Page 107 - Jefferson County AR 1889 History (Goodspeed)

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HISTORY O F ARKANSAS

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fought at King's Mountain, and he also had a sued for debt in his life, as he always paid every
,brother under Gen. Jackson at the battle of New I debt he owed. Judge Sorrells is a man of turbu-

Orleans. The Sorrellses of the United States lent passions when aroused, h ~ dhas a wonderful

are descendants of t h e e brothers, who came from amount of self-control. Up to within ten years

England at an early period and settled in North ago the tobacco habit was almost second nature to

Carolina. All of the family in America derive , him, but since that time he has not touched a

their origin from them, and have all been chiefly morsel of the weed, nor has he ever used profane

farmers of good standing, in the middle ranks of language. From early childhood the desire pos-

society. A few have been ministers of the gospel sessed him to be a lawyer, and after attaining man-

and merchants, put none have ever figured prom hood, he diligently applied himself to that study,

inently in public life except the Judge. Judge being licensed to practice on March 26, 1846, by

Sorrells' mother was Martha Boswell, who was Alexander M. Clayton, then supreme judge of

reared on the Potomac River, a short distance below Mississippi. Immediately afterward he went to

Alexandria, Va., and was one of the Old Domin- Texas, the scene of his former exploits, and begun

ion's fairest daughters. She died when her son to practice his profession, and while at L a Grange,

Theodoric was only eighteen months old, after a enlisted in Col. Jack Hayes' regiment of mounted

life of model motherhood. Theodoric I?. Sorrells riflemen. He then was transferred to Mexico, and

was reared and instructed in farm life until his took part in the Mexican War until the expiratiun

t~enty-firsyt ear, when his father paid him a sal- , of his term of service, and after that event, left

/ary, so that he might procure an education. From ! that country and returned to Marshall County,

1841 to 1843 he attended school at Memphis, Miss. I n the fall of 1847 he came to Arkansas
.Tenn., where he obtained a good English educa- I and settled at Princeton, Dallas County, the fol-

tion an well as a knowledge of the higher branches lowing year, where he commenced to practice his

and classics, and a course in the sciences. His profession. He soon established himself in the

academicel career was interrupted by the war be- confidence of bis neighbors, and builL up a large

tween Texas and Mexico, and at the call of Gen. practice, and his popularity attained such a height

Sam Houston for volunteers. he left his bonks and that in Februarj-, 1849, he was elected prosecnt-

proceeded to Texas, to take up arnis in defense of ing attorney, and re-elected in February, 1851.

'that State. He landed at Galveston, and was mus- I n August. 1854, he was elected circuit judge, and

tered into service on April 7, 1842, in Kit Wil- held that office until 1858, and in 1860 was elector

liams' company, from Memphis, and remained in for the State at large, on the Breckenridge and

camp at Corpus Chriati for three months. On Lane ticket, and delegate to the Baltimore cou-

July 7, 1842, he took part in the battle of Lapan- vention in 1860. I n 1888 he was delegate to the

ticlan, between the Texans under Gen. James Deep Water Harbor convention, held at Denver,

Davis, and the Mexicans under Oen. Canales. On Col., and is now a member of the standing Deep

August 23, of the same year, he was honorably Water Harbor committee; he also was a delegate

discharged, under the signature of Col. George to the Topeka convention, in 1880, and is now

W. Hockley, Texas secretary of war, and approved chairman of the executive committee in Arkansas,

by Sam Houston, president of the Republic. When aud is a strong advocate of that great commercial

ten years old he joined the Methodist Church, and movement, which has for its object the constr~ic

has been a member in good standing ever since. tion of a deep water harbor on the coast of Texas,

He has never sowed any wild oat8, consequently being heartily in favor of an appropriation by

has none to reap. His habits have been uniform Congress, sufficient for that purpose. Elsewhere

all his life. He has never played a gameof cards, in this work, Mr. Sorrells' address in reference

1nor any other game of chance, nor has he ever to this measure is referred to. During the Civil

danced a reel; neither has he ever been drunk or War his effortsfor the Southern cause were untir-