Berkeley County, West Virginia    Biography of Charles James FAULKNER, Jr.

**************************************************************************
USGENWEB NOTICE: Material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, 
as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is 
obtained from the contributor of the file.

These pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation 
by other organizations.  Persons or organizations desiring to use this 
material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of 
the contributor.

Submitted by Sandra Reed <sandrar@emwv.com>, May 1999
**************************************************************************

The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., 
Chicago and New York, Volume II, pg. 

Charles James Faulkner, distinguish son of a distinguished father, Charles 
James Faulkner, Sr., was born at Martinsburg, September 21, 1847.  When he 
was about twelve years of age he accompanied his father when the latter went
abroad as Minister to France, and while in Europe he attended schools in
Paris and Switzerland until returning to America in 1861.  Then, in his 
fifteenth year, he entered as a student the Virginia Military Institute 
at Lexington.  When, during the desperate fighting in 1864 the little
battalion of cadets was rushed into service and rendered such heroic 
assistance in the Battle of New Market, there was no further talk of 
schooling, and from that time until the end of the war he was on duty 
first as an aide on the staff General John C. Breckenridge, and later on 
the staff of General Henry A. Wise, and was with General Wise when Lee's 
army was surrendered at Appomattox.  Following his return home after the 
war he studied under his father until October, 1866, and then entered the 
law department of the University of Virginia, graduating in June, 1868,
and being admitted to the bar the following September, when he was just 
twenty-one years of age.  Entering practice in his native town, he quickly
justified the brilliant promise of his university career and his family
prestige.  He devoted himself with scarcely any interruptions to the general 
practice of law for twelve years before answering a call of public duty.  

In 1880 he was elected and served a term of six years as Judge of the 
Thirteenth Judicial Circuit of West Virginia, composed of the counties
of Jefferson, Morgan and Berkeley.  In 1887, before he was forty years 
of age, but with reputation thoroughly established as an able lawyer and 
judge, he was elected to the United States Senate to succeed Johnson N. 
Camden.  Though formally he was elected by the Legislature, he was in a 
peculiar sense the choice of a great majority of the people, who had 
unlimited confidence in the integrity as well as the intellectual strength 
of Judge Faulkner.  He entered the Senate at a time when party feelings ran 
high, and speedily made a reputation as one of the strong men on the Democratic
side.  He served with distinction for six years, and in 1893 was honored
by re-election and was in the Senate until the beginning of 1899.  During
his second term his party was in the majority in the Senate, and he was 
made chairman of the committee on territories.  During the twelve years he
was a member of many of the most important committees, including Judiciary,
appropriations, District of Columbia, Pacific railroads, territories, Indian
depredations, claims and others.  One of the great contests staged on the
floor of the Senate and in which he took a leading part was the Blair 
Educational Bill, in which he organized and led the contest in the Senate 
against its passage, and was successful in securing its defeat.  He was also
the conspicuous figure in the filibuster used to defeat the iniquittous Force 
Bill.  In that contest the late Senator Gorman of Maryland was floorleader of
the Democrats, and Senator Faulkner one of the ablest lieutenants.  At the
request of his party associates Senator Faulkner kept the floor, speaking 
from 10:00 p.m. on one evening until 10:00 p.m. of the next day as a necessary
means of meeting a move of the Republicans which would have forced a vote on
the main question which, had it succeeded at the time, would have carried 
the bill.  

After his retirement from the Senate and 1899 Senator Faulkner devoted his time 
to the practice of law, to his large agricultural interests in the Eastern 
Panhandle and on a number of occasions to important public affairs and interests.
He is a member of the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States, a member of 
the American Society of the International Law, the National Geographic Society, 
the Committee of One Hundred of the American Associations for the Advancement of
Science, and a trustee of the Alumni Endowment Fund of the University of Virginia. 
In the Democratic party he was permanent chairman of the Democratic State 
Convention in 1888, both temporary and permanent chairman of the Convention
of 1892, and was chairman of the Congressional Committee in 1894, 1896 and 
1898.  

While he was in the Senate he was appointed in 1898 a member of the British-American
Joint High Commission for the adjustment of differences in  respect to the Dominion
of Canada.  Senator Faulkner enjoyed the distinctive honor of being chosen
grand master of the Grand Lodge of West Virginia Masons in 1879.  He was 
initiated into the society of The Ravens of the University of Virginia in 
1909, and to the Society of Phi Beta Kappa of Virginia, June 12, 1912.  His
a member of the Metropolitan and Cosmos Clubs of Washington, the Delta Psi 
of the University of Virginia, and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.  

In November, 1869, he married Sallie Winn, daughter of John and Mary Winn, of
Charlottesville, Virginia.  She died in March, 1891, the mother of five children. 
On January 3, 1894, Senator Faulkner married Virginia Fairfax Whiting, daughter 
of H. C. and Martha Whiting, of Hampton, Virginia.  There is only one child by 
the second marriage.