it, but because he believed it was God's Word ; 
 that could he understand it as he did other books, he would 
 not believe it was God's Word. 
 
 His health began to fail in 1881, and he spent the winter 
 •of 1881-2 in Nassau. Returning, he died May 29, 1882. 
 
 His wife, Fannie Henning Speed, belonged to one of the 
 best Virginia famiUes, and her ancestors came to Kentucky 
 and settled near Louisville in the pioneer days. One of the 
 family in Virginia was the distinguished author of "Hen- 
 ning's Statistics of Virginia." Her many virtues have made 
 her greatly beloved by all who know her. 
 
 WILLIAM p. SPEED. 
 
 William P. Speed, son of Judge John Speed and Lucy 
 G. Fry, was born at the Farmington homestead in Jefferson 
 county, Ky. He was well educated, as all his brothers and 
 sisters were. He was married early in life to Margaret 
 D. Phillips, an elder sister of Susan Phillips, who became 
 the wife of his brother, J. Smith Speed. She did not live 
 long, and died without children. 
 
 William P. Speed afterward married Mary Ellen Shall- 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 1 23 
 
 cross, of lyouisville, a daughter of Captain John Shallcross, 
 prominent and well known in L,ouisville, and whose de- 
 scendants constitute one of the leading families of the city. 
 
 Of this marriage was born James B. Speed, a sketch of 
 whom will be given. 
 
 William P. Speed removed from Louisville to Boonville, 
 Mo., and was again married to Ardell Hutchinson. 
 
 The children of this marriage were two, Austin P. and 
 Laura. 
 
 William P. Speed continued to reside at Boonville, Mo., 
 until his death, June 28, 1863. He was a man of first-class 
 ability, having great natural quickness of intellect. He 
 was exceedingly bright and jovial in his temperament, and 
 combined with this disposition he had a strong, intelligent 
 judgment. His early death prevented his coming to that 
 greater prominence to which his talents would have inevi- 
 tably carried him had his life been prolonged. 
 
 The following is an extract from the obituary notice at 
 the time of his death in a Boonville paper : 
 
 "William P. Speed died at Boonville, Mo., June 28, 1863. In his 
 large and variously endowed nature were happily combined qualities 
 and capacities which made him one of the most delightful companions 
 and manliest of men, keen perceptions, flashing wit, rich, racy 
 humor, as genial as it was original ; warm, tender aflfections with 
 principles deep and immovable ; with filial piety that united the 
 memory of the departed with the presence of the remaining parent 
 in loving reverence ; with open, frank affection for brothers and 
 sisters, devotion to wife and children." 
 
 James Breckinridge Speed, son of William P. Speed, 
 was educated in the schools at Loui.sville, and first engaged 
 in business as a bank clerk in Louisville. He went to 
 Chicago with his cousin, John Speed, and they were both 
 clerks in the banking house of Badger & Co. Both entered 
 the Union service at the outbreak of the war, Jas. B. Speed 
 becoming the adjutant of the 27th Kentucky Infantry, of 
 which Charles D. Pennebaker was First Colonel ; afterward it 
 was commanded by Colonel John H. Ward. He saw service 
 with this regiment in all the campaigns in the West, 
 remaining with it until the spring of 1865. He then went 
 
124 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 into business in Louisville. His remarkable capacity for 
 business was at once recognized, and he has steadily pro- 
 gressed until his standing is such that it may be said he 
 never had a superior in the city of Louisville. 
 
 He is the president of various large corporate enter- 
 prises, among them the Louisville Cement Company and the 
 Louisville Street Railway System and the Ohio Valley Tel- 
 ephone Company. He is director in various others, includ- 
 ing banks, besides being the head of the firms of J. B. 
 Speed & Co-, dealers in cement, lime, salt, etc., and Byrne 
 & Speed, dealers in coal. Any one of these enterprises 
 would tax the powers of an ordinary man, but he has the 
 capacity to take active management of them all with sin- 
 gular success. In addition to these labors he attends not 
 only to his own private estate, which is very large, but 
 to others intrusted to his care as trustee. 
 
 With a steadj' energy and a strong intellect he has built 
 up enormous business enterprises, given employment to 
 thousands of persons, and everything in which he engages 
 is solidly founded. He is entirely devoid of every semblance 
 of ostentation, and generous with his means without a 
 thought of publicity. With all his devotion to business he 
 finds time to travel for health and pleasure in this country 
 and abroad ; is social in his nature, and has a warm attach-- 
 ment for his friends and those allied to him by the ties of 
 kinship. 
 
 In 1867 he was married to Cora Coffin, daughter of 
 Mr. Geo. W. Coffin, of Cincinnati. 
 
 Their children are Olive, William and Douglas Breckin- 
 ridge. Douglas died young. 
 
 Austin P. SpeBd, son of William P. Speed, married 
 Susan P. Jeter. 
 
 Their children : Lloyd J., William P., Stella M., Cora J., 
 Mary J., Laura E-, Susan P. 
 
 Austin P. Speed died July 8, 1889. 
 
 Laura T. Speed, daughter of William P. Speed, married 
 John S. Elliott. 
 
 Their children are Ruth B. and John S- 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER— SECOND BRANCH. 126 
 SUSAN F. DAVIS. 
 
 Susan Fry Speed, daughter of Judge John Speed, married 
 Benjamin O. Davis, of I^ouisville, June 5, 1838. He was 
 born on Dorchester Heights, near Boston, June 3, 1806. His . 
 father was Edward Davis, who was of Puritan stock and was 
 born in Boston. He was captain of a merchant vessel trad- 
 ing in the Mediterranean Sea. His mother was Eliza 
 Outram, from New England. Ben. O. Davis was the young- 
 est of eleven children. He was three years old at the 
 time of his father's death. He came to Louisville when 
 twenty-five years old, and was at first a clerk in the business 
 house of W. H. Pope. He afterward became a partner, 
 and the firm was Pope, Davis & ^Co. Afterward B. O. Davis 
 became a commission merchant, first in partnership with 
 Charles Gallagher, and then with J. Smith Speed, the 
 brother of his wife, under the firm name of Davis & Speed. 
 He died suddenly March 15, 1861. 
 
 The children of B. O. Davis and Susan Speed Davis, his 
 "wife, were : 
 
 1. Eliza Julia Speed, died unmarried. 
 
 2. Lucy Gilmer. 
 
 3. John Speed. 
 
 4. Katherine Wendell. 
 
 5. Edward. 
 
 6. Joshua Fry Speed, died unmarried. 
 
 7. Mary, died unmarried. 
 
 8. Jane Lewis. 
 
 Lucy Gilmer Davis married J. Edward Hardy, of 
 Louisville. The Hardy family came from England. The 
 greater number settled in Virginia, but one branch located 
 in New England. 
 
 Nathaniel Hardy was born in Bradford, Mass. , May 24, 
 1795. He came to Louisville about 1825, and engaged in 
 the hardware and iron business 
 
 The maternal grandfather of J. Edward Hardy was John 
 Howard, a descendant of the Norfolk family, of England. 
 His ancestors came to America, and he was born in Mary- 
 
126 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 land. He came to Kentucky and purchased a farm adjoin- 
 ing Judge John Speed, in Jefferson county. His daughter, 
 Charlotte Howard, and Nathaniel Hardy, were married 
 March 22, 1831, and their only child, J. Edward Hardy was 
 born Nov. 5, 1834. He and lyucy Gilmer Davis were mar- 
 ried June 18, 1861. Their children, living, are: 
 
 1. Lottie. 
 
 2. lyUcy. 
 
 3. William. 
 
 4. Kate. 
 
 5. Eliza. 
 
 6. Eewis. 
 
 7. Frank. 
 
 The above Lottie Hardj' married Charles P. Robinson, of 
 Louisville, a son of R. A. Robinson. 
 
 The above Lucy Hardy married Tarlton C. Hobbs, of 
 Anchorage, Jefferson county, Ky., a son of Edward D. 
 Hobbs. They have one child, Mary Craig. 
 
 John Speed Davis, son of Susan F. Davis, married Lou 
 McDonald. He was a business man in Louisville. He 
 died, leaving one son, Benjamin O. 
 
 Edward Davis, son of Mrs. Susan F. Davis, was born 
 July 7, 1845. He was educated in the schools of Louisville. 
 February, i860, he entered the office of Crittenden & Gault, 
 coal merchants, as clerk and book-keeper. Subsequently 
 was clerk in the post-office till September, 1862, when he 
 was commissioned Second Lieutenant 5th Kentucky Cav- 
 alry, and immediately made aid-de-camp to Brigadier- 
 General R. W. Johnson, commanding second division, right 
 wing. Army of the Cumberland. He served with General 
 Johnson through the Tullahoma and Chattanooga cam- 
 paigns, engaged in the battles of Liberty Gap, Tenn., June 
 24 and 25, 1863, and Chickamauga, September 19 and 20, 
 1863. 
 
 He reported at the United States Military Academy as 
 cadet, October 20, 1863, his resignation of his volunteer 
 commission being accepted by General Geo. H. Thomas, 
 November 2, 1863. Graduated from Military Academy 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 127 
 
 June 17, 1867, and assigned as Second lyieutenant 3d United 
 States Artillery. 
 
 In August, 1869, reported as aid-de-camp to General 
 Philip St. George Cooke, commanding Department of the 
 Cumberland, headquarters at IvOuisville, Ky., and in 1870, 
 Department of the Lakes, headquarters at Detroit ; continued 
 as aid to General Cooke, and Acting Judge Advocate of 
 the Department of the Lakes. 
 
 May, 1875, reported for duty at the United States Artillery 
 School, at Fort Monroe, Va., and was graduated May i, 
 1876. He was appointed Adjutant United States Artillery 
 School, July, 1891. 
 
 Captain Edward Davis was married to Margaret J. 
 Davis, daughter of Dr. A. McD. Davis, of Washington, 
 D. C, September 18, 1867. Their children : 
 
 1. Alexander McDonald Davis. He was graduated at 
 the United States Military Academy, West Point, June, 
 1892. 
 
 2. Susan Speed Davis. 
 
 Kate Davis, daughter of Mrs. Susan F. Davis, married 
 Dexter Hewitt, of Louisville. He is a business man of the 
 highest character. His business is that of agricultural im- 
 plements. He is greatly esteemed among the merchants 
 and by those to whom he has become related by his mar- 
 riage. For many years he has been vestryman of St. Paul's 
 church, in Louisville. 
 
 The children of this marriage are Nettie, Leonard, Henry. 
 
 Lewis Rogers, daughter of Susan F. Davis, married Dr. 
 Douglas Morton, of Louisville. 
 
 Dr. Morton was born in Virginia. He attended the Louis- 
 ville Medical College, and upon taking his degree began the 
 practice of medicine in Shelby county, K}^ He afterward 
 came to Louisville and was a.ssociated with the distinguished 
 physician. Dr. David Cummins, until Dr. Cummins' death. 
 Dr. Morton's health was not good and he sought the milder 
 climate of the South in the winter, still retaining, however, 
 his home in Louisville. His strength gradually gave way, 
 and he died May 26, 1892, in his forty -eighth year. He was 
 
128 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 a fine physician, unusually accomplislied, and took high rank 
 in his profession, both as a practitioner and writer. 
 
 The children of this marriage : Kdward, David, Outram, 
 Lewis, Susan. 
 
 MAJOR PHII,IP SPEED. 
 
 Philip speed, son of Judge John Speed and Lucy Fry, 
 was born at the old Farmington homestead, near Louisville, 
 April 12, 1819. He married Emma Keats, a daughter 
 of George Keats, a brother of the poet, John Keats. He 
 lived some time on a farm adjoining the Farmington tract. 
 At that time his sister, Mrs. Peay, lived at the old homestead, 
 and his brother. Smith Speed, lived on the Breckinridge 
 place, near by. A few years before the Civil war he moved 
 into Louisville. He was a Unionist when the war came, 
 and was made paymaster in the armj^ with the rank of major. 
 He led a very active life during this period, going wherever 
 the troops were, and was often exposed to danger. His 
 home was then in Louisville, on Walnut street, near Eighth. 
 He afterward removed to First street, where he lived the 
 remainder of his life. He had a large family, and all his 
 children were remarkably bright and handsome. His wife 
 was a woman of great culture and refinement. The children 
 were exceedingly fond of their parents, and were made 
 happy in their home by every reasonable indulgence. There 
 was never a happier household. Major Speed was fond of 
 his friends and loved to entertain. His house was admirably 
 adapted for that purpose. The parlors and dining-room 
 were unusually large, and often were filled. The army 
 officers, during the war, found his house a delightful place 
 to visit. Generals Sherman, Anderson, Buell, Nelson, and 
 many others of lesser rank were often there. 
 
 In the latter part of the war period Major Speed was 
 appointed Collector of Internal Revenue, and held the office 
 a number of years. He was a model officer, giving entire 
 satisfaction to the Government and making friends of all 
 who had dealings with the office. Afterward he was engaged 
 in business connected with the cement companies, being 
 superintendent of the Western Cement Association, in which 
 occupation he remained until his death. He took a lively 
 
MAJOR PHILIP SPEED 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 129 
 
 interest in the schools of Louisville, and held the office of 
 school trustee for many years. He originated the manual 
 training feature, which was afterv\'ard introduced. So much 
 was he interested in this adjunct to the schools that he visited 
 other places to observe its workings and brought instructors 
 to Louisville to advocate its value. He had the benefit of 
 an excellent early training, and kept himself well informed 
 on all subjects by attentive reading. He wrote well and 
 contributed frequently to the editorial column of the Louis- 
 ville papers. 
 
 He had a decidedly social disposition. His friends were 
 numerous and greatlj- attached to him. His manners were 
 very kindly. He loved good cheer and amusements, and 
 delighted in hearing and telling anecdotes. 
 
 He was a man of fine appearance, about medium height 
 and well-rounded body. He carried himself erect, dressed 
 well and was affable and pleasing in his manner. 
 
 In all the family reunions he took a leading part. He 
 was very fond of his brothers and sisters, and they of him. 
 His love for his own home was a marked characteristic. 
 When not engaged in business he could always be found in 
 the midst of his happy family circle. He played with the 
 young people in all their games, took part in all their 
 amusements and engaged in the dance with as great delight 
 as any of them. 
 
 In his religious belief he was a Unitarian. He died sud- 
 denly November i, 1882, and was buried in Cave Hill Cem- 
 etery, Louisville, Ky. 
 
 The children of Philip Speed and Emma Keats Speed : 
 
 1. Mary Eliza. 
 
 2. George Keats. 
 
 3. Peachy Austine (called Tiny). 
 
 4. Ella Keats. 
 
 5. John Gilmer. 
 
 6. Alice Keats. 
 
 7. Fanny H. 
 
 8. Thomas Adams, 
 q. Florence. 
 
130 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 Mary Speed, daughter of Philip Speed, married Enos S. 
 Tule3^ September 1 1, 1866. Mr. Tuley has been connected 
 with the Louisville post-office almost continuously since the 
 year 1854. During the war he served some time in the pay 
 department of the United States Army, from which he re- 
 signed in May, 1864, to accept the position of Assistant 
 Postmaster, a position he still holds, and is one of the best 
 known and most popular men in Louisville. 
 
 He was born in New Alban3^ Ind., March 25, 1836. He 
 was the son of John W. and Phebe H. Tulej^ grandson of 
 Wm. Floyd and Jane Bell Tuley, of Jefferson county, Ky., 
 and of Seth and Sally Crane Woodruff, of New Albany, 
 Ind. ; great grandson of Charles and Elizabeth Floyd Tuley, 
 of Jefferson county, K}-. 
 
 The latter was a sister of Colonel John Floyd, of Vir- 
 ginia, of Revolutionary fame, and a Kentucky pioneer, 
 being appointed by the Governor 01 Virginia as one of the 
 surveying party to Kentucky, with William Preston. Colonel 
 Floyd was one of the original Trustees of Louisville, and a 
 companion of Daniel Boone. Was shot by Indians in 
 ambush, April 12, 1783, about fourteen miles from Louis- 
 ville, dying of his wounds. His will, stained with his 
 blood, is in the Jefferson County Clerk's office. His brother- 
 in-law, Charles Tuley, was also killed by Indians, at ' ' The 
 Fort," near Louisville. His brother, Wm. Floyd, was one of 
 the signers of the Declaration of Independence. His sister 
 married William Preston. Another married a Lemaster, and 
 was the grandmother of Mary and Eliza Speed, daughters 
 of Judge John Speed. Another connection with the Speeds 
 is that Alexander Breckinridge married the widow of Colonel 
 Floyd, and the son of this marriage was Jas. D. Breckinridge, 
 who married Lucy G. Speed, daughter of Judge John Speed'. 
 A son of Colonel Floyd became Governor of Virginia. 
 
 The Tuleys were Huguenots, and first settled in South 
 Carolina, removed to Virginia and from thence to Kentucky, 
 .settling near where the village of Middletown, Jefferson 
 county, now stands. 
 
 Judge Seth Woodruff, grandfather of Enos S. Tuley, be- 
 longed to the historic Woodruff family of New Jersey, and 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 131 
 
 went to New Albany, Ind., from Newark as one of the origi- 
 nal settlers. There he lived an honored life till his death at 
 the age of seventy-five. 
 
 The children of Enos S. Tuley were five, as follows: 
 
 1. Philip Speed Tuley, bom January 26, 1868. Gradu- 
 ate of the Louisville High School, now secretary and treas- 
 urer Louisville Cotton Mills Company. 
 
 2. Dr. Henry E. Tuley, born January 11, 1870. Gradu- 
 ate of the Louisville High School and Medical Department 
 University of Louisville ; subsequently Senior Assistant 
 Physician New York Infant Asylum ; also Senior Assistant 
 Physician at Sloane Maternity Hospital, N. Y. ; now a prac- 
 ticing phj'sician in Louisville. 
 
 3. Thomas S. Tuley, born January 3, 1876. 
 
 4. Emma Keats Tuley, died four and a half years old. 
 
 5. Mar3' Eliza, died one and a half years old. 
 
 George Keats Speed, son of Philip Speed and Emma 
 Keats Speed, was born February 9, 1846. He was educated 
 in the schools in Louisville. The war came on when he was 
 fifteen years of age. He entered the Union service and 
 became a lieutenant of cavalry when sixteen (August, 
 1862), in the ist Kentucky Cavalry. He was made adjutant 
 of the 4th Kentucky Cavalry June, 1863, and captain of 
 Company G, same regiment, November 7, 1863. He served 
 imtil 1865. He was a remarkably bright, intelligent and 
 handsome 3'oung ofiicer, and was engaged in staff duty 
 during much of his service, serving on the staff of Generals 
 Gilbert, Granger and others. 
 
 He was married in 1867 to Jennie Ewing, daughter of 
 the distinguished physician of Louisville, Dr. U. E. Ewing. 
 He died in Shelby county, February 13, 1887. 
 
 Their children : 
 
 1. Jennie Ewing. 
 
 2. Emma Keats. 
 
 3 Ewing. 
 
 4 Philip. 
 
 5. Nellie Ewing. 
 
132 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 6. Joshua Fr3\ 
 
 7. George Keats. 
 
 Tiny (Peachy Austine Speed), daughter of Philip 
 Speed, was, from her youth, remarkably handsome, and 
 her great beauty was not more striking than her manj' 
 lovable traits of character. She married Captain John F. 
 Rodgers, of the United States Army, a man of distinguished 
 ability and comes of heroic ancestry. His father was Com- 
 modore Geo. W. Rodgers, of the United States Navy, and 
 was on the American ship Wasp when it captured the 
 British ship Frolic in the war of 1812. His paternal grand- 
 father and also his maternal grandfather. Perry, served 
 with distinction in the Revolutionary war. His uncle. 
 Commodore John Rodgers, was a prominent officer in the 
 United States Navy, and his maternal uncle. Commodore 
 Oliver H. Perrj^ immortalized his name by his ever-mem- 
 orable victory on Lake Erie. 
 
 Two brothers of Captain Rodgers lost their lives in battle 
 in the Civil war. Another brother. Admiral C. R. P. Rod- 
 gers, of the United States Navy, recently died. He was 
 one of the most prominent and useful officers in the navj'. 
 
