Walter Alexander Montgomery (February 17, 1845 – November 26, 1921) was a Confederate soldier 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 th ...

, and later a lawyer and a justice of the

North Carolina Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of North Carolina is the state of North Carolina's highest appellate court. Until the creation of the North Carolina Court of Appeals in the 1960s, it was the state's only appellate court. The Supreme Court consists ...

from 1895 to 1905.

Early life and military service

Born in

Warrenton, North Carolina Warrenton is a town in, and the county seat of, Warren County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 862 at the 2010 census. Warrenton, now served by U.S. routes 158 and 401, was founded in 1779. It became one of the wealthiest towns ...

, to Thomas Alexander and Darian Dawson Cheek Montgomery, Montgomery's father "owned many slaves" and "supported the cause of Secession with all his heart".T.T. Hicks,
Presentation of the Portrait of the Late Walter A. Montgomery
, 186 North Carolina Law Reports, p. 787-802 (1923). Montgomery enlisted during the Civil War at the age of sixteen, joining the

1st North Carolina Cavalry Regiment The 1st North Carolina Cavalry Regiment, initially formed as 9th Regiment, North Carolina State Troops, was a cavalry regiment from North Carolina that served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Raised in 1861 it served ...

in 1861. He was "discharged because of physical disability" a month later,''History of North Carolina: North Carolina biography'' (1919), p. 150-151. having been diagnosed by a military doctor as having consumption due to his small size and apparent frailty, but shortly thereafter traveled to

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...

, and reenlisted with the Second North Carolina Volunteers. He achieved the rank of sergeant in 1862 and second lieutenant in 1864. His participation in the war is described as encompassing a number of notable battles:

Legal and judicial career

After the war, which had financially ruined his family, Montgomery briefly worked as a travelling entertainer. He attended Warrenton Academy, and studied law under William Eaton, Jr., who had been Attorney General of North Carolina. Montgomery was admitted to the bar in 1867, and became county attorney for Warrenton until the office was abolished the following year. He also working as an editor for the ''Warrenton Courier'', and starting his own newspaper, ''The Living Present''. He practiced in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

, from 1873 to 1876, then returned from to Warrenton to practice from 1876 to 1893, when he moved to

Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the List of North Carolina county seats, seat of Wake County, North Carolina, Wake County in the United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most ...

, where he remained in practice until his election to a vacated seat on the Supreme Court in 1894. In 1896, he was elected for the full term of eight years, serving until January 1905, and authoring a number of well-regarded opinions. He then returned to private practice, also serving by appointment as a standing master for the United States Circuit Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

Personal

On September 27, 1871, Montgomery married Lizzie Holman Wilson, in Roanoke, Virginia. They had four children. Montgomery died in Raleigh and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Montgomery, Walter A. Justices of the North Carolina Supreme Court 1845 births 1921 deaths Confederate States Army officers Child soldiers in the American Civil War