Biography of James Woodson Bates, Arkansas *********************************************************** Submitted by: Joy Fisher < > Date: 18 Dec 2007 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *********************************************************** BIOGRAPHICAL AND PICTORIAL HISTORY OF ARKANSAS. BY JOHN HALLUM. VOL. I. ALBANY: WEED, PARSON'S AND COMPANY, PRINTERS. 1887. Entered according to act of Congress in the year eighteen hundred and eighty-seven, BY JOHN HALLUM, In the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. JAMES WOODSON BATES. BY HON. JESSE TURNER. Judge Bates was born in Goochland county, Virginia, about 1788. His collegiate attainments were acquired at Yale and Princeton, in the latter of which he graduated about 1810. About this time Tarlton Bates, an elder brother, of great promise, then practising law at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, was killed in a duel with one Stewart, a rival lawyer. Judge Breckenridge, in his "Recollections of the West," speaks in unqualified terms of commendation of Tarlton Bates. When quite young Judge Bates attended the trial of Aaron Burr at Richmond, for treason. He has often spoken to the writer of the prominent actors in that celebrated trial, of Generals Jackson and Wilkinson, and particularly of the very pompous manner of the latter when on the witness stand. Soon after leaving college young Bates commenced the study of law, but under what auspices is not known to the writer. In the mean time Frederick Bates, his brother, was appointed secretary of the territory of Missouri, and was acting governor in the absence of Governor Clark. The west then, as now, was an inviting field for young lawyers, and James followed his brother to Missouri, and settled in St. Louis about 1816. Soon after the organization of the territory of Arkansas, in 1820, he removed to the Post of Arkansas, the temporary seat of the government, and then commenced the practice of his profession. His office was scarcely opened for the reception of clients before he was elected our first territorial delegate to congress. His opponent in this election was the celebrated Matthew Lyon, who, after an eventful career in the east, removed to Kentucky, thence to Arkansas. He settled at Spadra Bluff on the Arkansas river, where he was engaged in some government employment, I believe. The election was closely contested. Bates received the certificate of election, and Lyon declared his intention to contest his seat, but died before he could execute his design. [NOTE.- Matthew Lyon was an educated, brilliant Irishman, born in 1746. He emigrated to America when quite young, and settled in Vermont among the Green Mountain boys, with whom he became very popular. He was a member of congress from Vermont in 1801, when the election of president and vice-president devolved on the house of representatives, voting by States. The choice was between Jefferson and Burr, the two highest candidates in the electoral college, from which each had received an equal number of votes, seventy-three, Adams receiving sixty-five, and Pinckney, sixty-four, Jefferson was the popular choice, but the federal party, favoring centralization, was then strong in congress, and they made an effort to defeat the will of the people, by concentrating their strength on Burr. Burr's strength, and that of the federalists who supported him lay chiefly in the New England. States, and Vermont instructed her representatives in congress to cast the vote of the State for Burr. The balloting commenced on the 11th of February, 1801, and continued until the thirty-sixth ballot was reached on the 17th of February. On this ballot Matthew Lyon went over to the Jefferson party, and by his disaffection carried Vermont for Jefferson, and materially aided in securing his election. For this he was denounced and ostracised in Vermont, and for this reason he moved to Kentucky about 1803. During the war of 1812, Lyon obtained very large contracts from the government to supply the army. The treaty of Ghent found him in possession of a large quantity of supplies purchased at war prices, which the government, although in honor bound, refused to take. This disaster reduced Lyon to financial ruin. He moved to Arkansas about 1818, and located at Spadra on the Arkansas river, whereon the 1st of August, 1822, he died in the seventy-sixth year of his age, a very poor, but intellectual and able man. His son inherited and supplemented his father's talents, and was a representative in congress from Kentucky.- THE AUTHOR.] In 1823 he was a candidate for re-election, but was defeated by the celebrated Henry W. Conway, an able man, who commanded not only the influence of his own powerful family, but that of the Hectors, the Johnsons, Roanes and Ambrose H. Sevier, and all the political adherents of General Jackson, then so popular in the south and west. The influence and strength of this combined opposition could not be overcome. After his short congressional career closed he moved to the newly-settled town of Batesville and resumed the practice of his profession. Batesville was named after him. In November, 1825, President Adams appointed him one of the territorial judges, in virtue of which he was one of the judges of the superior or appellate court organized on the plan of the old English court in banc, and all our territorial appellate courts are organized on the same plan. On the accession of General Jackson to the presidency, his commission expired without renewal, and he soon after removed to Crawford county, married a wealthy widow and became stationary on a rich farm near Van Buren. In the fall of 1835 he was elected to the constitutional convention, and contributed his ability and learning in the formation of our first organic law as a State. Soon after the accession of John Tyler to the presidency, he appointed Judge Bates register of the land office at Clarksville in recognition of an old friend. He discharged every public trust and all the duties devolved on him as a private citizen with the utmost fidelity. Strange to say, whilst he possessed the most fascinating conversational powers, he was a failure as a public speaker. Edward Bates, Mr. Lincoln's attorney-general, was unquestionably a great orator, but was not the equal of his brother James in that fascinating polish which indicates high and magnetic finish. He was well versed in the classics and with the best authors of English and American literature. He died at his home in Crawford county in 1846, universally esteemed.