 Captain Rodgers is an educated military man, and served 
 throughout the Civil war, and is now one of the most 
 valuable officers in the service ; accomplished in his pro- 
 fession and as a gentleman, he is a worthy representative 
 of an illustrious family. Captain Rodgers and his wife, Tiny 
 Speed, have one child, Emma Keats. 
 
 EivLA Keats Speed, daughter of Major Philip Speed, mar- 
 ried Thomas B. Crutcher, who was a prominent iron merchant 
 in Louisville. Failing health required him to give up busi- 
 ness, and he died in December, 1891. 
 
 Their children : 
 
 1. Emma Keats. 
 
 2. Thomas B. 
 
 3. Mary Tuley. 
 
 4. Philip Speed. 
 
 5. William. 
 
 6. Ella Keats. 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 138 
 
 John Gilmer Speed, son of Philip Speed, was graduated 
 from the ]Louisville High School, 1869. Studied law with his 
 uncle, James Speed, but on account of health preferred the 
 occupation of civil engineering. Having prepared himself 
 for this work, he had charge of the construction of several 
 sections of railroad in Kentucky. In 1873-4 ^^ was 
 Assistant City Engineer of l,ouisville. In 1875 he was 
 Engineer of the I,ouisville & Cincinnati Short L,ine Rail- 
 road. In 1876 he went to Philadelphia and served with the 
 United States Government Board of Transportation, Cen- 
 tennial Exposition. In 1877 he went to New York as a 
 writer for the New York World. In 1878 became managing 
 editor of that paper, and so continued till 1883. In 1883-4 
 he wrote a biographj' of John Keats, and edited the poems 
 and letters of Keats. From 1885 to '88 he was Secretary of 
 the American Exhibition in the London Exposition. Re- 
 turned to New York and became editor of the American 
 Magazine. He was appointed, 1879, Colonel New York 
 State Guard, and assigned to duty as aide to the Governor. 
 In 1890 began miscellaneous literary work for magazines 
 and periodicals, especially Harpers' publications. 
 
 He was married in 1881 to Mary Craik Poindexter, 
 of Kentucky, daughter of Philip Barbour Poindexter, 
 whose wife was Maria Heloise Gwathmey. His residence 
 is New York City and Mendham, N. J. They have one 
 child, Heloise Gwathmey. 
 
 Alice Speed, daughter of Major Philip Speed, married 
 Harry P. McDonald, of Louisville, an architect of the 
 highest rank and a man of great capacity, energj^ and 
 activity. His ancestors came from Glendary, Scotland, and 
 lived in the Valley of Virginia when it was first settled. 
 They served in the war of the Revolution and of 1812. 
 Harry P. McDonald is the son of Colonel Angus McDonald, 
 of the famous Confederate Black Horse Cavalry in the Civil 
 war, and he himself, though very young, also served in 
 that war. His mother was Miss Peake, daughter of Dr. 
 Peake, of Alexandria, Va. Harry was the sixth son in a 
 large family. He came to Louisville, in 1869, with several 
 of his brothers, and all are citizens of great worth and use- 
 
134 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 fulness, all being public-spirited. Their thorough education 
 and great intelligence have made them prominent in educa- 
 tional interests and in connection with the leading lines of 
 business of Louisville. A number of the finest buildings in 
 the city have been built by the firm of McDonald Brothers, 
 including the Kentucky National Bank building and Calvary 
 church. They have erected public buildings, such as court 
 houses and capitols, in various parts of the country. 
 
 The children of Harry P. McDonald and Alice Speed 
 McDonald were Fanny S. and Cornelia. Cornelia died. 
 
 Fanny H. Speed, daughter of Major Philip Speed, married 
 M. J. O'Connor, an engineer and contractor well known for 
 his ability, great intelligence and energy. He was born in 
 Liverpool, England, February lo, 1840, and was educated as 
 an engineer. At an early age he went to Australia and New 
 Zealand with an exploring party. He came to the United 
 States to live in 1867. He was employed in the building of 
 the bridge over the Ohio river at Louisville, and afterward 
 in railroad contracting and building in Texas. He was the 
 superintendent in charge of the masonry of the Newport 
 and Cincinnati bridge, and after that was contractor for 
 building the railroad bridge at Henderson, Ky. Besides 
 these extensive works, he has been actively engaged in many 
 others of like nature. 
 
 Mr. O'Connor is directly connected with the famous 
 Fergus O'Connor, the Chartist leader, and others of that 
 noted family. 
 
 The children of this marriage : 
 
 1. Florence, died. 
 
 2. Alice. 
 
 3. Roderick, ) , . 
 
 ■^ ' [ twms. 
 
 4. Lucy, ) 
 
 5. Hugh. 
 
 FLORENCE Speed, daughter of Philip Speed, married 
 Josiah McRoberts, a patent lawyer of Washington City. His 
 great grandfather came to America from Scotland about 1765 ; 
 served in the French and Indian war and under Washington 
 
J SMITH SPEED, 
 Of Louisville, From a pliotograpli. 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER— SECOND BRANCH. 135 
 
 ^'f • . ^^^"^ °^ ^^^ Revolution. Hi.s grandfather went to 
 . ^^ois early in the present century and took a leading part 
 m organizing the Territory into a State, becoming one of the 
 first members of the State judiciary after admission into the 
 Union. The eldest son of this Judge McRoberts was United 
 States Senator from Illinois. The youngest son, Samuel, 
 was the father of the subject of this sketch. He was also a 
 judge in Illinois for a period of twenty -five years. Two 
 members of the present IMr. McRoberts' mother's family 
 served in the Civil war ; one as colonel of a Michigan regi- 
 ment, the other as major of an Illinois regiment, and was 
 killed at the battle of Franklin, Tenn. 
 
 Thojias a., son of Philip Speed, married Amelia Harri- 
 son, of Uouisville. He was educated in the schools in 
 lyOuisville, and for several years was clerk in the Kentucky 
 National Bank. He then went into business as an iron mer- 
 chant, and is now vice-president of the Todd-Donigan 
 Iron Company. He is a fine business man, and has the 
 esteem and confidence and friendship of all who know him. 
 
 He has a warm heart and friendly nature which shows 
 itself in his countenance and manner. He inherits the 
 noble traits of his father to a marked degree ; like him 
 he is polished and refined in his tastes. He is not only 
 admired but loved by everj^ member of the family, and he 
 has the hearty and cordial friendship of all who make his 
 acquaintance. 
 
 His children are Meta DuPont and Mary Tuley. 
 
 J. SMITH SPEED. 
 
 J. Smith Speed was the youngest of the sons of Judge 
 John Speed. He was born at the old Farmington homestead 
 January i, 1821. He was educated in the .schools in Jeffer- 
 son county and in Louisville, and spent the first years of his 
 manhood in farming. He lived for a time in that part of 
 Jefferson county known as the Pond Settlement, on a farm 
 near to that of his brother Joshua. Afterward he lived on 
 the Breckinridge place, not far from Farmington. From 
 that place he removed into the city of Louisville and engaged 
 
136 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 in business as a commission merchant in partnership with 
 his brother-in-law, Ben. O. Davis. 
 
 He was twice married. First to Elizabeth Williamson, 
 who died soon after marriage, leaving no children. He was 
 again married to Susan Philhps, who possessed unusual 
 attractions both of beauty and cultivation. There was 
 never a happier marriage, and thej' were blessed with a 
 family of six children. 
 
 Like his brothers, he was an earnest Unionist when the 
 Civil war came, but an injury to his leg, which he received 
 in his youth and which gave him trouble all his life, pre- 
 vented his taking any part in the conflict. He took a warm 
 interest in the welfare of the soldiers, contributing of his 
 means to their comfort and assistance. Being in the service 
 mj'self, I remember with gratitude the solicitude he showed 
 for my own welfare. He had a cheerful, sunny disposition 
 which attached ever}- one to him. No man was ever 
 more beloved by his friends and kinsfolk. His perfectly 
 unselfish nature made his greatest happiness to consist in 
 doing kind acts for others. He was gentle and dignified in 
 his manner, always had a pleasant look and cheerful word. 
 He was particularly fond of his brothers and sisters and 
 their families, and was a favorite with them all. He was 
 often at the law office of his brother James, and James, in 
 turn, often visited him at his place of business. It was a 
 common thing to hear 'him say: "I'll step around to see 
 Smith " They often went on fishing excursions together, 
 and when preparing for these excursions they would talk 
 about it like boys. Their conversation always showed a 
 brotherly affection, each seeming desirous to please the other. 
 In their ad\-anced years they always showed, when with each 
 other, their youthful feelings. They would often talk on 
 religious subjects, and though they did not exactly agree, 
 neither would utter a word in any wise calculated to displease 
 the other. Smith Speed was a sincere Christian, a member 
 of the Presbyterian church. He loved to talk about the 
 sermons he heard, and had the faculty of getting the good 
 out of them, his comments being generally favorable. 
 
 He enjoyed the absolute confidence of all who knew him. 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 137 
 
 As his brother James said of Abraham lyiucoha : " Truth felt 
 assurance iu his presence and falsehood quailed." 
 
 He was a man of fine sense and judgment. He attended 
 closely to his own business affairs, and was esteemed by all 
 who had dealings with him. 
 
 For a number of years preceding his death he managed 
 the affairs of the Talmage Ice Company. In every way that 
 he came in contact with business men he won their respect 
 and good-will. 
 
 About a year before his death it was my pleasure to make 
 a visit with him to the old Farmington homestead. The 
 occasion was that a Mr. Drake came to Louisville from New 
 York to obtain pictures to illustrate the Life of Lincoln, by 
 Hay and Nicholay. 
 
 It was plain to see the emotions with which he went over 
 the place of his birth and childhood. Mr. Drake said : 
 "You seem to enjoy this visit, Mr. Speed." "Yes," said 
 he, "it has been a number of years since I was here, and 
 many things are just as thej' were when I was a boy." He 
 went into all the rooms of the house, looked into the out- 
 buildings, went into the old orchard, the garden and to the 
 spring-house. He showed where his father used to sit on 
 the front portico and on the large back porch, and the 
 favorite places of his mother. He told incidents and stories 
 of his youth, about his father and mother, brothers, sisters 
 and visitors. Several pictures were taken. Some of them 
 are in the Century Magazine. 
 
 His death was sudden. Feeling unwell at his ofRce, he 
 went home, and died a few minutes afterward. The chil- 
 dren of J. Smith Speed, and his wife, Susan Phillips : 
 
 1. Elizabeth Williamson. 
 
 2. William Phillips. 
 
 3. Joshua Fry. 
 
 4. Archie Cochran. 
 
 5. Mary Ellen. 
 
 6. J. Smith. 
 
 The eldest of these, Elizabeth W. Speed, married 
 Richard Jouett Menefee, son of the Kentucky orator and 
 
138 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER— SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 statesman, Richard H. Menefee. His mother was Sarah 
 B. Jouett, the daughter of Matthew Jouett, the celebrated 
 artist. 
 
 Richard H. Menefee was born in Bath county, Ky., 1810. 
 At the age of twenty-six he was elected to Congress, having 
 already achieved a wide reputation as a lawyer of the finest 
 capacity and talent. In Congress he took a front rank at 
 once. Upon the expiration of his term he practiced law in 
 I^exington, and was known as one of the ablest and most 
 eloquent lawyers in the State. His brilliant career was ter- 
 minated by his death, in 1841, at the early age of thirty-one. 
 His extraordinary merits have been made the subject of the 
 loftiest panegyrics that the genius of his biographers are 
 capable of expressing. Perhaps the finest effort of Thomas 
 F. Marshall is his eulogy upon Richard H. Menefee, deliv- 
 ered at Lexington, 1841. 
 
 Matthew H. Jouett, the father of Mrs. Sarah B. Menefee,, 
 was born in Kentucky, 1788. His father was Captain John 
 Jouett, of the Revolution, who was the recipient of a sword 
 by the State of Virginia for his gallant services in that war. 
 He moved to Kentucky, 1782, and soon became prominent 
 in early Kentucky affairs, being a member of the early con- 
 ventions and State I^egislature. Matthew, his son, was- 
 carefully educated and studied law, but his tastes were for 
 art. He possessed extraordinary genius, and became one of 
 the finest artists in this country. His portraits are noted for 
 richness of coloring and strong portrayal of character. His 
 fame as an artist is too widely extended to require further 
 mention in this place. 
 
 Richard Jouett Menefee, the son of a gifted father, and 
 grandson of the equally gifted artist, is one of the best 
 known and most universally esteemed business men of 
 I^ouisville. By his own exertions and rare qualifications 
 for business he has amassed a fortune which he enjoys and 
 largely uses for the good of others. He is accomplished in 
 literature and a lover of art, and has adorned his home with 
 many rare pictures. Before his marriage he made an ex- 
 tended trip to the old world with his mother, and is at this 
 time traveling abroad with his wife. His mother is still 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. ISO 
 
 living. The children of Richard Jouett Menefee and Eliza- 
 beth Speed Menefee : 
 
 1. Margaret Jouett. 
 
 2. Richard Hickman. 
 
 3. Jouett. 
 
 4. Speed Smith. 
 
 5. John McFerran, died. 
 
 6. Arthur Berley. 
 
 William P. Speed, son of J. Smith Speed, is connected 
 in business with the Association of Fire Underwriters, of 
 Chicago. He has a quick, bright mind, and is an exceed- 
 ingly competent man in an office. His education was at 
 lyOuisville, where he received his early training in business. 
 For a number of years he was in the employ of the Collector 
 of Internal Revenue at lyOuisville. He married Belle Ellis, 
 of Bardstown. Their children : 
 
 1. Jouett Menefee. 
 
 2. James Buckner. 
 
 3. William P. 
 
 4. Stuart. 
 
 5. Susan Phillips. 
 
 Joshua F. Speed, son of J. Smith Speed, after complet- 
 ing his education in the Eouisville schools, became a bank 
 clerk. He, also, was engaged in the office of the Collector of 
 Internal Revenue when the office was held by Captain Lewis 
 Buckner, son of Colonel James F. Buckner. Since then he 
 has been, connected with the Fidelity Trust and Safety Vault 
 Company, of Eouisville. In all the positions he has held he 
 has made the reputation of a most efficient and excellent 
 official. He is a man of quick intelligence, loves reading 
 and has a thoughtful, investigating turn of mind. He makes 
 warm friends and is a favorite, not only in the family, but 
 with all who make his acquaintance. 
 
 He married Carrie Nicholson, daughter of Martin Nichol- 
 son, of New York, and niece of U. B. Evarts, who was one 
 of the most prominent business men of Louisville. 
 
 Their children : Albert Evarts, Susan Phillips and Abiline 
 Nones. 
 
"140 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 Arch. C. Speed, son of J. Smith Speed, resides in Chicago. 
 He has been in the insurance business, connected with the 
 Board of Underwriters both at Chicago and at Denver. At 
 present he is Fire Marshal of the World's Fair, at Chicago, 
 being so situated at the instance of the insurance interests. 
 He is strikingly handsome and a valuable business man. 
 He married Mar\' Burns, of Chicago. They have one child, 
 Ivawrence Drew. 
 
 J. Smith Speed, son of J. Smith Speed, is an insurance 
 adjuster of the Insurance Company of North America. His 
 duties require him to travel from place to place. His home 
 is lyittle Rock, Ark. The first years of his business life 
 were spent in I,ouisville, where he married Mary Stuart 
 Shallcross, daughter of Wm. Shallcross, and granddaughter 
 of John Shallcross, whose name is permanently identified 
 with the steamboat navigation of the Ohio river. They 
 have no children. 
 
 MRS. MARTHA B. ADAMS. 
 
 IM.irtha B. Speed, daughter of Judge John Speed and 
 Lucy G. Fry, was born at the Farmington homestead, near 
 Louisville, September 8, 1822. She was married October 6, 
 1846, to Thomas Adams. He was born in Richmond, Va., 
 June 15, 1816, and belonged to one of the most excellent 
 families in that State. He was the son of Samuel G- Adams 
 and Catherine Innis Adams, a sister of Judge Harr\' Innis, 
 of Kentucky. Samuel G. served in the Virginia Assemblj^ 
 and filled other places of distinction. He was the. son of 
 Richard Adams and Eliza Griffin Adams. Richard A. was a 
 member of the celebrated Virginia Convention of May, 1776. 
 His wife was a sister of the distinguished Judge C3-rus 
 Griffin, of Virginia. A brother of Richard was named 
 Thomas, and he was one of the signers of the Articles of 
 Confederation of 1778, and a member of the old Congress 
 from 1778 to 1780. It was for him that Thomas Adams, who 
 married Martha B. Speed, was named. 
 
 It is interesting in this connection to give an extract from 
 a letter written by Samuel G. Adams, the father of Thomas 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER— SECOND BRANCH. 141 
 
 Adams, to Judge Harry Innis. The letter is dated Rich- 
 mond, Va., July 9, 1S13, during the war of 1812. The 
 writer says : 
 
 " Our city was alarmed on Weduesday last by ringing of bel]s and 
 firing of cannon iu consequence of an express to our Governor that the 
 British were about forty miles off. The women and children were 
 dreadfully alarmed, but our regiment turned out better than I ever 
 saw it, and I never saw men more determined and anxious to meet 
 the foe. They have returned to Norfolk without landing." 
 
 Thomas Adams came to Kentucky at an early period of 
 his life and lived in L,ouisville. He then went to Mobile, 
 Ala., and while still young became a captain of a vessel 
 navigating the waters at that place. After his marriage, in 
 1846, to Martha B. Speed, he established the large merchan- 
 dising house of Thomas & James J. Adams, the partners 
 being brothers. The house continued in business until 
 1857, and in 1858 Thomas Adams died, at the age of fortv- 
 two 3'ears. The children of this marriage : 
 
 I. Kate, died. 
 
 Lucy Ness, died. 
 Gilmer Speed. 
 Bessie Innis, died. 
 Jessie St. John, unmarried. 
 
 Gilmer Speed Adams lives in I,ouisville, and is a part- 
 ner in the hou.se of J. B. Speed & Co. He is a first-class 
 business man, intelligent and cultivated. With extensive 
 information, gained in reading and travel, he is both agree- 
 able and popular, and he enjoys the esteem and confidence 
 of all who know him. 
 
 He married I^ettie Robinson, a daughter of Mr. J. M. 
 Robinson, who is one of the most prominent merchants ever 
 in I,ouisville. 
 
 They have no children. 
 
142 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 EI/IZABETH SPEED RANKIN. 
 
 Elizabeth Speed, daughter of Captain James Speed and 
 Mary Spencer, was born in Virginia, February 7, 1774- She 
 and her twin-brother, James, were eight years old when 
 they came with their father and mother and brothers from 
 Virginia to Kentucky, in 1782. From that date until she 
 was grown her life was spent amid the trials and dangers and 
 privations incident to early Kentucky history. She grew 
 up in her father's family, in Mercer countj', until she was 
 eighteen years of age, when she married Dr. Adam Rankin. 
 
 It was a very happy marriage. Dr. Rankin was one of 
 the pioneers of Henderson, Kj. He went there soon after 
 his marriage, and his name is connected with the earliest 
 events of that place. For many years he was prominent as 
 a physician and public-spirited citizen, and no man stood 
 higher in the estimation of his fellow-men. It is an inter- 
 esting fact that the celebrated naturalist, Audubon, who 
 resided in Henderson for some years, made his home at the 
 house of Dr. Adam Rankin. They were intimate personal 
 friends, and Dr. Rankin's children always cherished the 
 memory of the man they knew familiarly, and who became 
 world-famous. 
 
 The children of Dr. Adam Rankin and Elizabeth Speed 
 Rankin, were: 
 
 1. Mary Huston. 
 
 2. William. 
 
 3 Elizabeth Speed, died unmarried. 
 
 4. James Speed, died unmarried. 
 
 5. Juliet Spencer. 
 
 6. Adam. 
 
 MARY RANKIN BOWKN. 
 
