American Biography

James Speed was a cabinet officer, born in Jefferson county Kentucky on March 11th 1812. He was the son of John Speed and Lucy Gilmer (Fry) Speed, and grandson of Capt. James Speed (of the Revolution) and Mary (Spencer) Speed and also of Joshua Fry and Peachy (Walker) Fry. James was also a descendant of John Speed, the English historian, who was born at Farrington, Cheshire county, England, 1852.

James Speed was graduated from St. Joseph’s college, Bardstown, Kentucky in 1828; and was circuit and county courts clerk. He studied law at Transylvania university, Lexington, Kentucky. Mr. Speed settled in practice at Louisville, Kentucky in 1833.

James Speed was married in 1841, to Jennie Cochran, daughter of John Cochran, wholesale merchant of Louisville, Kentucky.

Mr. Speed was professor of law at Louisville university, resuming the professorship in 1875. He was elected to the state legislature in 1841 and 1847, and was the defeated as Emancipation candidate for the state constitutional convention in 1849. It was largely through his influence that the state legislature pronounced emphatically in favor of the Union in September, 1861.

James Speed was an intimate friend of President Lincoln, and upon the latter’s call for troops at the outbreak of the civil war, helped to organize and was mustering officer of the U.S. volunteers of Kentucky. He was a Union member of the state senate, 1861 to 1863, and in 1864 was appointed by President Lincoln U.S. attorney-general to succeed Edward Bates.

Resigning under President Johnson’s administration in 1866, he was president of the Loyalist convention at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1866; and a delegate to the Republican national convention of 1872 and 1876. He was the guest of the Loyal League of Cincinnati on May 4th 1887, presenting an address on Abraham Lincoln.

James Speed died in Jefferson county, Kentucky on June 25th 1887.

William T. Wood is a native of Kentucky having been born on his father’s farm at Gordon Station, in the county of Mercer, on the 25th of March, 1809. He is the son of William Wood and Sallie (Thomas) Wood who came from Albemarle County, Virginia and the mother from Culpepper county and both of English descent.

William T. Wood was licensed as a lawyer in December, 1828 when only nineteen years of age. The 1st of January 1829, he left Kentucky on horseback and came to Missouri. He arrived in Columbia, Boone County Missouri, where his brother General Jessie T. Wood resided. In July he made a business trip to Liberty, Clay County Missouri, settling until 1845, when he came to Lexington, Missouri. In 1865, he was elected Judge of the 6th Judicial Circuit.

Judge Wood married three times. His 1st wife was Elizabeth Ann Hughes. One son was born to this union, Gen. Carroll H. Wood, Adjutant General of Arkansas under Gov. Garland.

His second wife was Maria H. Payne. Two sons to this union, Payne Wood and T. C. Wood.

From his last marriage, to Mary E. Broadwell, a son and a daughter were born. The son is M. T. Wood, midshipman in the Navy, now on the flag ship Hartford, of the North Atlantic station. The daughter, Maria Wood is living with her aunt, Mrs. Law, wife of Dr. Law, President of the State University at Columbia, Missouri.