Biographical Sketch of Louis F. Dinning, Washington County, Missouri

>From "History of Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Crawford and 
Gasconade Counties", Biographical Appendix, Goodspeed Publishing 
Company, 1888.

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Hon. Louis F. Dinning was born in Jackson County, Mo., October 28, 1838
and is the eldest child of David M. and Sophia (Milliker) Dinning, nat-
ives of Kentucky, who, after a residence of some five years in Jackson
County, Mo., returned to Simpson County, Ky., where Louis F. was reared
on a farm.  He received a common school education, and when a mere boy
determined to cast his lot in his native State, as a practitioner of 
the legal profession.  In 1861 he opened a subscription school near
Turley's Mill, Ste. Genevieve County, Mo., and studied law and taught
school during the war, most of the time at the brick church between
Bonne Terre and Big River Mills.  May 3, 1865 he received his license
to practice law from Hon. Wm. Carter, and the following November locat-
ed at Potosi where he has since lived, and formed a parnership with the
late Israel McGready, which firm had an extensive practice.  They did a
large business until the Drake test oath was declared invalid by the
United States Supreme Court, when the partnership was by mutual consent
dissolved, Mr. Dinning entering into business relations with the late
David E. Perryman, which firm enjoyed a large and lucrative practice.
Mr. Dinning has always been a Democrat, and cast his first presidential
vote for John C. Breckenridge.  He took no part in the late war.  He
believed in the right of revolutioin, but did not believe that the
Southern States had sufficient excuse for their course; he always be-
lieved that slavery was a moral wrong, but that slaves were property,
and that the Government of the United States had no legitimate power to
free them without just compensation to the owner.  In 1866 he was elec-
ted circuit attorney of the Fifteenth Judical Circuit by the Democratic
party; he was charged with disloy