 Mary Huston Rankin, daughter of Dr. Adam Rankin and 
 Elizabeth Speed Rankin, married William Bowen. Their 
 children : 
 
 1. Elizabeth, married John Sanders. 
 
 2. William, unmarried. 
 
 3. Adam, unmarried. 
 
 4. Susan, married Wm. Gregg. 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 143 
 WILLIAM RANKIN. 
 
 William Rankin, son of Dr. Adam Rankin and Elizabeth 
 Speed Rankin, was born in Henderson, Ky., and lived there 
 all his life. For a number of years he was County Judge, 
 and he was always recognized as one of the best and most 
 prominent citizens of Henderson. He was popular with 
 every one, and most highly esteemed. At his father's house 
 he knew intimately the naturalist, Audubon, and accom- 
 panied him on his bird-hunting expeditions. He married 
 Frances Gwatkin, of Virginia. Their children were : 
 
 1. Adam, who married Mary Kelly. They had one 
 child, Bessie. 
 
 2. Gwatkin, unmarried. 
 
 JULIET SPENCER JOHNSON. 
 
 Juliet Spencer Rankin, daughter of Dr. Adam Rankin 
 and Elizabeth Speed Rankin, was born in Henderson, Ky. 
 She married Dr. Thomas J. Johnson, of Frankfort, Ky. 
 After their marriage they made their home in Henderson, 
 where Dr. Johnson practiced his profession for many years, 
 and was esteemed one of the most valuable men of the 
 place. 
 
 It was the pleasure of the author of this book, when a 
 . youth, to know Dr. Johnson and his family at their home 
 in Henderson, where he found the greatest kindness. Mrs. 
 Johnson was exceedingly affectionate, and manifested it 
 with a degree of warmth which showed her genuine regard 
 for her " Speed kin." She knew a great deal of family his- 
 tory, having received it from her mother. She delighted in 
 recounting her memories of the past, and among them was 
 her familiar acquaintance with the celebrated naturalist, 
 Audubon, who lived at her father's house. She was well 
 known to those of her own generation in the family, and 
 was greatly beloved by them all. The writer has heard 
 very many of them speak in the most affectionate terms of 
 her excellent and lovely character. 
 
144 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCEK — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 The children of Dr. Thomas J. Johnson and Juliet Ran- 
 kin were : 
 
 1. Ben, died unmarried. 
 
 2. Elizabeth Speed. 
 
 3. Adam Rankin. 
 
 4. Thomas J. 
 
 5. William S. 
 
 6. Campbell H. 
 
 E1.IZABETH Speed Johnson, daughter of Dr. Thomas J. 
 Johnson and Juliet Rankin, inherited her mother's loveli- 
 ness of character. She married Peter G. Reeves, of Hen- 
 derson, a man of first-class position, exceedingly polished 
 in his manners, and much beloved by his friends and 
 family. Their children were : 
 
 1. Mary H., who married Willard F. Redman, of Hen- 
 derson. Her children : Wm. Reeves Redman, Elizabeth R. 
 Redman. 
 
 2. Thomas J., unmarried. 
 
 3. L,ucy A., unmarried. 
 
 Adam Rankin Johnson, son of Dr. Thomas J. Johnson 
 and Juliet Rankin, served in the Confederate Army, and 
 rose to the rank of Brigadier-General. He was with Gen- 
 eral John Morgan on the famous raid through Kentucky; 
 Indiana, and Ohio, in 1863, but was not captured, as 
 his commander and others were. He succeeded in cross- 
 ing the Ohio river at BufSngton Island, and made his way 
 into Virginia with a few followers. Later in the war he 
 had the misfortune to receive a wound which caused him 
 to lose both of his eyes. After the war he moved to Texas, 
 where he still lives. He married Josie Eastland, of Vir- 
 ginia. Their children : 
 
 1. Elizabeth, who married Walter Badger, and has chil- 
 dren : Fannie, Rankin, Juliet. 
 
 2. Robert E., married Louisa Williams. They have one 
 child, Adam R. 
 
 3. Juliet, married George Christian. They have chil- 
 dren : George, Juliet. 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER— SECOND BRANCH. 145 
 
 4. Adam R. 
 
 5. Fannie. 
 
 6. William S. 
 
 7. Ethel. 
 
 8. Mary R. 
 
 Thomas J. Johnson, son of Dr. Thomas J. Johnson and 
 Juliet Rankin, served in the Confederate Army with his 
 brother, General Adam Johtison. He married Bettie Kelly, 
 of Texas. Their children : 
 
 1. Benjamin. 
 
 2. Carrie, who married Donald McDonald, of Scotland. 
 
 William S. Johnson, son of Dr. Thomas J. Johnson and 
 Juliet Rankin, entered the service of the Union early in 
 the Civil war as First Ivieutenant Company E., 17th Ken- 
 tucky Infantry, and saw service at Fort Donelson, and 
 Shiloh, and other engagements. After the war he engaged 
 in business in Henderson in the principal drug house of the 
 city, in partnership with his brother, Campbell. He is still 
 so engaged. He married Elizabeth Robertson, of Hender-^ 
 son. Their children are : Juliet, Adam Rankin, William 
 S., Sophia, Ben H., Thomas J., Reeves. 
 
 Campbell H. Johnson, son of Dr. Thomas J. Johnson 
 and Juliet Rankin, entered the service* of the Union at the 
 beginning of the war at the early age of seventeen years, 
 and though so young, was commissioned second lieuten- 
 ant, in which capacity he served in the 17th Kentucky 
 Infantry, being in the saine regiment with his brother 
 William. He saw service at Donelson and Shiloh, but 
 after these engagements his health required him to leave 
 the service. After the war he was associated with his 
 brother, William, in the drug business in Henderson for 
 a number of years. He has always taken great interest in 
 the Masonic fraternity, and has filled the highest places in 
 the order, having been Grand Commander of the State, 
 and a Mason of the thirty-third degree. He is now in charge 
 10 
 
14li CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 of the Masonic Home, at Louisville, Ky. He is a culti- 
 vated gentleman, and exceedingly popular. He has a 
 cordial, friendly nature, and has always shown great in- 
 terest in those related to him and is much beloved by 
 them. The writer acknowledges his indebtedness to him 
 for aid in the preparation of this book. He married Fannie 
 Evans, of Henderson, Ky. Their children are : Campbell 
 H., Evans, Fannie, Etta, Elizabeth Reeves. 
 
 It should be specially noted, all the sons of Dr. Thomas 
 J. Johnson and Juliet Rankin served in the Civil war. 
 Benjamin, who died unmarried, served in the Confederate 
 Army. The division of sentiment, and opposing action, as 
 shown in this familj', was an occurrence not infrequent in 
 Kentucky during that dreadful war. In this instance three 
 brothers were on the Confederate side, and two on the side 
 of the Union. 
 
 ADAM RANKIN. 
 
 Adam Rankin, the sixth child of Dr. Adam Rankin and 
 Elizabeth Speed Rankin, lived at Henderson, and, in, com- 
 mon with the others of the family, was a most excellent 
 citizen and respected by all. He married Sophia Smith, of 
 Louisville. Their children : 
 
 1. Henry, who married Hannah Harris, of Paducah. 
 Their children : Mary F., George L., Harris. 
 
 2. James, who married Susan Barrett, a daughter of John 
 H. Barrett, of Henderson. Their children: Susan D., 
 James E. 
 
 3. Sophia, who married Alex. Kirkland, of Baltimore. 
 Their children : Nellie, George R., Sophia. 
 
 Elizabeth Speed Rankin died a number of years before 
 the death of Dr. Adam Rankin, her husband ; and after her 
 death he was married a second time, and there were several 
 children of the second marriage. Among them was James 
 E. Rankin, who became one of the most prominent citizens 
 of Henderson. He was a prosperous merchant and a most 
 elegant and refined gentleman. He had a most interesting 
 
CA.pt. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER— SECOND BRANCH. 147 
 
 family. Among his children were Rev. Alex. Rankin, a 
 Presbyterian minister ; Samuel Rankin and Misses Nannie 
 and Sallie Rankin ; also, Susan Rankin, who married John 
 H. Barrett, and their daughter, Susan Barrett, married 
 James Rankin, as has been stated. 
 
 JAMES SPEED, M. D. 
 
 James Speed, the fifth child of Captain James Speed, was 
 born February 7, 1774, being eight years old when became 
 to Kentucky with his father, 1782. He never married. 
 
 His father educated him for a physician, and in order that 
 he might have the best advantages, sent him to Edinburgh, 
 Scotland. His letters, some of which are preserved, show 
 that he was an accomplished man. He is said to have had 
 fine talents. He went South to live, and died at Natchez, 
 or New Orleans, September 14, 1812, aged thirty-seven. 
 
 Letter from James Speed, Jr., to his father, Captain James 
 Speed : 
 
 " Phii,adei,phia, December 5, 1795. 
 
 " Dear Father : If you kuew how disagreeable to me it is to have 
 to apologize for uegligeuce in writing, you would wonder that I should 
 ever be remiss ; but as it is a fault of which I have not been often 
 guilty, I trust in your forgiveness without a plea. It is, perhaps, fear 
 that you will attribute my silence to ill-health more than duty which 
 now urges me to write. Though I have not enjoyed my health quite 
 so well since I have been in the city as usual, I have not much reason 
 to complain, as I am able to attend the lectures and every' other neces- 
 sary business. 
 
 " You ask in one of your letters whether it makes any difference 
 from what vein the blood is drawn. I have learned to-day, for the 
 first time, that a very small quantity of blood taken from the head by 
 cupping frequently proves more serviceable than almost any quantity 
 from the arm, in disorders of the brain. I say I learned it to-day for 
 the first time, for, though I have often been told the same by old 
 women, I never received it as a fact until it came from the professor's 
 chair ; and since you have found topical bleeding serviceable to you, 
 I think you ought by all means to continue that practice. 
 
 " I can not make a better estimate of the expense of going to 
 Europe than the one already sent you. I am sorry to find that my 
 expenditures here must far exceed what you expected. Mj' board 
 
148 CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 
 
 costs me five dollars per week, and I find wood, candles, etc., myself. 
 This is accounted a moderate price now. The fees to be paid here 
 will not amount to so great a sum as I expected when I wrote by Mr. 
 Mansell. They charge me a very high price for washing — no less 
 than five shillings per dozen. The tailors charge eight dollars a suit 
 for making clothes ; the shoemakers two dollars and a half for a pair 
 of shoes. From these prices you will see it will require more than 
 sixty pounds to support me here this winter with the greatest frugal- 
 ity and economy, and these, I promise, shall not be wanting. 
 
 " As I e.xpect Mr. Brown in every day, and b}' him a packet of let- 
 ters, I do not write so fully as I otherwise would. I have been ver}' 
 busy for some time past iu preparing myself for entering the Phila- 
 delphia Medical Society, and was elected a member last night. I have 
 formed a number of very valuable acquaintances since my arrival. 
 
 " My landlord and lady are very kind. I have wanted no assistance 
 or attention in their power. The young gentleman I have made a 
 companion is, on the whole, a very clever young man. He is of a 
 very genteel family, near Norfolk. He proposes going to Edinburgh 
 in the spring. If he does, I suppose we shall go together. 
 
 "Lawrence does not treat me well with regard to the payment of 
 the money. I shall, however, be able to make out without applying 
 to Beckley. Dear father, adieu. James Speed, Jr." 
 
 The following letter, dated 1797, from Joseph Speed, of 
 Virginia, to Captain James Speed, in Kentucky, mentions 
 the return of young James Speed from Europe : 
 
 "November ii, 1797. 
 
 "Dear Brother: Your son James, on his return from Europe to 
 Kentucky, has been so good as to call on me, and, agreeable to your 
 directions, I have furnished him with ^44.1.3. I am indebted to 
 brother Matt five pounds, which I will thank you to pay, and the 
 balance you can send me when you find it convenient. I have great 
 reason to be thankful that my family are blessed with good health. 
 I hope you and yours are as highly favored. I believe all our friends 
 are well ; of this James can inform you certainly, he having been 
 generally to see them. I am in possession of no news worth coni- 
 nmnicating. Please remember me to all of my relations in your 
 quarter. May the Lord bless you here and hereafter. I am your 
 loving brother, Joseph Speed." 
 
CAPT. JAMES SPEED AND MARY SPENCER — SECOND BRANCH. 149 
 
 HENRY SPEED. 
 
 Henry Speed, sixth child of Captain James Speed, was 
 born August 15, 1777. 
 
 He married Miss Smith, of Harrodsburg. He died No- 
 vember 6, 1824, aged forty-seven, at the home of his brother, 
 Major Thomas Speed, near Bardstown, and was buried 
 there. His widow returned to Harrodsburg, and the two 
 sons of the marriage, Henry and Thomas, were raised by 
 their uncles. Henry was raised by Major Thomas Speed 
 at Bardstown, and became a Baptist minister and lived in 
 Missouri. 
 
 Thomas lived with his uncle, Judge John Speed, at Farm- 
 ington, near I,ouisville. He engaged in business in Ivouis- 
 ville with B. J. Adams. He died unmarried. 
 
SARAH SPEED HANSARD. 
 
 FOURTH BRANCH. 
 
 Sarah Speed, daughter of John Speed and Mary Taylor, 
 was born in Mecklenburg , Va., February 14, 1743. She 
 married Richard Hansard, 1774. 
 
 A letter has been preserved which she wrote to her 
 brother, Captain James Speed, in August, 1786. It is 
 wholly upon the subject of religion. It makes mention of 
 another letter she had written to him on the same subject. 
 She apologizes for intruding such a letter upon him, and 
 says: "I ask pardon, but must beg leave to put you in 
 mind of the many kind reproofs and admonitions you have 
 had from your aged father, whose lips are now cold in clay 
 and can never give one word of fatherly advice again." 
 
 It is a very affectionate letter, and much in the spirit of 
 those written by her brother Joseph. They all go to show 
 that there was a very tender affection existing between the 
 brothers and sisters of this family. She mentions her 
 brothers, Joseph, Matt and Hal, in the same religious spirit 
 which pervades the entire letter. She says: "You can 
 not conceive what an alteration there is in j'our brothers, 
 Joseph, Matt and Hal." 
 
 It is noticeable that she does not mention her ^brother 
 John, but she does say: "The girls, Sally and Betsy Speed, 
 live with me still." Mrs. Raney (mentioned below) says 
 these two girls were children of John Speed. It would 
 seem from this that John had died, and his daughters were 
 living with their aunt, Sarah Hansard. The other brother, 
 Lewis Speed, had lost his life four years before in the ser- 
 vice of his country, in the war of the Revolution. 
 
 Sarah Speed Hansard was the mother of five children : 
 
 1. John. 
 
 2. William. 
 
 (150) 
 
SARAH SPEED AND RICHARD HANSARD — FOURTH BRANCH. 151 
 
 3. Richard. 
 
 4. Sally. 
 
 5. Mary. 
 
 Of these, John was a merchant in Petersburg, Va., and 
 died unmarried. 
 
 William went to Georgia and died unmarried. 
 
 Richard left one son, William T., who went to Alabama. 
 
 Sally married John Seward, of Brunswick, and left two 
 children. 
 
 Mary married Archer Phillips, who died leaving two 
 sons, D. P. Phillips, of Grenada, Miss., and Archer Phillips, 
 a merchant of Durhamville, Tenn. 
 
 Mary again married C. W. Baird and left two children, 
 Charles and Eliza P. 
 
 Charles Baird taught school a number of years at Dur- 
 hamville, Tenn. , where he died. 
 
 MRS. EI<1ZA P. RANEY. 
 
 Eliza P. Baird was born 1818. She married Thomas H. 
 Raney, in 1836, and is now hving at Kittrells, Granville 
 county, N. C, seventy- four years of age. 
 
 The author of these memorials is indebted to her for 
 much information. She has an enthusiastic regard for all 
 her Speed relatives, and she loves to narrate all she knows 
 about them. Her letters are very interesting and her hand- 
 writing is remarkable, being perfectly regular and very 
 fine, and has the appearance of engraved work. 
 
 She has in her possession the prayer-book of her great 
 grandfather, John Speed, which he gave to his daughter, 
 Sarah Hansard. In it is written, in his handwriting, 
 " Sarah Hansard, her book, the gift of her loving father, 
 John Speed, February 6, 1779." 
 
 She says that her half-brother, Dr. D. P. Phillips, had 
 the old family Bible of John Speed, in which was a family 
 record. He carried it to Mississippi, where it was lost. 
 
 Mrs. Raney has a large family of children and grand- 
 children, as follows : 
 
152 SARAH SPEED ANd'rICHARD HANSARD — FOURTH BRANCH- 
 
 1 . Mary A. , married John Debtian and has six children : 
 IvUla, Thomas, George, Elizabeth, Hattieand Carrie. 
 
 2. Charles William, married Sallie Kittrell- 
 
 3. Hal, killed during the Civil war, 
 
 4. Alice, died a child. 
 
 5. I.UCY Speed, married Mr. Tilly. She died leaving 
 one child, Thomas. 
 
 6. Hattie, married Samuel Bridges and has four 
 children. 
 
 7. Anna, married Julien Hines and has four children. 
 
 8. Laura., died young. 
 
 9. Thomas, married Dora Tilly and has five children. 
 ID. Cora, married John Leigh Hunt. She died and Mr. 
 
 Hunt married Rosa, the next younger sister of Cora. She 
 has three children. 
 
 12. Richard Beverly, unmarried. 
 
LEWIS SPEED. 
 
 FIFTH BRANCH. 
 
 lyCwis Speed, son of John Speed and Mary Taylor, was 
 born in Mecklenburg, Va., January 26, 1745- He served 
 in the Revolutionary war and was killed. The tradition in 
 this branch of the family is that he lost his life in one of 
 the battles in North Carolina. In a note-book of John 
 James Speed, son of Henry Speed, Lewis' brother, there is 
 a memorandum showing that a brother of Henry was a 
 soldier in the Revolution and was wounded " in the South," 
 and that Henry " went and brought him to his house and 
 he died there." This memorandum was furnished by Judge 
 John J. Speed, of Detroit, it having been made by his 
 grandfather. In the letter dated 1784, written by John 
 Speed, of Mecklenburg, to his son. Captain James Speed, 
 in Kentucky, it is noticeable that he mentions his sons, 
 Hal and Joseph and Matt, and also his daughters, Sarah 
 Hansard, Lucy Jeter and Martha Apperson, but he makes 
 no mention of his sons, John and Lewis. Before the date 
 of the letter, John seems to have died and Lewis had fallen 
 three years before in his country's service. In all praba- 
 bility he received his mortal wound in the same battle — ■ 
 Guilford Court House— in which his brother. Captain 
 James Speed, received his wound. The battle of Guilford 
 Court House was fought March 15, 1781, between the 
 American forces under General Greene, and the British 
 under Cornwallis. General Greene, in his campaign of 
 that spring for the relief of the Carolinas, had moved from 
 Charlotte, Va., which was an adjoining county to Mecklen- 
 burg, and from that section of Virginia he had taken a 
 large body of men. Four of the sons of John Speed were 
 in the regiments theretofore organized, and if the other 
 sons were not already in the service, they probably volun- 
 
 (15«) 
 
154 LEWIS SPEED— FIFTH BRANCH. 
 
 teered for this campaign with the seventeen hundred whicli 
 history records as going at that time from Virginia. 
 
 It is to be regretted that the letters which mentioned the 
 details of the military services of these sons of John Speed 
 in the Revolutionary war have all been lost, and as no writ- 
 ten account has been preserved, the knowledge which 
 immediate descendants possessed has also perished with 
 them. It is unfortunate, also, that the public records are so 
 meager in details as to afford but little satisfaction and 
 yield a poor return to the inquirer for the facts concerning 
 the service of the Revolutionary soldiers. 
 
 The writer has nothing to show who Ivewis married, nor 
 the date of his marriage, nor the dates of the birth of his 
 children, except that it can be stated that his oldest child 
 was born 1773. At that date Lewis was twenty-eight years 
 of age. His other children were born during the war of 
 the Revolution. His children were as follows : 
 
 I. John, born 1773- 
 
 2 Lewis. 
 Mary. 
 
 4. Mathias, died young. 
 
 The three children who survived, all moved to Kentuckj- 
 about 1795, and lived in Jefferson county. 
 
