Charles Triplett "Trip" O'Ferrall (October 21, 1840 – September 22, 1905) was a
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
n politician who served as a
U.S. Representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
from 1883 to 1894 and as the
42nd
4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures.
In mathematics
Four is the smallest c ...
Governor of Virginia
The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia serves as the head of government of Virginia for a four-year term. The incumbent, Glenn Youngkin, was sworn in on January 15, 2022.
Oath of office
On inauguration day, the Governor-elect takes th ...
from 1894 to 1898.
Early and family life
Charles O'Ferrall was born in
Brucetown, Virginia (then in
Frederick County, Virginia
Frederick County is located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 91,419. Its county seat is Winchester. The county was formed in 1743 by the splitting of Orange County. It is Virginia's northernmost county ...
, now near
Berkeley Springs, West Virginia) to John and Jane Laurens Green O'Ferrall. His father was an innkeeper and former member of the
Virginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, the first elected legislative assembly in the New World, and was established on July 30, 16 ...
who was elected
Clerk of Court
A court clerk (British English: clerk to the court or clerk of the court ; American English: clerk of the court or clerk of court ) is an officer of the court whose responsibilities include maintaining records of a court, administer oaths to witn ...
of
Morgan County in 1851. O'Ferrell was educated in the local schools.
While recovering from a wound during the
Battle of Upperville
The Battle of Upperville took place in Loudoun County, Virginia on June 21, 1863 during the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War.
Background
The Union cavalry made a determined effort to pierce Confederate Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart' ...
in the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
in
Enterprise, Mississippi, O'Ferrall met Annie Hand, whom he married on February 8, 1865 before returning to active duty. They had two children. After her death, in 1881 he married Jennie Wickliff Knight (1846–1908), with whom he had four more children, and who survived him.
Early career
When John O'Ferrall died suddenly in 1855, the local judge thought highly enough of Charles O'Ferrall to appoint the fifteen-year-old to hold the clerk's post until an election could be held.
Charles O'Ferrall was sufficiently respected to later win election, at seventeen, to a full six-year term as Clerk of Court. However, he only served less than half the term before the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
began.
Confederate service
Although Morgan County and what became West Virginia was predominantly pro-
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
area, O'Ferrall felt his true allegiance to be to Virginia. Thus, he joined the
Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
side of the war. Enlisting as a private in the 12th Virginia cavalry, O'Ferrall was immediately offered the position of
sergeant. He subsequently distinguished himself in several battles, leading to promotion to the rank of major and was allowed to form his own cavalry
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions a ...
, the
23rd Virginia Cavalry
The 23rd Virginia Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was recruited primarily in the counties of Hampshire, Hardy, Morgan, Berkeley, F ...
. By war's end, O'Ferrall was a colonel in command of all cavalry in the
Shenandoah Valley. His regiment engaged in the last fight of the war on Virginia soil. O'Ferrall was also wounded eight times in battle, including once so seriously that he was left for dead.
Legal career and re-entry into state politics
After the war, O'Ferrall returned to run the family's inn, though he found this both personally and financially unfulfilling.
He decided to pursue a law degree at
Washington College
Washington College is a private liberal arts college in Chestertown, Maryland. Maryland granted Washington College its charter in 1782. George Washington supported the founding of the college by consenting to have the "College at Chester" name ...
(later Washington and Lee University). He graduated in 1869 and starting a law practice in
Harrisonburg.
After restoration of civil rights for former Confederates, O'Ferrall quickly returned to politics, and successfully ran for the
Virginia House of Delegates
The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-number ...
in 1871. However, the next year, he lost his attempt for a seat in the U.S. Congress.
[ In 1874, fellow legislators elected O'Ferrall as judge for Rockingham County. However, he found the job tedious, and returned to his private legal practice when his six-year term ended.][Weisiger (1982) p. 137]
After several years of practicing law and assisting various Conservative Democratic candidates, O'Ferrall challenged the one-term incumbent John Paul (former Rockingham County Commonwealth attorney and state senator who ran as a Readjuster Democrat) for Virginia's 7th congressional district
Virginia's 7th congressional district is a United States congressional district in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The district is currently represented by Democrat Abigail Spanberger, first elected in 2018.
