Pima County AZ Archives Biographies.....Bethune, Joseph D. 1842 - living in 1896
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com March 7, 2005, 10:28 pm

Author: McFarland & Poole

p. 591-592

 HON. JOSEPH D. BETHUNE. The expensive and necessary duty of enacting law
calculated to protect mankind from the doers of evil has always been a serious
object of legislation. The office of judge is one of honor and dignity, and it
should, without question, be filled by a man who possesses a thorough knowledge
of the law, a keen, analytical mind, and one who can, on short notice, correctly
judge of men and motives. These requirements are possessed by Judge Bethune,
who, in his efforts to preserve law and order, has shown much wisdom, good
judgment, and has balanced the scales of justice with impartial hand. He is a
native of Georgia, born in Columbus, July 3, 1842, and the son of James N. and
Frances (Gundy) Bethune, natives of that State. The father was a soldier in the
Seminole War, served as captain, and was general of the militia of Georgia at an
early day and was always known as Gen. Bethune. A lawyer by profession he held
many offices, and being a man of much more than the average ability, a graduate
of the University of Georgia, and a contemporary of Calhoun, Crawford and
others, was well known all over the country. For many years he was editor of the
"Columbus Times," and he founded the "Columbus Inquirer," which is still
published there. One of the most prominent and popular men of the State, his
career was a brilliant one from start to finish. Before he had reached his
twenty-first year he was made solicitor general of his district in Georgia. His
death occurred in Washington in December, 1895. His father, John Bethune, was
surveyor general of Georgia for many years. Joseph D. Bethune passed his boyhood
and youth in his native county and by the time the Civil War broke out had
received a good literary education in the public schools. He dropped his books,
however, and in April, 1861, enlisted in Company G, Second Georgia Regiment, and
served through the greater part of the war. He participated in all the principal
engagements in the South and was twice wounded, once at the battle of
Chickamauga and again at Malvern Hill. He was obliged to go to the hospital and
has never fully recovered from the one received at Chickamauga. In 1864 he was
in command of a company of artillery with the rank of first lieutenant and
served in that capacity until captured, or until the close of the war. He
surrendered at Macon, Georgia, and afterward went north and settled at
Warrenton, Virginia, where, in connection with farming, he practiced law until
1876. From there he moved to Los Angeles, California, practiced his profession,
and was registrar of United States Land Office for two years and a half. He then
resigned and in March, 1893, removed to Tucson, Arizona, on account of his
health, and practiced law here until 1894 when he was appointed judge of the
First District Court of Arizona, a position he has held up to the present time.
As a lawyer and judge he has but few equals in the Territory, and as a citizen
and neighbor is highly esteemed. Judge Bethune was married in 1869 to Miss Mary
Agnes Clark, a native of Virginia and a daughter of a Baltimore merchant. Six
children have been given them: Frank, James N., Isabelle, Joseph D., Fannie, and
Mary Agnes. Mrs. Bethune is a member of the Presbyterian Church.


Additional Comments:
From:

A Historical and Biographical Record of the Territory of Arizona
Published by
McFarland & Poole, Chicago, 1896



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