 JOHN SPEED. 
 
 John Speed, eldest son of Lewis Speed, married Mary 
 Stephens, in 1799. They had a large family of children, as 
 follows : 
 
 1. Joseph Mason, born 1801 ; died 1832. No children. 
 
 2. John Lewis, born 1803; died 1847, in Missouri. 
 
 3. Elizabeth Chapel, born 1806 ; married Wm. Foxten 
 in Missouri. 
 
 4. Sarah A., born 1808 ; died in Missouri. 
 
 5. James Stephens, borni8ii (mayor of Louisville). 
 
 6. Mary Minetry, born 1814; married Robert McEwen 
 

 \a^ ""^^ 
 
 
 jftiviti 5, SPEED. 
 Mayor 3t Louisville: -roni ar^ oia 3a je ?oiypa. 
 
LEWIS SPEED — FIFTH BRANCH. 155 
 
 7. Thos. P., born 1818; died unmarried. 
 
 8. Asaph Hunter, born 1820. 
 
 9. Susan Slaughter, born 1833; married Wm. Dicus, in 
 Missouri. 
 
 JAMES S. SPEED. 
 
 James Stephens Speed, the fifth child of the foregoing- 
 John Speed and Mary Stephens, was born in 181 1 on his 
 father's farm, about nine miles from Louisville, on the Salt 
 river road. At the age of seventeen or eighteen he deter- 
 mined to go into the city of Louisville to make his living. 
 He did so, and succeeded so well that he became one of its 
 foremost citizens, and mayor of the city. 
 
 It is remembered that he said in after life that he was 
 much discouraged when looking for employment in Louis- 
 ville. That he was watching the erection of a large build- 
 ing, and resolved to apply for work to the man who had 
 charge of the work. The answer he received was an 
 inquiry " what could he do?" He replied, "almo'it any- 
 thing." His manner attracted the man, who was Mr. 
 Pickett, a contractor for buildings and railroads. He took 
 the young man into his family and put him in charge of his 
 books. At the age of twenty-one he gave him a full inter- 
 est in the business, and the firm of Pickett & Speed did a 
 successful business for years. 
 
 The firm had a contract to build a church in the Pond 
 Settlement neighborhood, and during that work James 
 Speed met Miss Julia A. Kearnej', whom he wooed and 
 married. Her family were Catholics, and though his were 
 Protestants, yet he and their children all became Catholics. 
 
 James Speed very rapidly became an important and in- 
 fluential man in Louisville. He was universally popular. 
 His manner was hearty and cordial, and he had a remark- 
 ably quick and ready wit, and strong common sense. He 
 was a great friend of Geo. D. Prentice. It is related that in 
 the Harrison campaign in 1840, at a public meeting. Prentice 
 was called upon to speak. He excused himself, but called 
 on James Speed as the man who did all his speaking. Speed 
 did not hesitate, but responded in a speech full of wit and 
 
156 LEWIS SPErCD — FIFTH BRANCH. 
 
 Strong sense. In 1S43 he was elected to the Legislature 
 from Louisville, and was re-elected. In 1849 he was 
 appointed United States Marshal for Kentucky, by Presi- 
 dent Taylor. From 1853 to 1855 he was maj'or of Louis- 
 ville, being thrice elected during that time. In 1856 he 
 removed with his family to Chicago, where he engaged in 
 business until his death, in i860, at the age of forty-nine 
 j'ears. His life was an exceedingly- active one. He was 
 very progressive in his ideas, and while ma5'or of Louisville 
 his energies were exerted for the improvement of the city. 
 He urged the rebuilding of the court-house, which was 
 afterward done ; and the erection of water-works, which 
 soon followed. He improved the streets and wharf, and 
 caused large market-houses to be built, one of which long 
 bore the name " Speed Market." 
 
 The newspapers of the time when he was mayor indorsed 
 his administrations, and his suggestions concerning the 
 water-works, citj^ wharf and improvement of the streets. 
 A writer in one of the papers expressed the general senti- 
 ment of the people in thus speaking of his message as 
 mayor in 1S54: "The streets, the wharf, the market- 
 houses, the avenues, all need the very improvements sug- 
 gested in this admirable document. Take it in all its bear- 
 ings, it is unquestionably the most sensible message that 
 has emanated from any executive of the citj' of Louisville." 
 
 Under the new city charter made at that time a question 
 arose as to when the term of the mayor expired. An 
 agreed case was made and submitted to the Judge of the 
 Chancery Court, in the spring of 1855, and he decided that 
 the incumbent of the office, James S. Speed, was entitled to 
 hold for another year, but the City Council ordered another 
 election, in which Mr. Speed did not take part. The elec- 
 tion went by default, as to him, and Mr. John Barbee was 
 voted for by the other side. The court decided his election 
 was legal, and Mr. Speed's career as mayor ended in the 
 midst of his usefulness. It is quite remarkable that not 
 only were his partisan friends complimentary to him ; his 
 opponents were, also, even in the controversy. 
 
I,EWIS SPEED — FIFTH BRANCH. 157 
 
 The following extracts from an opposing paper show this : 
 " We have never urged against Mr. Speed that he was not a good 
 
 and efficient officer. We have found no fault with any of his official 
 
 acts." 
 
 Advising his resignation, it said : 
 
 "Then will he close a successful official career by an act alike 
 honorable to him, and creditable to the city over which he has 
 ruled." 
 
 Again it said : 
 
 "We have no fault to find with Mr. Speed's discharge of his 
 duties as mayor." 
 
 The LiOuisviUe /our>ta/, in an editorial upon his death, 
 said : 
 
 "In 1853 Colonel Speed was elected mayor of the city and served 
 for two years with very distinguished credit to himself, and of inesti- 
 mable value to Louisville. We but utter the general belief of our 
 citizens when we state that Louisville never had so efficient an execu- 
 tive. He was untiring and indefatigable in the discharge of the multi- 
 farious duties of his office. All our valuable systems of public im- 
 provement were inaugurated during bis administration, and in a great 
 measure perfected by him. His energy was infused in every depart- 
 ment of the city government, and at no time was Louisville as 
 prosperous as when James S. Speed was mayor." 
 
 The same paper said : 
 
 "A truer, nobler, more genial and cordial man never lived. He 
 was generous to a fault. Hundreds in Louisville have cause to 
 remember his liberality." 
 
 The leading paper of Chicago said in an editorial : 
 ■ " He was no ordinary man. Gifted by nature with abilities of the 
 highest order, it is not remarkable if in his day he attracted the 
 friendship and excited the hostility of many. An active politician 
 during the greater part of his life, a warm and energetic speaker, an 
 able and skillful debater, he has, in his day, been the admiration of 
 his party and the mark of assault by his opponents ; but throughout 
 his life his greatest trait was his personal good-feeling. He never 
 willingly hurt the feelings or wounded the seusibilitiesof any human 
 being. His heart was too large, too overflowing with all the genial 
 qualities of a good man to say or do anything unkind to his fellow- 
 
168 ]<EWIS SPEED — FIFTH BRANCH. 
 
 man. * •" * He leaves a large and most amiable family. 
 It was at his own fireside that the true character of the man was ex- 
 hibited — in the confiding, unlimited, boundlesss love between him and 
 his household, was the never-failing testimony' to his virtues and 
 worth." 
 
 He was a man of medium size, strongly built, a finely 
 shaped head and expressive countenance. Those who re- 
 member him speak of his jovial spirit and goodness of 
 heart, coupled with great energy and decision of character. 
 
 He had musical talent, and played well on the violin. 
 The author of this book remembers being at his house, 
 when a boy, at the corner of Eleventh and Broadway, where 
 he heard delightful music played by the father on his vio- 
 lin, Mary at the piano, and William with the guitar. 
 
 To illustrate his quick and ready wit, I will relate the 
 following incident : At a hotel in Philadelphia he took a 
 seat at dinner in a chair which had been reserved. After 
 he had finished a plate of soup a very pompous-looking 
 man came up and in a tone mandatory enough to be un- 
 pleasant, said: "Sir, you have my plate." Speed instantly 
 handed him the empty soup-plate, saying : " Well, sir, 5'ou 
 can take it ; I have no further use for it." 
 
 His son, John K., writes this : 
 
 "Father must have been a man of very strong individuality and 
 orig.nality. In my line of business I have had occasion to travel over 
 almost our entire country, and have met, in different cities, old 
 friends of my father, and whenever I meet one I am sure of kind 
 treatment ; and they always had something to say about father — some 
 remark that he had made that must have struck them very forcibly at 
 the time or they would not have remembered it so long ; and what 
 they had to say about him was always of the kindest and most pleas- 
 ant nature." 
 
 He was married to Miss Juha Ann Kearney, January i, 
 1833. The ceremony was performed by Rev. Father Abel, 
 of the Catholic church. 
 
 After his death, the family removed from Chicago to 
 Memphis, which has been their home since. Mrs. Julia A. 
 Speed died in Memphis, June 19, 1892. 
 
I,EWIS SPEED — FIFTH BRANCH. 159 
 
 The children of James S. Speed and Julia A. Speed, his 
 wife: Mary Pickett, Sarah, Julia Ann, died; William K., 
 Maria Louise, James, Robert Able, Emma, John Kearnej', 
 Blanche. 
 
 Mary Pickett Speed, daughter of James S. Speed, 
 married Captain John K. Moody, January i, 1851. He was 
 born in Pittsburgh, and was connected with the Louisville 
 and Cincinnati Mail Line Company. His marriage was 
 before the removal of his wife's father to Chicago, and he 
 remained in Louisville until he removed to Memphis, and 
 was engaged in the steamboat business until his death. 
 The brothers of his wife remember him very kindly, as he 
 took an interest in them all, and assisted them in their 
 different, pursuits in life. 
 
 The only child of the marriage was James Speed Moody, 
 who died at the age of seventeen, in Memphis, in 1870. 
 Mrs. Mary Speed Moody is now living in Memphis. 
 
 Sarah Speed, daughter of James S. Speed, married 
 Richard William Lightburne, November 7, 1882. He was 
 born in Louisville, and was the son of R. P. Lightburne. 
 He removed to Chicago, and was book-keeper for a whole- 
 sale establishment there. He went from Chicago to Mem- 
 phis just preceding the Civil war, and joined with his 
 brother-in-law, Captain Moody, in the steamboat business. 
 He is still so engaged. 
 
 There are no children of this marriage. 
 
 Mr. Lightburne' s first wife was the youngest sister of 
 the above Sarah, she being 
 
 Maria Louise Speed. This marriage took place in Chi- 
 cago, April ID, 1857. The children of Mr. Lightburne and 
 Maria Louise Speed were: Julia, died; Richard William, 
 Emily Enlyne, Blanche Alice, James Speed, Sarah Speed. 
 
 Wii,i,iAM Kearney Speed, son of James S. Speed, was 
 •educated at St. Joseph's College, Bardstown, Ky. He was 
 clerk in the custom-house at Chicago sev^eral years. He 
 afterward lived in Cairo, and was book-keeper for a boat 
 company. He then removed to Memphis, and was book- 
 keeper for an insurance firm until his death, October 28, 
 1869. He married Anna McDowell, January, 1866. She 
 
160 LEWIS SPEED — FIFTH BRANCH. 
 
 was a daughter of Dr. McDowell, of McDowell's College, 
 St. Louis, who earned a national reputation as surgeon. 
 The only child of this marriage : William Kearney Speed. 
 
 James Spked, son of James S. Speed, was born in Louis- 
 ville. His first employment was as clerk in the post-office 
 at Chicago. During the war he went to Memphis and was 
 clerk on one of the Anchor Line steamers for several years. 
 That company opened a ticket office in Memphis and 
 placed him in charge. A short while after, he took charge 
 of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad office in Memphis, 
 where he remained for sixteen years. He acquired a 
 remarkable popularit)'. He became widely known and had 
 many tempting offers of advancement in the railroad busi- 
 ness, but to accept would have taken him away from Mem- 
 phis, and he preferred to be with his mother and her family. 
 He never married, but devoted his whole life to them. 
 
 He died at the age of forty, July 20, 1882, in New York, 
 where he had gone in pursuit of health. The papers in 
 Memphis contained extended mention of his death. One 
 of them said : 
 
 " He was the best-known man in Memphis. He was a universal 
 favorite. He was one of the most kind-hearted and charitable of men. 
 His was a great soul incased iu a frail bod}'." 
 
 Another said : 
 
 " Few men who could have died would be missed so much, and 
 none who could have deserved more the' tribute of sorrow that all 
 who knew him will abundantly pay." 
 
 He was greatly beloved by his friends and relatives in 
 Louisville, where he was well known. 
 
 Robert A. Speed, son of James S. Speed, is, like his 
 brothers, an exceedingly popular man in Memphis, where 
 he lives. His business has always been with river inter- 
 ests, and for a number of years he has represented the 
 Pittsburgh Coal Company, having entire charge of the com- 
 pany's business in all its branches from Memphis to New 
 Orleans. He is a man of fine executive ability and full of 
 energy. He has been elected one of the Commissioners of 
 
IvEWIS SPEED — FIFTH BRANCH. 161 
 
 the city of Memphis without opposition, his popularity 
 being so great that no one cared to run against him. 
 
 He married Mary Jones. Their children: James M., 
 Blanche, Mary M., died; Roberta Able, John Kearney. 
 
 Emma Speed, daughter of James S. Speed, married Cap- 
 tain Alfred G. Tuther, December, 1868. He was born in 
 New York and raised in Columbus, O. He entered the 
 Union Army in 1861 as First I^ieutenant 2d Ohio Infantry ; 
 served throughout the war, and when it ended he was 
 Captain and Brevet-Major, and Assistant Adjutant-General 
 on the staff of General R. P. Buckland. For twenty-five 
 years he has been engaged in business in Memphis as agent 
 of the Star Union Line Pennsylvania Railroad. 
 
 The children of this marriage : 
 
 1. Alfred G., died in infancy. 
 
 2. John Moody. 
 
 3. Thomas E. 
 
 4. Mary Alice. 
 
 5. Eouise. 
 
 6. James Speed. 
 
 7. Emma. 
 
 8. Evelyn. 
 
 John K. Speed, son of James S. Speed, is one of the 
 most sohd as well as popular of the business men of Mem- 
 phis. He was born in Louisville, March 21, 1848, and at 
 the age of seven his father, with all the family, moved from 
 Louisville to Chicago. When quite young he entered the 
 service of the Northern Transportation Company, and 
 remained with it until i865, when he moved to Memphis 
 with his mother and the other children of the family, his 
 father having died in Chicago. He went into business as 
 a wholesale grain and commission merchant. His house 
 now ranks as the oldest and most successful of its class 
 in Memphis. He helped organize the Board of Trade in 
 Memphis in 1866, and was its first President. He was also 
 one of the originators of the Merchants' Exchange, and he 
 became its first President. He was the first President of 
 II 
 
162 I^EWIS SPEED — FIFTH BRANCH. 
 
 the Memphis Cit3' Bank. Is now President of the Home 
 Insurance Company ; also of the Memphis Grain Elevator 
 and Manufacturing Company, and Dixie Mill Company ; 
 Vice-President of the State Savings Bank ; Director in the 
 State National Bank. This statement of the positions of 
 trust and confidence to which he has been called is enough 
 to show his character. His success is due to his intelli- 
 gence, self-reliance and integrity. His business ability and 
 judgment and perfect reliability are so distinctly recognized, 
 that he is appealed to to settle disputes among business men 
 to such an extent that it has been remarked that if he had 
 been a lawyer and charged for his counsel, he would by that 
 means alone have been made wealthy. These characteris- 
 tics were displayed when he was a young man, a little over 
 twenty, as illustrated by the following fact : There was a 
 dispute about the weighing of grain in Memphis, and a firm 
 in the North that was complaining telegraphed to have 
 John K. Speed settle it ; that they would abide by whatever 
 he did. 
 
 He occupies an enviable position among the business 
 men of the country, and is especially honored in his own 
 city, for which he has done so much. 
 
 He married Lucy R. Clarke, in the city of Peoria, 111., 
 February 8, 1871. She is the daughter of Chas. S. Clarke, 
 of Peoria, a successful business man, who, by reason of his 
 love for reading and study, was called the " Sage of Peoria." 
 Her younger brother, Charles C. Clarke, has been for two 
 years Mayor ©f Peoria, being the youngest man who ever 
 filled that office. She is a lady of great culture, refinement 
 and beauty — a worthy companion of an honored husband. 
 
 The children of this marriage : 
 
 1. Charles Clarke. 
 
 2. Julia Ann. 
 
 3. Kate Kearney. 
 
 Blanche Speed, daughter of James S. Speed, married 
 Dr. John W. Buddeke, of Memphis, December 9, 1885. He 
 was born in Nashville; was educated at Notre Dame Col- 
 lege, Ind. ; studied and graduated in medicine under Dr. 
 
LEWIS SPEED — FIFTH BRANCH. 163 
 
 Dake, of Nashville, and has been a practicing Homeopathic 
 physician in Memphis for twelve years. Their children : 
 
 1. Blanche Speed. 
 
 2. Kate Hamilton. 
 
 3. John Williams. 
 
 CAPTAIN ASAPH HUNTER SPEED- 
 
 Asaph Hunter Speed, son of John Speed and Mary 
 Stephens, was born in 1820. He lived in Jefferson county, 
 and city of Louisville. He served as a captain in the 
 Union Army in the Civil war in the 5th Kentucky In- 
 fantry, Company C. He married Margaret E. Waller. 
 Their children are : Virginia, Emma, John J. 
 
 LEWIS SPEED. 
 
 Lewis Speed, second son of Lewis Speed, of Virginia, 
 born about 1775, moved to Kentucky and married Sarah 
 Thomas. They lived in Jefferson county. They had eight 
 children : Sarah, Worden P., Emily, Mary, Lydia, Elizabeth, 
 Matthias, Lewis John. 
 
 MARY SPEED LEE- 
 
 Mary Speed, third child of Lewis Speed, of Virginia, 
 born about 1777, moved to Kentucky and married Roland 
 Lee, and lived in Jefferson county. Children two : Elizabeth, 
 Mason. 
 
 This Elizabeth Speed married her cousin, Worden P. 
 Speed, above-named son of Lewis Speed and Sarah Thomas. 
 
 The children of Worden P. and Elizabeth are : James 
 Madison, Edward, William, Mason L., Logan. 
 
 Edward Speed and Mason L- Speed both were soldiers 
 during the Civil war in the Union army, being members of 
 the 5th Kentucky Infantry. 
 
 Lewis John Speed, brother of Worden P., had children : 
 Florence, James S., Mary, John, George. 
 
MARTHA SPEED APPERSON. 
 
 SIXTH BRANCH. 
 
 Martha Speed, daughter of John Speed and Mary Taylor, 
 was born August ii, 1748. She married Mr. Apperson and 
 moved to Georgia. 
 
 Mrs. Eliza Raney writes that Martha had a son named 
 Richard Apperson, who visited her mother's house when 
 she (Mrs. Raney) was a child, which was about 1825. That 
 Richard Apperson, had a daughter named Martha Speed, 
 and another daughter named Eliza. That he died young. 
 His daughter, Eliza, died unmarried. Martha married Mr. 
 Tunstall, of Pittsylvania, Va. 
 
 The statement has been made that the Appersons of 
 Mt. Sterling, Ky., are related to the descendants of Martha 
 Speed Apperson. The author can not learn whether the 
 statement is correct or not. 
 
 (164) 
 
JOSEPH SPEED. 
 
 SEVENTH BRANCH. 
 
 Joseph Speed, son of John Speed and Mary Taylor, was 
 born in Mecklenburg, May 27, 1750. 
 
 He was a man of the finest character, educated and ac- 
 complished, and one of the most trusted and influential citi- 
 zens in that part of Virginia. 
 
