Elias Jones, History of Dorchester County, Maryland (Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins, 1902), 395-396.
Jones, Elias. History of Dorchester County, Maryland. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins, 1902.
Record Data
Source Type
Secondary
Year
1902
Publication Type
Book
Note Cards
Type: Description
Citation:
Body Summary:
Col. James Wallace was born in Dorchester County, Md. March 17, 1818. His parents were Robert Wallace and Susan Wallace, nee LeCompte, great-granddaughter of John LeCompte, a Huguenot refugee, who came to this country after the treaty of Ryswick and settled in Dorchester County. The paternal grandfather of Col. James Wallace served in the Revolutionary War under General Smallwood.
Colonel Wallace was graduated at Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pa., in 1840, and two years later was admitted to the Bar in Cambridge, having studied law under the late Henry Page. In 1854 he was elected to the House of Delegates;he was a Presidential Elector at large in 1856, voting for Mil- lard Fillmore; the same year he was elected to the State Senate, serving until 1858.
In politics he was an old line Whig and in later years was identified with the Republican party. After 1858 he took no active part in politics, although he was several times prominently mentioned for Governor.
At the solicitation of Gov. Hicks, he accepted a commission from the Secretary of War and raised the First Maryland Eastern Shore Volunteer Regiment in the Civil War. He was engaged in military duty on the Eastern Shores of Maryland and Virginia from the organization of the regiment until 1863. His command was with the Army of the Potomac in 1863, under General Lockwood, forming part of his independent brigade of Marylanders.
In his official report of the battle of Gettysburg, General Meade especially commended the Maryland Brigade for gallant service on that occasion. Towards the close of 1863, Colonel Wallace resigned his position in the Army and resumed the practice of his profession, but subsequently abandoned it to engage extensively in the more congenial pursuit of agriculture. He is said to have planted and cultivated the first large peach orchard in Dorchester County, and up to the time of his death was considered perhaps the most successful horticulturist in the State.
He manifested, at all times, the liveliest interest in the improvements and progress of the town and county and was foremost in all the leading enterprises of the community.
He died February 12, 1887, and no higher eulogy could be pronounced upon any man than to say he possessed this transcendent gift, to impress his ideas upon the age in which he lived.
Colonel Wallace was graduated at Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pa., in 1840, and two years later was admitted to the Bar in Cambridge, having studied law under the late Henry Page. In 1854 he was elected to the House of Delegates;he was a Presidential Elector at large in 1856, voting for Mil- lard Fillmore; the same year he was elected to the State Senate, serving until 1858.
In politics he was an old line Whig and in later years was identified with the Republican party. After 1858 he took no active part in politics, although he was several times prominently mentioned for Governor.
At the solicitation of Gov. Hicks, he accepted a commission from the Secretary of War and raised the First Maryland Eastern Shore Volunteer Regiment in the Civil War. He was engaged in military duty on the Eastern Shores of Maryland and Virginia from the organization of the regiment until 1863. His command was with the Army of the Potomac in 1863, under General Lockwood, forming part of his independent brigade of Marylanders.
In his official report of the battle of Gettysburg, General Meade especially commended the Maryland Brigade for gallant service on that occasion. Towards the close of 1863, Colonel Wallace resigned his position in the Army and resumed the practice of his profession, but subsequently abandoned it to engage extensively in the more congenial pursuit of agriculture. He is said to have planted and cultivated the first large peach orchard in Dorchester County, and up to the time of his death was considered perhaps the most successful horticulturist in the State.
He manifested, at all times, the liveliest interest in the improvements and progress of the town and county and was foremost in all the leading enterprises of the community.
He died February 12, 1887, and no higher eulogy could be pronounced upon any man than to say he possessed this transcendent gift, to impress his ideas upon the age in which he lived.