2016 redistricting
The Virginia L ...
in 1883. The initial election vote count showed O'Ferrall down by 200 votes (out of 24,000 in a three-man race), but he contested the result and eventually won the seat. O'Ferrall subsequently won reelection five times, serving ten years in the House of Representatives (and Paul became a U.S. District judge). O'Ferrall's congressional career was largely unremarkable, though he did gain a reputation as a staunch advocate for Virginia and of Democratic President Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...
.
Governor
After two failed attempts to gain the Democratic nomination for Virginia's governor, O'Ferrall determined to make a strong push in 1893. With the support of the statewide Democratic organization formed by Virginia's U.S. Senator Thomas Staples Martin, O'Ferrall easily won the nomination. The Republicans decided not to contest the election
''The Election'' () is a political drama series produced by Hong Kong Television Network (HKTV). With a budget of HK$15 million, filming started in July 2014 and wrapped up on 28 October 2014. Popularly voted to be the inaugural drama of ...
, so O'Ferrall's only opponent was Populist Party candidate Edmund R. Cocke whom he defeated with 59.71% of the vote. O'Ferrall benefited from fears of populism and Black equality to win election with the largest majority that any Virginia governor had ever received.
The first half of O'Ferrall's term as governor was highlighted by his willingness to use strong measures to preserve law and order. He dispatched armed forces to protect nonstriking miners and maintain peace during a miners' strike and also to drive Coxey's "army" of protest marchers out of the state. Despite his public stance as a white supremacist, O'Ferrall was also quick to send troops to break up mob violence and prevent lynchings. His actions thus defused several high-profile situations, and he remained a generally popular governor through the end of 1895.
In 1896, the politics of the Democratic party were dominated by the issue of bimetallism and " Free Silver", alienating O'Ferrall who had always been a staunch advocate of the gold standard
A gold standard is a monetary system in which the standard economic unit of account is based on a fixed quantity of gold. The gold standard was the basis for the international monetary system from the 1870s to the early 1920s, and from the l ...
. The silver issue culminated in the selection of William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator and politician. Beginning in 1896, he emerged as a dominant force in the Democratic Party, running three times as the party's nominee for President ...
as the Democratic 1896 presidential candidate. As a result, O'Ferrall became one of a small group of Virginia Democrats who supported the gold standard and opposed Bryan's candidacy. This stand undermined O'Ferrall's popularity and political support, and ensured that he would be a lame duck with no significant political accomplishments for the remainder of his term as governor.
Electoral history
*1884; O'Ferrall was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives with 56.37% of the vote, defeating Republican Dr. Joseph B. Webb.
*1886; O'Ferrall was re-elected with 51.71% of the vote, defeating Independent Democrat John E. Roller.
*1888; O'Ferrall was re-elected with 54.32% of the vote, defeating now-Republican Roller and Populist John C. Rivercombe.
*1890; O'Ferrall was re-elected with 89.25% of the vote, defeating Republican I.M. Underwood.
*1892; O'Ferrall was re-elected with 64% of the vote, defeating Populist Edmund R. Cocke.
Departure from politics and death
O'Ferrall's opposition to the silver issue not only undermined the last years of his governorship, but also effectively led to his retirement from public life. He subsequently attempted a return to the practice of law but his practice was undermined by significant health issues partly the result of the wounds he had suffered during the Civil War. In 1904, he published his autobiography titled, ''Forty Years of Active Service''. Shortly after its publication, O'Ferrall died on September 22, 1905 in Richmond Virginia, and was buried in the Hollywood Cemetery.[
The ]Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia, is the library agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It serves as the archival agency and the reference library for Virginia's seat of government. The Library moved into a new building in 1997 and ...
maintains his executive papers. His personal papers are held by the Special Collections Research Center at the College of William & Mary
The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William I ...
. Additional papers are held by the James Madison University
James Madison University (JMU, Madison, or James Madison) is a public research university in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the institution was renamed Madison Coll ...
library.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Oferrall, Charles Triplett
1840 births
1905 deaths
Democratic Party governors of Virginia
Virginia lawyers
Burials at Hollywood Cemetery (Richmond, Virginia)
Democratic Party members of the Virginia House of Delegates
Washington and Lee University alumni
People from Bath (Berkeley Springs), West Virginia
People of West Virginia in the American Civil War
Confederate States Army officers
People of Virginia in the American Civil War
County clerks in Virginia
People from Harrisonburg, Virginia
Military personnel from West Virginia
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia
19th-century American politicians
19th-century American lawyers