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Page 2 Carter Braxton 1736-1797    In the month of October, 1776, the first general assembly, under the republican constitution, assembled at Williamsburg. Of this assembly Mr. Braxton was a member, and soon after taking his seat, he had the pleasure of receiving, in connection with Thomas Jefferson, an expression of the public thanks in the following language: "Saturday, Octobober 12th, 1776.   "Resolved, unanimously, that the thanks of this house are justify due to Thomas Jefferson and Carter Braxton, Esquires, for the diligence, ability, and integrity, with which they executed the important trust reposed in them, as two of the delegates for this county in the general congress."    Of the above first session of the legislature of Virginia, Mr. Braxton was an active member. This session, as might be supposed, was interesting and important, from the circumstance that being the first, it was called upon to accommodate the government to the great change which the people had undergone in their political condition. From this time, he continued to be a delegate in the house for several years, where he proved himself to be faithful to his constituents, and a zealous advocate for civil and religious liberty.    In 1786, he received an appointment as a member of the council of state of the commonwealth, which office he continued to execute until the thirtieth of March, 1791. After an interval of a few years, during which he occupied a seat in the house of delegates, he was again elected into the executive council, where he continued until October, 1797, on the tenth of which month he was removed to another world, by means of an attack of paralysis.    Mr. Braxton was a gentleman of cultivated mind, and respectable talents. Although not distinguished by the impressive eloquence of Henry and Lee, his oratory was easy and flowing. In his manners, he was peculiarly agreeable, and the language of his conversation and eloquence was smooth and flowing.    The latter days of Mr. Braxton were embittered by several unfortunate commercial speculations, which involved him in pecuniary embarrassments, from which he found it impossible to extricate himself. Several vexatious law-suits, in which he became engaged, contributed still farther to diminish his property, and unfortunately led him unintentionally to injure sevral of his friends, who were his sureties. The morning of his days was indeed bright; but, like many a morning which appears in the natural world without clouds, his was followed, towards the close of the day, by clouds and darkness, under which he sunk, imparting an impressive lesson of the passing nature of the form and fashion of the present world. Source: Rev. Charles A. Goodrich Lives of the Signers to the Declaration of Independence. New York: William Reed & Co., 1856. Pages 418-421. (Some minor spelling changes may have been made.) < Prev Page | 1 | 2     Designed and Edited by John Vinci Last modified December 27, 2005