 At the age of twenty-six he was a member of the cele- 
 brated Virginia Convention of May, 1776, which proclaimed 
 the rights of man. Bancroft says : 
 
 "To that body were chosen more than one hundred and thirty of 
 the ablest and most weighty men of Virginia. They were the choice 
 of the free-holders of Virginia, and the majority were men of inde- 
 pendent fortune, or even opulence. It was afterward remembered 
 that of this grave assembly, the members were for the most part men 
 of large stature and robust frames, and that a very great proportion 
 of them lived to exceeding old age. They were to decide whether 
 Virginia demanded independence, and if so, they were to establish a 
 Commonwealth, and in making this decision, they moved like a pillar 
 of fire in front of the whole country." 
 
 Bancroft further says of the work of this Convention : 
 "The Virginia Declaration came directly out of the heart of 
 nature, and announced governing principles of all peoples in all 
 future times. It was the voice of reason going forth to create new 
 institutions, to speak a new political world into being." 
 
 It was a proud distinction to be a member of this Conven- 
 tion. 
 
 Joseph Speed was subsequently, by appointment of the 
 Virginia Legislature, associated with Arthur Campbell, Ed- 
 mund Winston, Thos. Madison, Samuel McDowell, Harry 
 Innis and others, as commissioners, to take testimony an-d 
 make report in behalf of the State of Virginia, against per- 
 
 (165) 
 
166 JOSEPH SPEED — SEVENTH BRANCH. 
 
 sons claiming western lands under pretext of purchase from 
 Indians. 
 
 Under this commission Joseph Speed took depositions 
 and made report of the facts of the celebrated treaty at 
 Watauga in East Tennessee, where Richard Henderson 
 claimed to have purchased that immense territorj' called by 
 him Transylvania, and including the best lands in Kentucky. 
 It is well known that this project of Henderson was nullified 
 b}^ Virginia. 
 
 Joseph Speed wrote a beautiful handwriting, and his com- 
 position was excellent. He was evidently a man of fine cul- 
 ture, as well as a man of affairs. He was also a man of 
 shining Christian piet}^ He was a vestryman in his parish 
 church in Mecklenburg. 
 
 Some of his letters have been preserved, and extracts will 
 be here copied. They were written to his brother, Captain 
 James Speed, who had only recently moved from Virginia to 
 Kentucky : 
 
 " Hii,i<SB0R0UGH, May 8, 1783. 
 
 " Dear Brother : I arrived here this morning from Mecklenburg. 
 At my father's, a few days ago, I had the pleasure of reading a letter 
 from you to him, dated November last, informing him of your safe 
 arrival in the back country, on which I most sincerely congratulate 
 you. 
 
 " With very great pleasure I embrace an opportunity by Colonel 
 Donelson, to inform you that our father, together with all our 
 brothers and sisters, and the rest of our relatives, are well, as are 
 also our friends and acquaintances, so far as I know. I hope this 
 may find you and your good family in health. 
 
 "Mr. Walker Daniel, before he left Halifax county, sold for me a 
 tract of land to Thomas Robins, of said county of Halifax, for 30,000 
 pounds of tobacco, of which he, the said Daniel, has received of Mr. 
 Robins 10,500 pounds, out of which he has paid me no more than one 
 hogshead, supposed to contain 1,450 pounds, leaving him in my debt 
 upwards of 9,000 pounds, which I have no chance to get unless it be 
 through your friendship. 
 
 " P. S.~On the 3d of December last I was married to Mr. Bignall's 
 eldest daughter, Nancy. My compliments to my sister Polly and all 
 my cousins. 
 
 "Your loving brother, Joseph Speed." 
 
JOSEPH SPEBD — SEVENTH BRANCH. 167 
 
 Letter written by Joseph Speed to his brother, Captain 
 James Speed : 
 
 " Robert Burton's, on Nutbush, April i8, 1784. 
 
 "DEAR Brother: Yours of February 25th last I read a few days 
 ago at Mr. Thomas Spencer's, of whom I received 4,521 pounds of 
 tobacco, on account of Mr. Walker Daniel, which I believe is the 
 just balance due me from him." 
 
 After writing on business at some length, he says : 
 " I was living in Tarborough when you left Charlotte, which is 
 my place of residence now, and where I expect to continue for three 
 years at least. We commenced housekeeping on the 27th January 
 last, and of course, as the time is short, we have not furnished our- 
 selves with many necessaries yet. However, if you -will honor us 
 with your company, we shall be able to give you plenty to eat and 
 drink, a good bed, and plenty of provender for your horse." 
 
 He adds : 
 
 " Our old father is as hearty as I have seen him for a long time 
 past; also our brothers and sisters and relations of every sort are 
 well, I believe. Be pleased to offer my little Nancy's compliments, 
 joined with mine, to sister Polly, and my love to all the children. I 
 am in good health, dear James, 
 
 " Your loving brother, 
 
 "Joseph Speed. 
 ■■ Addressed to James Speed, Lincoln county, Virginia." 
 
 The address of this letter shows how Kentucky was at that 
 date a part of Virginia. The correspondence suggests the 
 wide separation the move to Kentucky made. The distance 
 by the waj^ of the " Wilderness Road " was hundreds of 
 miles, and the travel was on horseback or on foot. 
 
 Another letter from Joseph Speed to his brother James 
 is as follows : 
 
 "Mecklenburg, August 23, 1787. 
 
 " Dear Brother : When I wrote you last August I was living 
 at Tarborough, in North Carolina, but we moved from there on the 
 4th of last March to this county. I am now living on the place that 
 formerly belonged to old Benjamin Baird, about a mile from Sam 
 Holmes', which I bought from Richard Watts, a brother of Mrs. 
 McHarg. I have purchased since then the place that formerly 
 belonged to old Nathaniel Cook, together with two other little bits 
 
168 JOSEPH SPEED — SEVENTH BRANCH. 
 
 adjoining, making, in the whole, 354 acres. Ever since JIarth I have 
 been repairing the dwelling-house and building new ones, and have 
 now got myself almost complete with respect to buildings. The 
 land is rather poor, but if the place proves healthy, I expect we are 
 fixed for life. 
 
 " I am sorry we are placed at so great distance from each other that 
 we can not enjoy each other's company now and then; though we 
 ought to thank God that we can write, and by that means communi- 
 cate, each 10 the other, remarkable circumstances that may happen 
 from time to time at our respective places." 
 
 Joseph Speed married Ann Bignall, of Tarborough, N. C, 
 December 3, 1782. They had five children : 
 
 1. John H. 
 
 2. Joseph, died unmarried. 
 
 3. Robert. 
 
 4. Anne. 
 
 5. Mary Ann. 
 
 JOHN H. SPEED. 
 
 The above John H. Speed, son of Joseph Speed, was a 
 prominent lawyer in Mecklenburg. He married Susan 
 Mosby, a daughter of Wade Mo.sby, of Virginia. 
 
 The children of John H. Speed and Susan ]Mosby were : 
 
 1. John M., left no children. 
 
 2. Eliza. 
 
 3. Royal Sidney. 
 
 Eliza married Commodore John Rudd, of the United 
 States Navy. They had two children ; 
 I John Speed Rudd. 
 2. Eliza Beverly. 
 
 The first of these, John Speed Rudd, died, leaving two 
 children, Mary Eliza and John Speed. 
 
 The second, Eliza Beverly, married Captain J. Sitgreaves 
 of Wheeling, Va. Their children : Susan Beverly, Nannie, 
 Allen P., Juhau A., John Speed, Joseph, Marion. 
 
JOSEPH SPEED — SEVENTH BRANCH. 169 
 
 JOHN M. SPEED. 
 
 John M. Speed, son of John H. and Susan M. Speed, of 
 Mecklenburg county, Va. , was born on the 5th of May, 
 18 15, and died on the ist of November, 1866, at the age of 
 fifty-one. He completed his education at William and Mary 
 College in the year 1839. He soon after married Catherine 
 Page Waller, daughter of Wm. Waller, and located at 
 Lynchburg, where he engaged in the practice of the law, 
 and resided until his death. He died of diphtheria, in Wash- 
 ington Cit}', to which place he had gone on business. He 
 was a lawyer of distinguished ability and wide reputation, 
 as the notices of his death in the papers of Li'uchburg and 
 other places fully attest. 
 
 The Lynchburg News, speaking of the death of John M. 
 Speed, said : 
 
 "The void created in our commuuity by this melanchol_v event 
 can scarcely be realized by any one not a citizen of the place. Few 
 men have been more honored, loved and trusted than he. For twen- 
 ty-five years or more he had lived and moved amongst us, honored by 
 the important trusts which have been repeatedly confided to his keep- 
 ing, loved for the purity of his principles, the geniality of his dispo- 
 sition and the high-toned honor which pervaded his every action, and 
 trusted with implicit confidence in matters involving alike the dearest 
 and most delicate interests of private life,' and the most important, 
 onerous and responsible duties of public station." 
 
 The Lynchburg Virginian said : 
 
 " The death of Mr. Speed is a severe blow to Lynchburg. He was 
 one of our most useful citizens. In various capacities he had served 
 her with fidelity and ability. He had at different times filled the po- 
 sition of Representative in the Legislature, member of the State 
 Convention, President of the City Council, Bank President, Canal Di- 
 rector, and was always found equal to any duties devolved upon him, 
 and a wise, judicious and zealous public servant." 
 
 This paper also speaks in the highest praise of his attain- 
 ments as a lawyer and his eloquence as an orator. It says 
 he was a Whig in politics, a leader of his party, always cau- 
 tious, yet bold in the expression of his sentiments : 
 
 "But, admirable as Mr. Speed was in his public relations, it was 
 in his private and personal character that he excelled and shone 
 
170 JOSEPH SPEED — SEVENTH BRANCH. 
 
 brightest. He was in the highest and strictest sense a perfect gentle- 
 man. Of courtly yet affable and genial manners and elegant per- 
 sonal appearance." 
 
 The National Intelligencer said : 
 
 "The name of John M. Speed wherever known was a synonym 
 for unspotted integrit}' and brilliant talents." 
 
 The Richmond Times said : 
 
 "Mr. Speed was one of the most intelligent, refined, and highly 
 cultivated gentlemen of the State, and nowhere will his death be 
 more sincerely regretted than in this city, where he was widely 
 known. * ■»■ * Deeply do we deplore his loss to the State 
 as well as to the domestic circle of which he was the pride and orna- 
 ment." 
 
 The Richmond Enquirer said : 
 
 " He was endowed with high gifts, and possessed a heart which 
 was the home of every noble impulse. With an intellect of great 
 natural strength, and vivacity cultivated by a liberal education and 
 varied studies, he combined brilliant wit, genial humor, and as unsel- 
 fish a soul as ever won human hearts." 
 
 The resolutions of the bar of Lynchburg were very com- 
 plimentary, saj'ing among other things : 
 
 " Mr. Speed was fitted by nature and acquirements for public use- 
 fulness, and we had hoped he would be spared for still further and 
 greater usefulness, as we had noticed latterly a progressive develop- 
 ment of his capacity as counsel and advocate, in brilliant and masterly 
 efforts." 
 
 Judge jNIarshall said : 
 
 "I most cordially unite with my brethren of the bar in giving ex- 
 pression to our regard for the memory of John M. Speed as a member 
 of that profession of which his brilliant talents and varied acquire- 
 ments made him so conspicuous an ornament. He invariably chal- 
 lenged my admiration and commanded my respect, and while in 
 common with yourselves and this whole community, I deplore his 
 loss, his death has excited in my heart deeper and stronger emotions, 
 for he was my bosom friend." 
 
 John M. Speed was a man of broad views and liberal sen- 
 
JOSEPH SPEED — SEVENTH BRANCH. 171 
 
 timents. In 1855 he was made Vice-President of the Virginia 
 Colonization Society. He left no children. 
 
 ROBERT SPEED. 
 
 Robert Speed, third son of Joseph Speed and Ann Bignall, 
 moved from Virginia to Kentucky. He was born about 1787, 
 and it was probably between 1800 and 18 10 that he went to 
 Henderson, Ky. He married twice. First, Mary Coleman, 
 of Virginia. The children of this marriage were : 
 
 1. Joseph. 
 
 2. Ann. 
 
 3. Robert B. 
 
 4. Eliza. 
 
 His second wife was Isabella Towns. There were children 
 of this marriage : 
 
 1. John Henry. 
 
 2. William, died in Memphis ; unmarried. 
 
 3. Belle, married Mr. Boardly, of Henderson. 
 
 ROBERT B. SPEED. 
 
 The above Robert B., son of Robert, lived at Madison- 
 ville, Kj'., and was a prosperous business man. He lived in 
 a handsome house in the suburbs of the town, and during 
 the Civil war, when the writer had the pleasure of being at 
 his house, he had a beautiful home and most interesting 
 famil}'. After the war he removed to Evansville, Ind., and 
 then to New Orleans, where he died. 
 
 His children were : Robert, who was a young man during 
 the war, and served in the Union army in the 25th Kentucky 
 Infantry ; Emma, who married soon after the war and died 
 in New Orleans ; Clarence ; Eugene. 
 
 Eliza, the fourth child of Robert Speed, of Henderson, 
 married James Hicks, of Henderson. 
 
172 JOSEPH SPEED — SEVENTH BRANCH. 
 
 JOHN H. SPEED. 
 
 John H. Speed, son of Robert Speed, of Henderson, 
 becamea prominent business man in Memphis, Tenn., being- 
 the proprietor of a large dry goods store. During the war 
 he went to Macon, Ga. , and there established government 
 works. He returned to Memphis and died in 1873- 
 
 He married Mary Deaderick, of Memphis. Their children 
 were as follows : 
 
 1. Robert D., married Waldine Putnam and lives at Ft. 
 Worth, Tex. They have two children : Julian H. and 
 Robert D. 
 
 2. Aline, married Carneal Warfield, of Greenville, Miss. 
 They have two children : Mary S. and Carneal \V. 
 
 3. Mary E., married John S. Brown, of St. lyOuis. They 
 have four children : Joshua, Garland, Aline and Speed. 
 
 4. I^IDA D. 
 
 5. John S. 
 
 6. Belle. 
 
 mary speed jones. 
 Mary Speed, daughter of Joseph Speed and Ann Bignall, 
 married William Duke Jones, of Warren count}^, N. C. 
 She died 1826. Their children: Joseph Speed, Ann Bignall,, 
 Tempie M., William R., Alary E., John C. 
 
 JOSEPH SPEED JONES. 
 
 Joseph Speed Jones, above, married twice — first, Eucy B. 
 Pettway; second, Mary Fort. 
 
 The children of the first marriage : 
 
 1. Mary Speed, died. 
 
 2. Mark Pettway. 
 
 3. Marina Williams. 
 
 4. William Robert, unmarried. 
 
 5. Pattie Clark. 
 
 6. John B. Williams. 
 
 7. Lucy Pettwaj'. 
 
 8. Joseph Speed. 
 
 9. Edwin Earl5% unmarried. 
 10. Tempie Williams, died. 
 
JOSEPH SPEED — SEVENTH BRANCH. 173 
 
 The children of the second marriage : 
 
 1. Mary Speed. 
 
 2. Howard Field, unmarried. 
 
 3. Peter D., unmarried. 
 
 4. Matthew M., unmarried. 
 
 Mark Pettway Jones, son of Joseph Speed Jones and 
 Lucy Pettway, married Nannie P. Jones, of Wake county, 
 N. C. 
 
 Their children : Alfred Speed, died ; Harriet Pettway, 
 died ; William Duke, Lizzie Price and Lucy Pettway. 
 
 Marixa Williams, daughter of Joseph Speed Jones and 
 Lucy Pettway, married Charles A. Cook, of Warrenton, 
 N. C. He is a lawyer of first-class standing in his State, 
 and in 1889 he was appointed United States District Attorney 
 for the Eastern District of North Carolina by President 
 Harrison. He was born 1848, graduated at the University 
 of North Carolina, 1866, and afterward at Princeton, N. J., 
 1870. He began law piactice in 1872. In 1878 he was 
 elected county solicitor in Warren county, N. C, where he 
 resides. 
 
 In 1884 he was the Republican nominee for Attornej^- 
 General for the State, but was not elected. In 1886 he was 
 elected State Senator for the district composed of Warren 
 and Vance counties He has been sent by his own party as 
 delegate to State and National Conventions. These facts 
 show that he stands high in his own party and in his State. 
 He is a deservedly popular man. He is a descendant of and 
 is connected with the best families in his State — the Cooks, 
 Alstons, Macons, Marshalls, etc. 
 
 It is through the kindness of his wife that this record of 
 the descendants of Mary Speed, daughter of Joseph Speed 
 and Ann Bignall, was obtained. She is a woman of great 
 intelligence and takes great interest in family history. 
 
 The children of Charles A. and Marina W. Cook are as 
 follows : Branch Alston, died ; Lenoir Alston, Bignall Speed, 
 Josephine H., Barker Pettway, Charles Alston, Marshall 
 Edwards, died ; Marina W., died ; Benjamin Edwards, died. 
 
 Pattie Clark, daughter of Joseph Speed Jones and 
 
174 JOSEPH SPEED — SEVENTH BRANCH. 
 
 Lucy Pettway, married James C. Williams, of Warren 
 county, N. C. 
 
 Their children : Joseph Speed, Lucy Pettway, John Brix- 
 ton, Mary Ann, Tempie Milliard, Marina Cook, Mark Pett- 
 way, Frank Graham, Pattie Jones. 
 
 John Brixton, son of Joseph Speed Jones and Lucy 
 Pettway, married Nannie P. , widow of Mark Pettway Jones. 
 
 Their children are Nannie P. and Alpheus. 
 
 Lucy Pettway, daughter of Joseph Speed Jones and 
 Lucy Pettway, married Samuel Reeks, of Warren county, 
 N. C. They have one child, Samuel S. Reeks. 
 
 Joseph Speed, son of Joseph Speed Jones and Lucy Pett- 
 way, married Estelle McKenny, of Montgomery, Tex. 
 
 Their children are Mattie Noble, Willie Estelle and Lucy 
 Pettway. 
 
 Mary Speed, daughter of Joseph Speed Jones and Marj' 
 Fort, married Dr. Wm. Mercer, of Edgecombe county, N. C. 
 
 Their children are Maggie Estelle, Mary Fort and John 
 Ruth. 
 
 ANN BIGNAH BOYD. 
 
 Ann Bignall Jones, daughter of Mary Speed and William 
 D. Jones, married John E. Boyd, of Warren countj', N. C. 
 
 Their children are Marj^ Speed, Parthenia Ann, John R., 
 William J., Joseph Edwin, Henry Armisted and Walter 
 Blair. 
 
 Mary Speed, daughter of Ann Bignall Jones and John E. 
 Boyd, married Joseph Ward, of Tennessee. 
 
 Their children are Ann Boyd, William S., Grace Arring- 
 ton, John B., James G. and Joseph. 
 
 Parthenia Ann, daughter of Ann Bignall Jones and 
 John E. Boyd, married W. P. Massenburg. 
 
 Their children are John Boyd and Mary Speed. 
 
 Henry A., son of Ann Bignall Jones and John E. Boyd, 
 married Bettie Norwood, Warren county, N. C. 
 
 Their children are Wm. N., Ann J. and Miriam M. 
 
 William Jones, son of Ann Bignall Jones and Jobn E. 
 Boyd, married Mollie Batchelor, of Halifax county, N. C. 
 
 Their children are Ann Bignall, Pattie B., John Early, 
 died, and Mollie B., died. 
 
JOSEPH SPEED — SEVENTH BRANCH. ITS- 
 
 Tempie M., daughter of Mary Speed and Wm. D. Jones, 
 married Henry Fitts, of Warren county, N. C. 
 
 One child, James Fitts, married Fannie Bird, of Peters- 
 burg, Va. Children : Henry and James. Both belong to 
 the United States Navy. 
 
 JOHN E. JONES. 
 
 John E. Jones, son of William D. Jones and Mary Speed, 
 married three times. The second wife was Willie Pettway. 
 One child, Willie, died. 
 
 MARY ELIZA SOMERVIHE. 
 Mary Eliza, daughter of Mary Speed and William D. 
 Jones, married Joseph Somerville, of Warren county, N. C. 
 Their children : 
 
 1. William J., a lawyer in Memphis ; died. 
 
 2. Catherine V ; died. 
 
 3. Mary Speed ; died. 
 
 4. Rosa Claiborne. 
 
 5. Tempie J. 
 
 6. Sallie Gilmer; died. 
 
 7. Walter E., lawyer in Texas ; died. 
 
 8. Eliza J. 
 
 9. Nannie B. 
 
 10. James B-, physician ; died. 
 
 Rosa Claiborne Somerville married James R. Gibson, of 
 Tennessee. Their children are Nathan A., Joseph S. , James 
 R., Rosa, Mary S. and Thomas. 
 
