Greenbrier County, West Virginia         Biography of HENRY GILMER

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The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume III,
pg. 572


HENRY GILMER was the able and honored dean of the
bar of Greenbrier County at the time of his death, which
occurred at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland,
on the 1st of April, 1922. He honored his profession and
his native state by his sterling personal character and his
large and worthy achievement, and he was numbered among
the distinguished lawyers and influential citizens of his
native county at the time when his life came to its end.

Mr. Gilmer was born on a farm near Lewisburg, judicial
center of Greenbrier County, August 8, 1858, and was a
son of Samuel A. B. and Sallie E. (Callison) Gilmer,
the latter having been a daughter of Colonel Elisha Callison,
who came from Tennessee and settled in Greenbrier County
in 1802. He became one of the leading pioneer citizens
of this section of the present state of West Virginia, and
served as a representative in the Virginia Legislature.
Samuel A. B. Gilmer came to Lewisburg about the year
1850, as a young man, and here he became editor and
publisher of the old Lewisburg Chronicle. Older residents
of the county recall him as a man of exceptional ability
and sterling character. His sympathies and convictions
led him ardently to espouse the cause of the Confederate
States, and when the Civil war began he became a lieu-
tenant in the Greenbrier Rifles.  This fine organization
became a part of the brigade commanded by Gen. "Stone-
wall" Jackson, and he continued in active service until
he suffered an attack of typhoid fever, to which he suc-
cumbed in January, 1862, his widow having survived him
a number of years and Henry Gilmer, of this review, having
been the last survivor of their family of three sons.

Henry Gilmer was reared at Lewisburg to the age of
seventeen years, and then removed to the farm owned by
his mother near this place. In the meanwhile he had
profited fully by the advantages afforded in the local schools,
and he early determined to prepare himself for the legal
profession, his study of law having been initiated when
he was but sixteen years old. At Lewisburg he continued
his studies under the able preceptorship of Judge H. A.
Holt and Judge Adam C. Snyder, and in 1884, after pass-
ing examination with high ranking, he was admitted to
the bar of his native state. Thereafter he continued in
the active practice of his profession at Lewisburg until
the close of his life. From an appreciative estimate that
appeared in a Lewisburg newspaper at the time of his
death are taken the following extracts:

"Mr. Gilmer was always a democrat in politics and
took an active and forceful part in his party's councils
and campaigns. He was recognized as one of the most
forceful and logical speakers in the state, whether on the
stump, before a jury, or in an Appellate Court. As prose-
cuting attorney of Greenbrier County he served two terms,
and in 1904 he was the nominee of his party for judge
of the Supreme Court of Appeals. He was later the demo-
cratic nominee for circuit judge of the Greenbrier-Poca-
hontas Circuit, in 1912, but met defeat with the rest of
the party ticket. Thereafter he devoted his entire time
to his large and varied legal practice in the State and
Federal courts. Just prior to his death there developed
a strong call for him to become a candidate for Congress
in the Sixth District, against Congressman Echols.

"Mr. Gilmer was a man of much ability and unique
of character. Few men in West Virginia were better
known or more admired."

On the 5th of December, 1895, was solemnized the mar-
riage of Mr. Gilmer and Miss Bettie Gabbert, daughter of
Charles and Martha (Sammons) Gabbert, of Greenbrier
County. Mrs. Gilmer survives her honored husband, as
do also two sons and three daughters: Ileta, Stella (wife
of Dr. R. B. Whittaker, of North Carolina), Samuel A.,
Harry and Bessie. Samuel A., who is now a resident of
Huntington, this state, served in the World war as a lieu-
tenant in the Fifty-sixth United States Infantry, and
was with his command in active service in France some-
what more than one year, he having escaped injury save
that he was slightly gassed.