 Tempie J. Somerville married Judge H. J. Livingston, of 
 Brownsville, Tenn. Their children are Mary S., Henry, 
 Rosa G- and Geneve ve. 
 
 Eliza J. Somerville married James S. Meux, of Tennessee. 
 Their children are Tempie Somerville and George W. 
 
 Nannie Boyd Somerville married Wm. B. Nash, of Staun- 
 ton, Tenn. One child, Will Brehon. 
 
176 JOSEPH SPEED — SEVENTH BRANCH. 
 
 ANN BIGNAtI, PEETE. 
 
 Ann Bignall Speed, daughter of Joseph Speed and Ann 
 Biguall, married Kdwin Peete. 
 
 Their children are Angelina, William, Mar3^ Emily, 
 Joseph, John, Anna and Robert. 
 
 The above Angelina married twice — first. Dr. Wni. Fennell; 
 second, Wm. D. Jones. Children : Pattie W., Ella Speed, 
 Bettie A., Emma P. and Mary W. 
 
 Ella married Frank W. Hyman, Warren county, N. C. 
 Their children all died j^oung. 
 
 Bettie Ann married W. S'. Davis, of Warren county, N. C. 
 Their children are William J., John B., Mary E., Robert 
 Dee, Richard A., Frank H., Norvin M., Lizzie Speed, Emma 
 H., Joseph Speed, Julian C. and Angelina P. 
 
 William J. married Hannah M. Barham, of Franklin 
 county, N. C. Their children are William B., Bettie J. and 
 Martin. 
 
 Mary E. married John McCobb, of Durham, N. C. One 
 child. ' 
 
 Emma Peete, daughter of Angelina Peete and W. D. 
 Jones, married Henry B. Hunter, of Warren county, N. C. 
 Their children are Frank P., Willie J., Carrie, Eula, 
 Henry B., Edwin D., Emma J. and Robert K. 
 
 Mary William, daughter of Angelina Peete and W. D. 
 Jones, married Wesley Irby, of Virginia. Their children 
 are Henry H., Frank M., Ella H. and Willie J. 
 
LUCY SPEED JETER. 
 
 EIGHTH BRANCH. 
 
 Lucy Speed, daughter of John Speed and Mary Taylor, 
 was born in Mecklenburg, Va., April ii, 1752. She married 
 Mr. Jeter. 
 
 In the letter of her father, John Speed, which has been 
 preserved and is shown in the sketch of him, 'L,ncy is men- 
 ticued as about to leave for the South and not very well. 
 He says: "Poor Lucy! I shall never see her again, I 
 expect. ' ' 
 
 Mrs. Eliza Rauey (granddaughter of Lucy's sister, Sarah 
 Hansard) says : "I have often heard my mother speak of 
 her Aunt Lucy being so distressed at having to "go to Georgia 
 and leave all her kin, and wrote back she had ruined her 
 eyes crying so much. She left children, for I have heard 
 my mother inquire of students at Randolph College, Macon, 
 and of others if the};- knew any Jeters in Augusta, Ga. 
 We had an old negro man named Jacob who belonged to 
 Great-grandfather Speed, who told me I was just like his. 
 Miss Lucy Jeter." 
 
 12 (177) 
 
MATTHIAS SPEED. 
 
 NINTH BRANCH. 
 
 Matthias, or Matt Speed, as he was called, son of John 
 Speed and Marj' Taylor, was born in Mecklenburg county, 
 Va., June i8, 1754. He was married and was living in 
 Virginia as late as September 12, 1784. This appears from 
 a letter, which has been preserv^ed, written by John Speed, 
 the father of Matt, to Matt's brother, Captain James Speed, 
 then in Kentucky. The letter saj'S "Matt and his family 
 were well about a month ago." Not long after this date 
 Matt moved to Kentucky and settled in that part of lyincpln 
 county which in 1808 became Casey county. And there he 
 resided the remainder of his life. It is a tradition that he 
 was very happily married, his wife being about his own age. 
 He was well educated, and was a man of strong mental 
 endowment, and enjoyed the confidence of all who knew him. 
 His descendants show his strongly-marked characteristics. 
 
 They inherited from him a decided opposition to the 
 institution of slavery, notwithstanding thejr were owners 
 of large numbers of slaves. In this respect they were like 
 the Emancipationists, generally, in Kentucky, who bore an 
 evil which, under existing laws, they could not well escape 
 from. The}^ were all people of industry and good financial 
 condition, and unusually intelligent. It has been remarked 
 that the men and women were all good-looking and well 
 educated. Mary Speed, a daughter of Matt Speed, who 
 married Randolph Peyton, was a woman of unusual gifts 
 and culture. Colonel John Speed Smith, of Madison county, 
 who knew her well, pronounced her to be the most intel- 
 lectual and cultured woman he had ever met. Matt Speed 
 left four children : 
 
 1. John. 
 
 2. Matthias. 
 
 (178) 
 
MATTHIAS SPEED — NINTH BRANCH. 179 
 
 3. Nannie. 
 
 4. Mary. 
 
 John Speed, the eldest son of Matt Speed, married Miss 
 Hatchings. He died 1855. His children were four or five, 
 and they moved to Missouri. Their records have not been 
 obtained. 
 
 MATTHIAS SPEED, JR. 
 
 Matthias Speed, second son of Matt Speed, lived in Casey 
 count}-, Ky., and left three sons. 
 
 1. Thomas S. 
 
 2. William. 
 
 3. John. 
 
 THOMAS S. SPEED. 
 
 Thomas S. Speed, son of Matthias Speed and grandson of 
 Matt Speed, lived in Casey county, Ky., for manj^ years, 
 and was a member of the L,ower House of the Kentucky 
 Legislature, 1845, and of the State Senate, 1848.' After that 
 he removed with his family to Texas, where he died. 
 
 WILLIAM SPEED. 
 
 William Speed, second son of Matthias Speed, went to' 
 Illinois. No record of his family has been obtained. 
 
 JOHN SPEED. 
 
 John Speed, third son of Matthias Speed, married Miss 
 Hutchings. He died in 1855. His children went to Mis- 
 souri. No record of them has been obtained. 
 
 NANNIE SPEED PEYTON. 
 
 Nannie Speed, third child of Matt Speed, married Buford 
 Peyton. They had two children. The first, Frank, was a 
 merchant in L,ebanon and died unmarried. The second, 
 Eliza, married Mr. Gartin, of Marion county, Ky., and her 
 daughter married Mr. Bosley, who became sheriff of Wash- 
 ington count}', Ky. 
 
180 MATTHIAS SPEED — NINTH BRANCH. 
 
 MARY SPEED PEYTON. 
 
 Mary Speed, daughter of Matt Speed, married Randolph 
 Pej^on, a brother of Buford Peyton, who married her sister 
 Nannie. The children of Randolph Peyton and Mary 
 Speed were : 
 
 1. Matt Speed. 
 
 2. Maria. 
 
 3. Mary Speed. 
 
 4. L,ouisa. 
 
 Matt Speed Peyton lived in Lincoln county, and left a 
 family of three sons and five daughters. Their names have 
 not been obtained. 
 
 Maria Peyton, daughter of Mary Speed Peyton, married 
 John W. Gilbert. They left one daughter, who married 
 Cornelius Varney, of Lincoln county. 
 
 Mary Speed Peyton, daughter of Mary Speed Peyton, 
 married J. F, Warren, and they had two daughters, Maria 
 and Martha. The latter married Joseph Severance, a mer- 
 chant of Stanford, Ky. 
 
 Louisa Peyton, the third daughter of Mary Speed Peyton, 
 married Thomas P. Hill, who was a promising young lawyer, 
 but died at the age of twenty-five. He was a brother of 
 Hon. Clement Hill, of Lebanon, Ky., who became one of the 
 most noted lawyers in Central Kentucky. The grandfather 
 of Thomas P. Hill and Clement Hill came to Kentuck}^ from 
 Maryland, having served his country in the Revolutionary 
 war. The children of Thos. P. Hill and Louisa Peyton 
 were : 
 
 1. Thomas P. Hill. 
 
 2. Mary Speed Hill. 
 
 Thomas P. Hill, son of Thomas P. Hill and Louisa 
 Peyton, was born August 30, 1828. He was educated at 
 St. Mary's College, near Lebanon, Ky., studied law and 
 was admitted to the bar in 1849. He has practiced his 
 profession in the various counties of Central Kentucky 
 with distinguished success. He married Maria Peyton and 
 
MATTHIAS SPEED— NINTH BRANCH. 181 
 
 resides at Stanford, Ky., where he is counsel for the Ivouis- 
 ville & Nashville Railroad Company. The author's thanks 
 are due to him for many of the facts concerning the family 
 of Matthias Speed. 
 Their children : 
 
 1. Bailey Peyton Hill. 
 
 2. Thos. P. Hill, Jr. 
 
 3. Mary Speed Hill. 
 
 The latter, Mary Speed Hill, daughter of Thos. P. and 
 Maria P. Hill, married Benjamin Spaulding, of Lebanon, 
 Kentucky. 
 
 Mary Speed Hill, daughter of Thos. P. and Louisa P. 
 Hill, married Mr. Robertson, and lives in Missouri. 
 
NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 It is scarcely to be expected that the records as given in 
 the foregoing pages are entirely free from errors. Mistakes 
 are very apt to occur in setting down names. While the 
 author very sincerely regrets any omission, or erroneous 
 statement which may be found, he believes there can not be 
 many, and he does not think they will affect the main value 
 of the book. The principal features of the book are 
 believed to be the general account of the family during the 
 two hundred years it has been in America, and a hundred 
 and fifty years in England, and in tracing the descendants 
 of the several branches, with special mention of many of the 
 members, particularlj' those of the earlier generations. 
 
 The records show that there has, for many years, existed 
 a marked partiality for the names John and James, and also 
 that in families not having the Speed surname, Speed is 
 much used as a given or Christian name. In the second 
 branch — that of Captain James Speed — the following inter- 
 esting table can be made, showing the alternate use of the 
 names John and James : 
 
 James Speed, of Spencer county, Ky. 
 
 John Speed, his father, of I^ouisville. 
 
 James Speed (Attorney-General), father of said John. 
 
 Judge John Speed, father of said James. 
 
 Captain James Speed, father of Judge John. 
 
 John Speed, of Mecklenburg, father of Captain James. 
 
 James Speed, father of said John. 
 
 John Speed, of Southampton, father of said James. 
 
 Dr. John Speed, of Oxford, father of said John. 
 
 John Speed, the historian, father of Dr. John Speed. 
 
 Ten generations, covering a period of nearly three hun- 
 dred and fifty years. 
 
 (182) 
 
NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 183 
 
 In the third branch — that of Hetiry Speed — the name 
 John James has been given in regular succession : 
 
 Henry Speed named a son 
 
 John James, who named a son 
 
 John James, who named a son 
 
 John James, who named a son 
 
 John Jdmes. 
 
 The name "Speed" singly, and in combination with 
 others, such as John, James, Robert, Joseph, etc., has been 
 given as a Christian name in more than fifty instances. 
 
 The author believes that all the Speeds in the United 
 States belong to one or another of the branches mentioned 
 in this book. He has not been able, however, to determine 
 to which branch Elizabeth Speed, who lived at Madison, 
 Ga., belongs. She married Isaac C. Hatch. Her father 
 was Terrell Speed, and he had three brothers. Wade, 
 William, and James ; also four sisters, Elizabeth, Rebecca, 
 Sarah, and Floreide. Of these, Sarah married a nephew of 
 John C. Calhoun, and Floreide married John Paxton Holt, 
 ■ of Virginia. 
 
 A. M. Speed and E. H. Speed, composing the Speed Sta- 
 tionery Company, of New York city, are from Nottingham, 
 England. They are lineally descended from John Speed, the 
 Historian. 
 
 For a number of years it was a custom in the Speed fam- 
 ily, at Louisville, to have an annual picnic on the Fourth of 
 July. They were occasions of great enjoyment. The one 
 which took place July 4, 1881, was so generally attended 
 and was enjoyed so much, an account of it was prepared 
 and printed in a pamphlet. It was especially notable on 
 account of the presence of so many of the older members of 
 the family, as shown hy the following list : 
 
 James Speed. 
 
 Jane Speed, his wife. 
 
 Joshua F. Speed. 
 
 Fanny Speed, his wife. 
 
384 NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 Philip Speed. 
 
 J. Smith Speed. 
 
 Susan Speed, his wife. 
 
 Mrs. Peachy W. Peay. 
 
 Mrs. Susan Davis. 
 
 Mrs. Martha Adams. 
 
 Thomas S. Speed. 
 
 Margaret Speed, his wife. 
 
 Dr. J. J. Speed. 
 
 Belle T. Speed, his wife. 
 
 Besides these, there were sons and daughters, grand- 
 children and great-grandchildren, making the total number 
 present of the family alone, exclusive of guests, one hun- 
 dred and seven. 
 
 Those named were four brothers and their wives, and 
 their three sisters, being sons and daughters of Judge John 
 Speed, of lyouisville; also the two sons of Major Thomas 
 Speed, of Bardstown, and their wives. Of these brothers 
 and sisters and first cousins, the eldest was seventy years of 
 age, and the youngest fifty-nine. They made a remarkable 
 group, considering their age, relationship and character. 
 They had known each other from childhood. Their lives . 
 had, in a large measure, been spent together, and their 
 mutual attachment was perfect. It was the great admira- 
 tion and genuine love the author had for these grand mem- 
 bers of the family that primarily inspired the purpose of 
 making this book ; and as long as this book remains, may 
 it inspire those of future generations to live like grand 
 lives and be held in like precious memory by their de- 
 scendants. 
 
 During the Civil war the author of this book, being at 
 Madisonville, Ky., learned of this incident: Mr. Robert 
 Speed's daughter, Emma, was then a young lady about 
 seventeen or eighteen years of age, and very pretty and 
 attractive. She had a horse which she rode and was very 
 fond of. She was told that a band of guerrillas were taking 
 horses in that vicinity, and to guard her own she had him 
 brought into the yard in front of her father's house. 
 
NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS- 185 
 
 When the men were seen approaching she had a boy tie 
 the horse to the verandah, and she stood by him with a 
 pistol in her hand. They said they had come for that 
 horse, and she replied she would shoot the first man that 
 laid hands on him. Her attitude of defiance caused the 
 men to retire without the horse. This storj^ was told to 
 the writer by both herself and her father. She said she 
 was so excited by the impudence of the demand she believed 
 she certainly would have shot. 
 
 Mrs. Amelie Rives Chancer is connected with the 
 descendants of Judge John Speed and the Frys and Bullitts 
 in this way : Her grandfather, Senator Wm. C. Rives, 
 of Virginia, married Judith Walker, a granddaughter of 
 Dr. Thomas Walker. The father of said Judith Walker 
 was a brother of Peachy Walker, who married Joshua Fry. 
 It is shown in this book that Mrs. lyucy G. Speed, wife of 
 Judge John Speed, and Mrs. Ann Bullitt, wife of Wm. C. 
 Bullitt, were daughters of Joshua Fry and Peachy Walker, 
 and sisters of Thomas Walker Fry, who married Elizabeth 
 Speed Smith. 
 
 The fact of James Speed being a member of the Cabinet 
 of President lyincoln connects him with very important 
 historic events. He was the Attorney- General when Mr. 
 lyincoln was assassinated, and his opinion to the effect that 
 the assassins should be tried by a military court is a cele- 
 brated public document. He was frequently importuned 
 to write for the North American Review upon that subject, 
 but never consented to do so until General Hancock was 
 nominated for the presidency, in 1880. He was then 
 urgently requested to write an article upon the trial of the 
 assassins, because General Hancock was the military officer 
 in command in Washington when that trial took place. 
 He so far complied with the request as to prepare a short 
 statement, but refused to send it on. Fortunately, he did 
 not destroy what he had written, but gave it to the author 
 •of this book. Subsequently, in the year 1888, after the 
 
186 NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 death of James Speed, an article was published in the North 
 American Review by Joseph Holt, which induced John 
 Speed, the son of James Speed, to send to that magazine a 
 brief correction, and with it he sent the article his father 
 had prepared. It was then published in the September 
 number, 1888. 
 
 The article is so interesting and valuable, not only as an 
 historical paper, but also as a remarkable specimen of clear 
 and logical reasoning, it is reproduced here. 
 
 It is a conclusive argument on the proposition that an 
 action which, under ordinary circumstances would be im- 
 proper, would, under different circumstances, not only be 
 proper, but necessary. 
 
 It is as follows : 
 
 I would not undertake to give, within the compass of a short 
 article, the details of the monstrous crime of the assassination of 
 President Lincoln; nor would it be possible in such limits to set 
 forth the facts which demonstrated the guilt of the persons punished 
 for that crime. But as the nomination of General Hancock has 
 invested this subject with a fresh interest, I will briefly present some 
 of the points connected with it : 
 
 Mr. Lincoln was assassinated April 14, 1865. A few days before 
 this. General Lee had surrendered the army of Northern Virginia. 
 But the war was not, by any means, over at that time. For more 
 than a month afterward armies of the rebellion were still in the 
 field, and for many months the angry bellows of war did not entirely 
 subside. For more than four years the sulphuric atmosphere of 
 actual war had hung over the country. At the national capital no 
 other air was breathed. Four years of fierce, bloody conflict raging 
 all around, within sight and hearing and almost up to its very gates, 
 had constituted Washington practically a military camp. The city 
 was policed by soldiers. The public buildings were guarded by 
 soldiers. The army was the protector as well as the defender of the- 
 capital. This condition of affairs perfectly answered Lord Coke's 
 definition of war: 
 
 " So, when by invasion, insurrection, rebellion, or such like, the 
 peaceable course of justice is disturbed and stopped so that the 
 courts of justice be, as it were, shut up et inter ama tegis silent, thea 
 it is said to be time of war." 
 
 It was in the midst of such a disturbed state of affairs that the 
 assassination took place. The dreadful event, of course, intensified 
 those conditions. The assassins were taken and held to answer for 
 the awful crime. The question arose, should they be tried by the- 
 
NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 187 
 
 civil or military courts? The victim was not an ordinary citizen. 
 He was the Commander-in-Chief of the Armies of the Union, 
 which, at that time, numbered more than a million men. The crime 
 was most extraordinary ; the times \*ere equall}' so. Every sub- 
 stantial consideration of justice and fairness and common sense 
 demanded that the military arm of the Government should try the 
 accused, and deal with them according to the facts. 
 
 That Mrs. Surratt had a fairer trial before a military court 
 than she would have had before the civil tribunals at that time, is, 
 to my mind, unquestionable. In the midst of the fearful excite- 
 ment of that hour the place of greatest calm was military head- 
 quarters. The soldiers were the peace-officers of the times. They 
 quelled mobs, they prevented lynchings. Such was the upturned 
 condition of society that judicial calmness was more to be expected 
 from trained and experienced officers of the army than from a civil 
 magistrate and a jury. 
 
 In the opinion I gave as Attorney-General of the United States 
 upon this question, this language is used : 
 
 " It is manifest, from what has been said, that military tribunals 
 exist under and according to the laws and usages of war in the 
 interest of justice and mercy. They are established to save human 
 life and to prevent cruelty as far as possible." 
 
 The following language is also used : 
 
 " That the 'judgments of such tribunals may have been sometimes 
 harsh, and sometimes even tyrannical, does not prove that they 
 ought not to exist, nor does it prove that they are not constituted in 
 the interest of justice and mercy. Considering the power that the 
 laws of war give over secret participants in hostilities, such as ban- 
 ditti, guerrillas, spies, etc., the position of a commander would be 
 miserable indeed if he could not call to his aid the judgments of 
 such tribunals. He would become a mere butcher of men, without 
 the power to ascertain justice, and there can be no mercy where 
 there is no justice. War, in its mildest form, is horrible, but take 
 away from the contending armies the ability and right to organize 
 what is now known as the Bureau of Military Justice, they would 
 become monstrous savages, unrestrained by any and all ideas of law 
 and justice. Surely no lover of mankind, no one who respects law 
 and order, no one who has the instincts of justice or who can be 
 softened by mercy would, in time of war, take away from the com- 
 manders the right to organize military tribunals of justice; and 
 especially such tribunals for the protection of persons charged or 
 suspected of being secret foes and participants in hostilities.'' 
 
 That opinion set forth that armies have to deal not only with 
 open, active enemies in the field,but also with secret enemies— spies^ 
 brigands, bushwhackers, assassins ; that the military arm of the 
 United States was put forth to deal with the assassins of the Presi- 
 
188 NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 -dent and Commander-in-Cliief of the Army, slain by them in the 
 midst of the very fiercest conflagration of war. For this there 
 could be no complaint. It was proper and humane. 
 
 The military commission which tried the assassins of the 
 President was carefully selected. It was composed of men taught 
 bv experience and habit to maintain coolness and equanimity in the 
 midst of the most exciting scenes. If it were possible at that period 
 and that place to have secured a fair trial the method adopted was 
 the most certain to secure it. That commission certainly had no 
 desire to wantonly and recklessly inflict punishment upon a woman. 
 It patiently investigated the case. If Mrs. Surratt had not been 
 guilty, if there had been any reasonable doubt of her guilt, she 
 would have been acquitted, as some of the other accused persons 
 were. The Government never showed any disposition to deal severely 
 with any of those guilty of crimes connected with the rebellion. Its 
 military arm was exercised mildly and humanely. It was only in a 
 few instances of absolutely hideous crimes that the perpetrators 
 suffered the extreme penalty. 
 
 There was no ground for any complaint that the military court 
 was harsh or unjust or cruel. There is every ground for the conclu- 
 sion that it did its duty with judicious calmness and perfect, con- 
 scientious impartiality. It found the proofs of guilt clear and 
 incontestable, and rendered judgment accordingly. 
 
 The propriety of unusual and even extraordinary action on the 
 part of the military arm of our Government, when some extraordi- 
 nary occasion calls for it, has just been most strikingly illustrated 
 in the nomination of General Hancock by the Democratic party. 
 According to every Democratic authority, that party claims to be the 
 champion of the principle of military subordination to civil 
 authority at all times and in all places where war is not flagrant. 
 At the same time, according to every Democratic authority, the 
 grounds upon which the nomination was given to General Hancock 
 are contained in his general order. No. 4, promulgated, at New 
 Orleans in November, 1867. This was more than two years after the 
 surrender of General Lee. The meritorious part of that order, 
 according to Democratic authority, is as follows : 
 
 "The right of trial by jury, the habeas corpus, the liberty of the 
 press, the freedom of speech, and the natural rights of person and 
 the rights of property must be preserved. Free institutions, while 
 they are essential to the prosperity and happiness of the people, 
 always furnish the strongest inducements to peace and order. Crimes 
 and offenses committed in this district must be referred to the con- 
 sideration and judgment of the regular civil authorities, and those 
 tribunals will be supported in their laivful jurisdiction. Should 
 there be violations of existing laws which are not inquired into by 
 the civil magnates, or should failure in the administration of justice 
 
NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 189 
 
 be complained of, these cases will be reported to these headquarters, _ 
 when such orders will be made as shall be deemed necessary. 
 
 " While the General thus indicates his purpose to respect the 
 liberties of the people, he wishes all to understand that armed insur- 
 rection or forcible resistance to the laws will be instantly suppressed 
 by arms." 
 
 This order was issued more than two years after the war had 
 clos_pd. The merit claimed for it is, that it recognizes the civil 
 authority of the State of Louisiana as the lawful governing authority 
 of that State. And for this reason, and on this account, the Demo- 
 cratic party has avowedly given General Hancock the nomination 
 for the presidency. Yet if is perfectly plain that the order, in every 
 part of it, contemplates the supremacy of his headquarters over the 
 civil authority of the State of Louisiana. 
 
 Imagine for a moment such an order at this time (1880) iu 
 Louisiana, or any other State! Imagine General Hancock now say- 
 ing to the people of New York (his headquarters now being in that 
 State) that if the civil courts of New York fail to administer justice, 
 complaint can be made at his headquarters and he will issue such 
 orders as the case may require ! 
 
 This suggests to the mind the patent fact that what is appropri- 
 ate for one time may not be appropriate for another time. A dis- 
 tinguished soldier is nominated for the presidency for doing in 1867 
 that which, if done to-day, would be regarded as the act of a 
 demented person. 
 
 In the same way that it was proper and laudable for 'General 
 Hancock in 1867 to hold the army in terrorein over the civil courts- 
 of Louisiana for the humane protection of the citizens of that State, 
 so it was right and just and humane to try the assassins of President 
 Lincoln by a military court in 1865. 
 
 No one doubts that President Lincoln was assassinated by 
 Wilkes Booth. No one doubts the guilt of his male accomplices. 
 No one complains of the punishment they received. But there is a 
 sentimental idea that there was some sort of injustice done to the 
 woman, Mrs. Surratt. It is creditable to the chivalric feelings of 
 the American people that they recoil at the idea of hanging a woman. 
 Yet it is perfectly true that all the crimes in the calendar have at 
 one time or another been perpetrated by females. It was Jezebel 
 who stirred up Ahab and incited him to the foulest murders. Only 
 recently in the State of Indiana, a woman has been found guilty of 
 the murder of her husband, and is now under sentence of death by 
 hanging. It is needless to cite examples, however. 
 
 There was an additional guaranty of the fairness of the pro- 
 ceedings against the assassins of the President, in the fact that 
 General Hancock, a disciplined, trained and accomplished soldier, was 
 in command at Washington at the time. His calmness and equipoise 
 
190 NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 in the midst of excitement, cultivated by familiarity with scenes of 
 carnage in the whirlwind of scores of terrific conflicts, would natur- 
 ally inspire calmness in others. 
 
 Had the assassins been turned over to the civil courts for trial 
 the result would doubtless have been the same, and in that case we 
 would have heard a more just complaint, perhaps, that instead of a 
 trial by an impartial military tribunal they were remanded to the 
 mercies of an angry and revengeful mob of passionate civilians, ffom 
 whom it was impossible to obtain a fair jury. 
 
 AN INCIDENT ILIvUSTRATING LIFE IN KENTUCKY IN 
 THE OLD SLAVE TIMES. 
 
 One of the evils of slavery was the dread of "negro up- 
 risings." This dread not only produced trouble to the 
 masters and their families, but caused the slaves to be more 
 severely treated. Whether there was an}' ground for a 
 report of an expected uprising or not, the effect was a wide- 
 spread alarm, and a very rigid treatment of the negroes. 
 I have heard my father give the following account of an 
 " uprising: " 
 
 He and his brother, John, were young men at the old 
 Bardstown home, and staying with them was their cousin, 
 Guy Smith, of Madison county. One day a neighbor rode 
 up to the gate, and had a talk with my grandfather, Major 
 Thomas Speed. His errand was to give information that a 
 report had come to Bardstown that the negroes were going 
 to " rise. " That they were to assemble in a certain quarter, 
 on a given night, after having killed all in their masters' 
 houses, and then they were to move in a body to town and 
 kill everybody there. 
 
 My grandfather had no faith in such reports, but he 
 thought it best to be on guard. He mounted his horse and 
 rode into town, a mile distant, and soon returned with the 
 news confirmed. Preparations for defense were being made, 
 but the excitement was all suppressed, for it was all-im- 
 portant not to let the negroes know they were suspected. 
 Word was sent to every farm-house to take steps for pro- 
 tection. A rallying point was fixed for the assembling of 
 a force as soon as the insurrection broke out. 
 
NOTES AND, OBSERVATIONS. 191 
 
 My grandfather was skeptical, but had his household 
 prepare for the worst. Ammunition was obtained and the 
 guns put in order. When the dreaded night came, as soon 
 as it was dark, all the axes were taken into the house from 
 the woodpile. The scythes and pitchforks were taken in 
 also. Water was provided to put out fire. The doors were 
 barred and the watchers were stationed. It was soon ob- 
 served that the dogs did not bark as usual. This was in- 
 terpreted to mean that the negroes had taken them into 
 their cabins. A horse was heard to neigh, which was un- 
 usual. The report of a gun was heard some distance away. 
 These things, and the fact that otherwise the night was 
 especially silent, all betokened something going on. The 
 night wore on ; eleven o'clock came. My grandfather con- 
 cluded he would go out and rfeconnoiter. He quietly passed 
 out the side door and made his way in the shadows of the 
 buildings, until he could see the door of Jim's cabin. Jim 
 was the one who would take a hand in the business, if any 
 did. A suspicious light shone under his cabin door, and 
 while my grandfather was contemplating that fact, the door 
 opened and Jim stepped out, and went straight to the grind- 
 stone and groH7id a knife. As soon as he returned, grand- 
 father went back quickly, fully impressed that there was 
 danger ahead. His report made the watchers all the more 
 vigilant. Twelve o'clock came ; grandfather would recon- 
 noiter again. He was determined to see what was going 
 on in that cabin. Fully armed he made his way to the 
 back of the cabin where he could look in through a window. 
 The light glimmered as he approached, but he heard no 
 sound; evidently, they were planning with great secrecy 
 and caution. He was near enough to look in, but if he did 
 so, he might be seen. He paused a moment, then boldly 
 raised himself and looked into the cabin. There upon the 
 floor, down before the fire, sat the dreaded negro, Jim, busily 
 engaged hi making a shnck-niat ! The poor suspected negro, 
 oblivious of all the terror that was abroad, was working 
 away by the fire-light until after midnight, upon a shuck- 
 mat which he could sell to somebody for a quarter of a 
 dollar. 
 
192 NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 Grandfather went back full of indignation, and ordered 
 the young men to go to bed. Next morning he rode into 
 town and denounced all such alarms as the work of mean 
 masters, who mistreated their slaves and were afraid of 
 them. Never again did he allow himself to be disturbed 
 by a report of an expected " uprising." 
 
 The statement is made in the preface that this book is 
 intended for the family, and not for public circulation. With 
 that idea in view, the preface contained some general re- 
 marks concerning the characteristics of the Speeds. With 
 that idea still in view, the following additional comments on 
 the same theme are made : 
 
 It may not be possible in all cases to discern, perceptibly, 
 through the lapse of many years, and the course of several 
 generations, the continued existence of family characteris- 
 tics, but it is believed this can be done in the Speed family. 
 The children of John Speed, of Mecklenburg, Va. , had 
 many traits in common which they inherited from their an- 
 cestors and transmitted to their descendants. 
 
 Under the training of their excellent and honored parents, 
 they grew up well educated, intelligent and practical, and 
 imbued with those principles of virtue which made them 
 valuable citizens. The men were robust, manly and inde- 
 pendent. The women were gentle, affectionate and refined. 
 They were all people of character and substance, and they 
 occupied a high position among the families of old Virginia. 
 
 The six brothers were all much alike. They were true to 
 each other, and devoted to their parents and sisters. Their 
 correspondence shows that they had a peculiarly affectionate 
 feeling for each other, which had been cultivated in the 
 home at Mecklenberg. They were men of that mold which 
 commanded respect, and caused them to be recognized as 
 leaders among those with whom their lives were cast. Their 
 position, intelligence and character called them to bear 
 responsibilities of more than ordinary magnitude, and this 
 gave, them reputation and influence. 
 
 They were practical men. They did not assume to be 
 
NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 193 
 
 something they were not, but were sincere, unaffected and 
 frank. While energetic and full of activity, which resulted 
 in all of them being men of ample substance, they never 
 showed the slightest desire for mere notoriety. It was a 
 cheerful, happy-tempered family of children that grew up in 
 the home of old John Speed, of Mecklenburg. They had a 
 lively temperament, and, bj- inheritance and training, pos- 
 sessed that spring and vivacity of spirit which is not only 
 an essential to success, but an agreeable- quality as well. 
 
 Thej^ were not men to be cast down by disappointment, 
 nor made dizzy by good fortune. They occupied their 
 natural position among their fellows, and performed those 
 duties in life which fell to their lot, with courage, self-respect 
 and common sense. It is related of Captain James Speed, 
 that he said bad luck tried hard to master him in his early 
 life, but before he left Virginia for Kentucky he "jumped 
 astride of prosperity and was never dismounted." His life in 
 Kentucky, for more than thirty years, was that of a man of 
 large fortune, and he used his means with a liberal hand — 
 not in ostentation, but for the good of his fellow-men, his 
 family and his country. 
 
 There was a clear, ringing patriotism in the old Virginia 
 family. The young men answered the Revolutionary roll- 
 call in their own proper persons, and when called upon to 
 discharge public duties, they did so with intelligence, and 
 fidelity. Whether remaining in the Old Dominion and 
 North Carolina or seeking new homes in the far away 
 regions of Kentucky or New York, they were looked up to 
 as men qualified to lead and direct, in both public and pri- 
 vate affairs. lyooking back from this distance, we see in 
 these men the rugged archaic simplicity of their times, but 
 associated therewith are seen the elements which constitute 
 heroic lives, intelligence, energy, devotion to duty, integ- 
 rity, patriotism. 
 
 These features of character have appeared and reappeared 
 with a distinct and noticeable uniformity, generation after 
 generation. 
 
 There were no truer or more useful people in Kentucky 
 in the pioneer days than the sons and daughters of James 
 13 
 
194 NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 and Matthias, and John and Robert Speed. And no abler or 
 more influential people took part in the development of 
 Western New York in the first 3'ears of this century than 
 the families of Dr. Joseph Speed and Henry Speed. 
 
 Without flattery, but only as a statement of a fact, it may 
 be said the qualities which belonged to the old Virginia 
 family, and their children, continue to be displayed by their 
 descendants to this day. The same cheerful courage and 
 spirit of independence ; the same disposition to attend to 
 their own aS"airs and faithfulh' recognize the obligations of 
 duty; the same disposition to make the best use of oppor- 
 tunity without craving notoriety ; the same enjoyment of the 
 esteem and respect of their fellow-men in every communitj^ 
 where they live, is distinctly observable. 
 
 And the same patriotic spirit which sent an entire family 
 into the war of the Revolution has been displayed in later 
 times. Their country's cause was upheld in the second war 
 with England, by Major Thomas Speed and his brother, 
 John, and their nephew, Thomas Speed, and Colonel John 
 Speed Smith. In the Mexican war were Speed Smith Fry 
 and Green Clay Smith. In the last great struggle of the 
 Civil war those who participated in one capacity or another, 
 would make a noteworth}^ list of about fifty. 
 
 It is not with vanity that these observations are made, 
 nor is it with any undue pride that the records contained in 
 this book are thus pubHshed for the use of the family. The 
 object intended is to preserve from oblivion the familv 
 history. Traditions fade away and letters and manuscripts 
 perish. The printed volume is the only means that will 
 prevent such history from becoming vague and indistinct, 
 and ultimately passing away. The object, top, is to bring 
 to the attention of the younger members of the family, the 
 strong characteristics and worthy lives of their ancestors. 
 Regard for our own forefathers is as commendable as patri- 
 otic regard for the fathers of our country. It is proper that 
 we should know who our ancestors were, where they lived, 
 and what they did, that we, ourselves, and generations yet 
 to come, may be inspired to emulate the good which was in 
 those who have gone before. 
 
I N DEX 
 
 This index is only intended to show in what part of the book can 
 be found the names of members of the family according to their 
 places of residence. The headings of the pages and the arrange- 
 ment of the descendants of the different branches are believed to 
 be sufficient to enable everything in the book to be readily found 
 without requiring the repetition of all the names in an index. 
 Besides, as so many bear the same name, it would onh' be confusing 
 to set them all down in the index. 
 
 P.\GE. 
 John Speed, the Historian . . . 7-17 
 
 Dr. John Speed, of Oxford : . 17, 18 
 
 Dr. John Speed, of Southampton ... . .18 
 
 Other descendants of the Historian in England . . . 18-21 
 
 James Speed, who came to America . . . . . 22, 23 
 
 William T. Speed, son of James ... . . 24 
 
 John Speed and Mary Taylor, of Mecklenburg 25-28 
 
 First Branch — John Speed and Sarah Baird . . . . 29, 30 
 
 Their descendants in Virginia ... . . 30,31,34,42 
 
 North Carolina ... . . 31-33' 34 
 
 Alabama and Missouri 33 
 
 New York 34-45 
 
 Baltimore, Md 39> 4° 
 
 Kansas, Illinois, Texas, N. Mexico, Iowa, 42, 45 
 Third Branch— Henry Speed and Elizabeth Spencer . . . . 46, 47 
 Their descendants in New York . ■ • 47-52. 56 
 
 Detroit, Mich. . ■* . 49, 52, 53 
 
 Vicksburg, Miss. . . 53-5^ 
 
 Tacoma, Wash. ... ■ ■ 5^ 
 
 Maine 49> 54 
 
 Second Branch— Captain James Speed and Mary Spencer . 57-61 
 
 Their descendants in Louisville, Ky. . . 74-79' 83. 85-88, 93-141 
 
 Bardstown, Ky. ... .... 61-73 
 
 Owensboro, Ky. • • . ^ . . 74 
 
 Danville, Ky. . . . ■ 81, 83-88 
 
 Madison county, Ky. ■ . .88 
 
 Mercer county, Ky. . 82 
 
 Boyle county, Ky. . 9^ 
 
 (195) 
 
196 
 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Their Jef cendants in Henderson, Ky. . 
 
 . 142, 144-T46 
 
 Lexington, Ky. 
 
 89-90 
 
 Frankfort, Ky. 
 
 92 
 
 Spencer county, Ky. 
 
 114 
 
 Chicago, 111. . . 
 
 • 139. 140 
 
 Bloomington, 111. 
 
 • • 83 
 
 Indiana 
 
 ■ • 84, 85, 91 
 
 Washington, D. C 
 
 90-92, 132, 134 
 
 Virginia ... 
 
 80, 81 
 
 Tennessee . . . 
 
 ... 86 
 
 Oklahoma 
 
 76 
 
 Kansas . . . 
 
 114 
 
 Michigan . . 
 
 ■ • 115 
 
 New Orleans, La. . . 
 
 ... 116 
 
 Missouri 
 
 80, 123, 124, 149 
 
 New York . 
 
 133 
 
 Little Rock, Ark. . 
 
 140 
 
 Texas 
 
 144 
 
 Fo-urth Branch — Sarah Speed Hansard . 
 
 150,151 
 
 Her descendants in Alabama 
 
 • ■ 151 
 
 Mississippi . 
 
 151 
 
 Tennessee . . 
 
 151 
 
 North Carolina . 
 
 ■ • 151 
 
 Fifth Branch— Lewis Speed 
 
 153. 154 
 
 His descendants in Missouri . . 
 
 154 
 
 Louisville, Ky. . . . 
 
 ■ • 155,163 
 
 Memphis, Tenn. 
 
 155-163 
 
 Sixth Branch — Martha Speed Apper,son, of Virginia 
 
 . . 164 
 
 Seventh Branch — Joseph Speed 
 
 165-168 
 
 His descendants in Virginia . . . 
 
 168, 175, 176 
 
 Henderson, Ky. 
 
 171 
 
 Madisouville, Ky. 
 
 171 
 
 t Memphis, Tenn. 
 
 172 
 
 Tennessee . . 
 
 174, 17s 
 
 North Carolina'. . . 
 
 172-176 
 
 Eighth Branch — Lucy Speed Jeter, of Georgia 
 
 • ■ 177 
 
 Ninth Branch— Matthias Speed . 
 
 ... 178 
 
 His descendants in Missouri . 
 
 179 
 180, 181 
 
 Lebanon, Ky. . . 
 
 Lincoln county, Ky. . . 
 
 . . • 179, iSo 
 
 Casey county, Ky. 
 
 179 
 
 " Texas 
 
 179 
 179 
 
 Illinois 
 
 Notes and Observations 
 
 • . . 182-194 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 During the time this book was going through the press, 
 Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Menefee were traveling in Europe, and 
 while in England, prompted by the interest they felt in the 
 book, they obtained for the author's use some facts con- 
 cerning the historian, John Speed, and others of the name 
 of his time, which they forwarded bj- mail. Arriving too 
 late to be placed in the iirst part of this book, this note 
 will contain what they have so kindly and thoughtfully 
 furnished. 
 
 In the Bodleian I^ibrary, Oxford, in the collection of 
 Rawlinson MSS. are several pieces of the historian John 
 Speed's manuscripts — one consisting of thirty-one leaves — 
 entitled : 
 
 '■ Henry the Third, Lord of Ireland, Duke of Normandy Guien, 
 and Aquatayne, etc., the forty-sixth Monarch of England, his raigne, 
 acts, and issue, written by John Speed." 
 
 Rev. W. D. Macray says : 
 
 " From comparison with other MSS. of Speed's, in private posses- 
 sion, this volume appears to be undoubtedly in the autograph of the 
 author. It is altogether different from the life printed in his history 
 of Great Britain, having much additional matter, although in some 
 parts the narrative is much shorter." 
 
 Also in the same collection of Rawlinson MSS. there are 
 two volumes in folio, apparently John Speed's own original 
 drafts of his histories of the lives and reigns of Edward I. 
 and Edward II., differing from the printed text. 
 
 These changes indicate an intention on the part of the 
 industrious old author to revise his entire work. 
 
 In the Black Book of Warwick, of date 1607, is an order 
 of council to that corporation directing them to assist John 
 14 (197) 
 
198 APPliN'-DIX. 
 
 Speed in his improvement on Saxton's Maps of Great 
 Britain. 
 
 In the "Biographia Brittannica," edited by Andrew 
 Kippis, it is said the History of England, by John Speed, is 
 
 "Digested 'in a nmch better manner than the chronicles of 
 Fabian, Grafton, Hollinshed and Stowe, and elegantly printed. 
 
 Mr. Speed was also author of ■ A Cloud of Witnesses, viz: 
 The Genealogies of Scripture, con6rming the truth of Holy History 
 and Humanity of Christ, prefixed to the new translation of the 
 Bible in i6ii, and printed afterwards in most of the subsequent 
 ancient editions of the same, published likewise by itself in 1616.' 
 King James I. granted him a patent for securing the property of 
 this to himself and his heirs. After a useful and industrious life, 
 and having lived fifty-seven years in marriage with one wife, by 
 whom he had twelve sons and six daughters, he died at London, 
 July 28, 1629, and was buried in the church of St. Giles, Cripplegate, 
 where a monument is erected to him on the south side of the 
 chancel. Dr. Fuller, in his quibbling manner, says that Father 
 Speed truly answered his name in both the acceptations thereof, 
 for celerity and success. - " The maps are the best 
 
 that had till then been made of the British Dominions. The 
 corners of them are ornamented with coins, and the ichnography of 
 the most considerable cities and towns in the respective counties. 
 They were designed to go along with the history." * * * 
 
 Our author makes a due acknowledgment to his benefactors, 
 particularly with regard to his maps, in these words: 
 
 " So plenteous is our story and so largely requires it to be writ, 
 through all which my weake body with many years' labor hath alone 
 travelled, as well in the reviewing of the geographical parts of the 
 land as in the compiling of the succeeding history, though far 
 unable to perfect either according to their own worths. But,lest the 
 weight of the whole should rest upon so slender a prop as myself, I 
 have laid my buildings upon far stronger arches, as by the many 
 alleged authorities may appear. For, first, the chords for the most 
 part traced by others and most of them divulged into view were 
 the foundations of my begun paines, in supplying their wants with 
 my many additions and dimensions of the shire-townes and cities — 
 true platforms. The further descriptions of sundry provinces I 
 have gleaned from the famous workes of the most worthy and 
 learned Camden, whose often-sowed-seeds in that soil hath lastly 
 brought forth a most plenteous harvest." 
 
 After mentioning that John Speed was indebted to I,ord 
 Bacon, Sir Robert Cotton, George Carew, Earl of Totness, 
 
APPENDIX. 199 
 
 Sir Henry Spelman, Dr. Barkham, Edmund Bolton and 
 Wm. Barton for assistance upon his history, he says : 
 
 " But let us hear Mr. Speed's own account of his chief assistants : 
 ' For the body of the historic,' says he, ' many were the manuscripts, 
 notes, and records wherewith my honored and learned friends sup- 
 plied me; but none more, or so many, as did the 'worthy repaiter of 
 eating-times' ruins, Sir Robert Cotton, Knight, Baronet — another 
 Philadelphus in preserving old monuments and ancient records — 
 whose cabinets were unlocked and library continually set open to 
 my free access, and from whence the chiefest garnishments of this 
 worke have been enlarged and brought, such as are the antique altars 
 and trophes in Stowe, by him preserved from perishing oblivion. 
 The coins of gold, silver, alchamy, and copper of the Brittains, 
 Romans, Saxons, Danes, and English, with the broad scales of those 
 kings since the same were in use — all of them so followed from the 
 original moddles and moneyes by the most exquisit and curious hand 
 of our age, as my eyes may witness ; they are the true prints from 
 those stamps. The like most acceptable helpers, both of books and 
 collections, I continually received from that worthy divine. Master 
 John Barkham, a gentleman composed of learning, vertue and 
 curtesie, as being no less ingenuously willing than learnedly able to 
 advance and forward all vertuous endeavours. Besides these, some 
 other supply I have had, for, my disease grown dangerous and life 
 held in suspense, it behooved him who had toward the publishing 
 bestowed so great cost, to forward to their finishing ; and to that end 
 he procured to me his further charges, an assistant in the lives of 
 our middle English kings, whose stories and faignes (by the judi- 
 cious) may by their stiles be known to be writ by another penne. 
 Lastly, for the matters of Heraldrie, the willing and ready pains of 
 Master William Smith, an officer at arms and ever at hand.' " 
 
 Degary Wheat, in his "Method and Order of Reading 
 Histories," thus commends Speed's History: 
 
 '' Our author, having traveled over all Great Britain, read dili- 
 gently all our own historians, and those of our neighbors, together 
 with a diligent search in the public offices, rolls, monuments, and 
 ancient charters, built up a splendid and admired theater of the 
 British Empire, which, with great expedition and labor, he perfected 
 in fourteen years in ten books. Wherefore, I do most earnestly 
 exhort young men, and especially those who are of noble birth and 
 intend to travel, that they would first peruse this beautiful theater 
 of Great Britain and run over all the parts of it before they travel 
 into foreign countries or visit strange nations." 
 
200 APPENDIX. 
 
 The maiden-name of the wife of John Speed, the histo- 
 rian, was Susan Draper. One of their daughters was named 
 Joan ; she married John Huxley, of I,ondon- Another, 
 named Anne, married Benjamin Welsh, of London. An- 
 other, named Sarah, married Edward Blakemore. The 
 latter informed Dr. Fuller that her father was born at 
 Farrington, county of Cheshire (Fuller's Worthies). 
 
 The manuscript of Dr. John Speed's treatise upon the 
 two skeletons (see page 17, this book) is preserved in the 
 library at Oxford, as a rare production ; also the MSS. of 
 his play, which is entitled Stonehenge — a Pastoral. The 
 play was acted (according to Wood's Athe. Oxon.) when 
 the author "was returned from Salisbury, after he had been 
 installed Dean thereof, in 1635." ■ Wood further says " Dr. 
 Speed was, by all persons that knew him, accounted an in- 
 genious man.'' 
 
 From Wood's Athense Oxonensis the following was ob- 
 tained : 
 
 "Thomas Speed, son of Richard Speed, of Sherbourne, 
 in Dorsetshire, was admitted a sojourner of Exeter College, 
 1640, aged seventeen years. He wrote an epistle against 
 the minister, which was answered by Will Thomas, who 
 was replied to by George Fox, the Quaker. There was also 
 an answer to Will Thomas by Thomas Speed. He left col- 
 lege without a degree, took the covenant and became minis- 
 ter of St. Philip's church, in Bristol; lived upon it till 
 about 1650; left his ministry, and turned merchant, being 
 blamed for so doing, and all people took him to be a man 
 of no religion, therefore he turned Quaker. He was a great 
 patron of the Quakers, ' worth 40,000 pounds, lives well, 
 eats and drinks well, all served in plate. He preached a 
 thanksgiving sermon at St. Austin's, in Bristol, for the vic- 
 tory over King Charles II., at Worcester, which was printed 
 and afterward reprinted.' " 
 
 In 1631, Joshua Speed published a Httle book in verse. 
 The title being quite singular, will be here given : 
 
 '' Love's Revenge, wherein is briefly showed from the Historie of 
 the Holy Scripture, the rising, growth and final fall of the Man of 
 Sinne ; with the long and continual strife betwixt the two seeds. 
 
APPENDIX. 201 
 
 How they have, from time to time, sought to disinherit each other, 
 and how that Christ, by His righteous life and long suffering, in 
 the end shall get the victory and justly revenge Himself on His 
 adversary. Omnia vincit amor. By Joshuah Speed." 
 
 Samuel Speed, son of Dr. John Speed, of Oxford, and 
 grandson of the historian (see page 17, this book), was an 
 author as well as a clergyman. It is mentioned in Nichol's 
 Literary Anecdotes, that the library of Rev. Samuel Speed 
 was dispersed in 1776, through the agency of Nath. Conant, 
 book-seller. It was his misfortune to lose everything he 
 possessed in the great fire of London, 1666, and thereby 
 being unable to pay his debts, he was imprisoned for debt, 
 according to the barbarous custom of that day. While so 
 confined he wrote two books, copies of which are in the 
 Bodleian Library — one entitled Fragmenta Carceris, 1675 ; 
 the other. Prison Pietie ; or Meditations, Divine and Moral, 
 1677. This book contains the portrait of the author. 
 
 In the Bodleian Library is an autograph letter of Samuel 
 Speed, addressed to Archbishop Sheldon, in which he 
 mentions his purpose of revising and continuing down to 
 date his grandfather's history; also, that he had published 
 two books — the one entitled The King's Psalter ; the other 
 The King's Primer ; that he was then confined in prison on 
 account of his losses by the great fire of London, 1666, and 
 actions brought against him in consequence. The date of 
 the letter is October 8, 1672. He soon afterward obtained 
 his liberty, and was rector of Alvestoke, 1675. The state- 
 ment on page 18 that he was vicar of Godalmin, 1681, seems 
 to be an error; the date should be 1662. He died at 
 Alvestoke, 1681. 
 
 Copies of his books, "King's Psalter," and "King's 
 Primer," are in Bodleian Library. 
 
 From the Register of the Company of Stationers, London, 
 edited by Edward Arber, it appears that Daniel Speed, 
 son of John Speed, of London, was a stationer and pub- 
 lisher of books, 1616, and subsequently. Among the books 
 he published were : 
 
 "A Cloud of Witnesses," by John Speed. 
 
202 APPENDIX. 
 
 " The Anatomy of a Distressed Soul," by Bartholomew 
 Robertson. 
 
 " Two True and Remarkable Histories which Happened 
 this present year, 1619, in Amersfoord, in the Province of 
 Utrecht." 
 
 "A Heavenly and Comfortable Mould of Praj'ers," 1618, 
 by Bartholomew Robertson, dedicated to Sir Robert Naun- 
 ton, Knight. 
 
 It is said of this Daniel Speed : 
 
 " He has the honor to print for Sir William Dawes, Dr. Smith, and 
 other eminent churchmen. He is a very modest, quiet man, and 
 never insinuates his merit by any other means than the pious things 
 he speaks or prints." 
 
 From the publications of the Harleian Society, West- 
 minster Abbey Register, and Parish Registers a few facts 
 were obtained which antedate, or are a little subsequent to, 
 the birth of John Speed, the historian (1552). They, 
 doubtless, have some connection with the family to which 
 he belonged. At St. Peter's, Cornhill, March 26, 1541, 
 Ellen Speed was buried. At the same place, March 17, 
 1542, Harry Speed was buried. At the same place, July 
 12, 1548, Elizabeth Speed was buried. 
 
 January 25, 1555, marriage license was granted to John 
 Speed and Elizabeth Cheynye, of Christ church, by the 
 Bishop of lyondon. 
 
 In the Parish Register of Backford, in the county of 
 Chester, which is seven miles from the place of the his- 
 torian's birth, are the dates of the baptism of the children 
 of a John Speed- John, 1692; Thomas, 1693; William, 
 1695; Robert, 1698; Hugh, 1701 ; Richard, 1702; Mar- 
 garet, 1704. 
 
 From the records, at Oxford, it appears that the following, 
 among others, had there taken degrees : 
 
 John Speed, A. B., 1577, afterward rector of Holme, 
 Pierrepoint, Nottinghamshire. 
 
 George Speed, A. B., 1614, rector of Ashe, Surrey, 1627. 
 and of Stowlangtoft, Suffolk, 1644. 
 
APl^ENblX. 208 
 
 John Speed, A. M., 1620, son of historian (see page 17 of 
 this book). 
 
 William Speed, A. M., 1620. 
 
 Thomas Speed, 1640, being the same mentioned in these 
 notes as a Quaker. 
 
 John Speed, A. M., 1660. He became a physician and 
 lived at Southampton (see page 18 of this book). The 
 records show that he became mayor of Southampton. 
 
 Samuel Speed, A. B., 1649, A. M., 1660, being the same 
 mentioned on page 17 of this book. In addition to what is 
 there stated, the records show that he was rector of Whit- 
 burn, 1673-5, and of Alvestoke, 1675. 
 
 William Speed, 1657, .student. 
 
 George Speed, A. M., 1678. 
 
 John Speed, student, 1689. Became a ph5-sician. 
 
 Richard Speed, son of Dr. John Speed, of Southampton, 
 A. B., 1714. 
 
 Thomas Speed, son of Thomas Speed, of Tondon, Gent.; 
 student, 1717. 
 
 John Speed, son of Dr. John Speed, of Southampton, 
 A. B., 1726. 
 
 Robert Speed, A. B., 1732, A. M., 1736. Became Proctor 
 of the University, 1745. 
 
 Samuel Speed, son of Dr. John Speed, of Southampton, 
 A. B., 1727; A. M., 1731. 
 
 Besides the foregoing, other facts were obtained, which 
 are substantially shown alreadj' in this book, and while 
 they confirm what is stated it is not necessary to reproduce 
 them here. It may, however, be said that the records show 
 the date of the death of Colonel Speed, the father of 
 Harriet Speed (page ]8). He died November 12, 1768- 
 His full name was Joseph Speed, and he was for many 
 years an officer in the royal navy. 
 
 The author is indebted to Judge James Speed Pirtle, who 
 has seen this book before its entire completion, for the 
 suggestion that it is due to L,ouisville family to mention 
 
204 APPEJflilx. 
 
 their kindly feelings and generous conduct during the ter- 
 rible scenes of the civil war. While supporters of the Union 
 cause, they did many acts of personal kindness to Confeder- 
 ate soldiers and others who espoused the cause of the South. 
 
 Numerous instances might be mentioned, but it is deemed 
 sufficient to mention the following, which will illustrate the 
 facts : 
 
 During the war Joshua F. Speed and his partner, James 
 W. Henning, had in their charge a number of estates be- 
 longing to persons who were in the South. The conflict 
 being so prolonged and destructive, these persons appre- 
 hended that all their possessions were swept away, but 
 when the war ended, they found not only everything pre- 
 served, but also the accumulated earnings of four years. 
 Their gratitude was expressed in beautiful gifts, now treas- 
 ured in the families of those faithful agents and trustees. 
 
 While the war was raging, Joshua F. Speed was sum- 
 moned as a grand juror in the Federal Court at lyouisville. 
 The jurors were required to take an oath that they had not 
 given aid or comfort to the enemies of the Government. 
 To the surprise of every one Joshua Speed said he did not 
 know that he could take that oath, " Because," said he, "I 
 have furnished prisoners with money when I knew they 
 were going to engage in the rebellion." 
 
 The judge very promptly said an act of humanity was 
 not a disqualification. 
 
 When the war closed, James Speed being in the cabinet 
 at Washington was in a position to render assistance to many 
 who needed it, and the list would be a long one if all were 
 named who received favors at his hand. 
 
 The following letter has been furnished to the author by 
 Judge James Speed Pirtle : 
 
 Attorney Genb;rai,'s Office, 
 
 Washington, May 25, 1S65. 
 James S. Pirtle, Esq., Louisville, Ky. . 
 
 Dear Sir : I received your telegram desiriug me to send to John 
 B. Pirtle, at Richmond, f 200. 
 
 Prior to the receipt of that telegram, and at the instance of Edward 
 Worthington, Esq., I had sent to John B. Pirtle jtioo. I do not under- 
 
APPENDIX. 205 
 
 staud whether your telegram desires $200 in addition to that or not, 
 nor do I know whether John B. Pirtle is still in Richmond. I sup; 
 posed that my Jioo would enable him to go home. 
 
 * The call upon me by returning rebels for funds to get home upon 
 
 has been so very heavy that I have had to become a borrower. Some 
 
 of them apply for sums that seem to me to be perfectly extravagant. 
 
 If upon receipt of this, you still desire me to send $200 to John B. 
 
 Pirtle, I will do so with great pleasure. I am. 
 
 Most sincerely', 
 
 James Speed. 
 
 In atiother letter to James S. Pirtle he says : " Tell yoiir 
 Cousin John that it afforded me as much pleasure to be able 
 to aid him as for him to rec'eive it." 
 
 John B. Pirtle was a Major in the Confederate army. 
 
 Through the whole period of the civil war, the situation 
 of James atid Joshua Speed, and also their brothers and 
 sisters mentioned in this book, was such as to cause them 
 to be constantly appealed to for friendly offices of the kind 
 mentioned, and all who knew them, know that such appeals 
 always met with a generous response. 
 
 15 
 
CORRECTIONS. 
 
 The author regrets that he made the errors which are 
 corrected below. He especially regrets that he erroneously 
 mentioned several living persons, as not living. 
 
 Page 30, line next to last, Mary Speed married N. Nelson. 
 
 Page 33, last line, Harriet Speed married D. C. Lanier. 
 
 Page 42, Wilhelmina and husban(J are both living- 
 Page 45, line twelve, W. M. Boyer was Captain Co. G, 15th N. Y. Cav. 
 
 Page 56, line twenty-two, R. H. Speed Hyde was Major, 15th N. Y. 
 Cav. 
 
 Page 126, lines seven, etc. The full names of the children of J. 
 Edward Hardy are as follows: ist, Charlotte Howard; 2d, Lucy 
 Gilmer ; 3d, William B. ; 4th, Katherine Wendell ; 5th, Eliza Davis ; 
 6th, Lewis Rodgers ; 7th, Francis Whittle. 
 
 Page 128, line three. The eldest child, named Douglass, died. 
 Outram also died. 
 
 Page 139, line five, George Jouett. 
 
 Page 139, line eight, Burley instead of Berle}'. 
 
 Page 139, last line, Abilene instead of Abiline. 
 
 Page 14+, line eleven, Rives instead of Reeves. This correction 
 also on two pages following. Mr. Rives, who married Elizabeth 
 Speed Rankin, belonged to the well-known distinguished Rives 
 family, of Virginia. 
 
 Page 145, line next to last. Master, instead of Commander. 
 
 Page 147, line three, Susan Rankin, who married John H. Barrett, 
 was a sister of James Rankin, whose name appears near the end of 
 page 146. 
 
 Page [73. line five, Nathan, instead of Matthew. 
 
 Page 173, line nine, Harwell, instead of Harriet. 
 
 Page 173, line thirty-six, Marshall Edwards Cook, and Benjamin 
 Edwards Cook are both living. 
 
 Page 174, line one, Jonas, instead of James. 
 
 Page 174, line three, the eldest child of Jonas C. Williams is Eva 
 Thornton. 
 
 Page T75, line nineteen, Glenn, instead of Gilmer. 
 
 Page 176, line twelve, Marvin, instead of Norvin. 
 
 Page 176, line seventeen, Heywood McCabe. 
 
 (206)