John W. Campbell
was the third United States district judge for the district of Ohio. Like his two predecessors, he was a Virginian. He was born February 23, 1782, near Miller's Iron Works in Augusta County, Va. He only breathed the Virginia atmosphere until his ninth year, for at that time. his father removed to Kentucky. He had no facilities for an education except those of the common schools of that day, and they were about no schools at all. He was not strong enough to perform farm labor, as his father's circumstances required, and he went to Cincinnati, then an in significant village, where he began to learn the carpenter's trade. He remained in Cincinnati for a few months and then returned home. His parents soon afterward removed to that part of Adams County now in Brown, where John studied Latin under Rev. Dunlavy. He afterward studied under Rev. Robert Finley. His father was too poor to pay for his maintenance and books, and he worked clearing ground in the morning and evening to maintain himself in school. He studied the languages under Mr. John Finley, and afterward pursued them himself. He was then seized with a desire to study law, and went to Morgantown, Virginia, and studied under his uncle, Thomas Wilson. He earned his expenses while studying by teaching school. In 1808, he was admitted to the bar in Ohio and fixed his residence at West Union. He delivered an oration on the fourth of July, 1808, at West Union at a celebration on that day. He was a Jacksonian Democrat all his life. In July, 1809, he was elected a justice of the peace of Tiffin Township, Adams County, and served until June 5, 1815, when he resigned. The same year, 1809, he was appointed prosecuting attorney of Adams County by the common pleas court, and was allowed from $25 to $30 a term for his services, there being three terms in a year, and he served until January 23, 1817. He was elected to represent Adams County in the Legislature in October, 1810, with Abraham Shepherd as his colleague. He represented the county in the Legislature again in 1815 and 1816 and had Josiah Lockhart as an associate. He was elected to the fifteenth congress in 1816, and served continuously until March 4, 1827. He was succeeded by William Russell. In 1828 he was a candidate for governor of the state on the Democratic ticket and was defeated by the vote of 53,970 for Allen Trimble and 51,051 for himself, majority in favor of Trimble, 2,019. In March, 1829, President Jackson appointed him United States district judge for the district of Ohio, and he served until his death, September 24, 1833. In January, 1833, he received in the legislature, 49 votes for United States senator to 54 votes for Thomas Morris, at the time Morris was elected. He was a candidate for congress in 1812, but was defeated, but was elected four years later. He terminated his congressional career at his own choice, was not choked off or killed off by politicians as is the fashion in our days. In 1827, on his retirement from congress, he removed from West Union to Brown County, Ohio, and settled on a farm in what is now Jefferson Township on Eagle Creek. His farm consisted of 250 acres. He lived there but two years after his appointment as United States judge, when he removed to Columbus. During the time of his residence in West Union, he resided in the house in which Mr. James Hood died and where Mr. Cooper's family now reside. He resided there from 1808 to 1827. He had a habit of rising at four o'clock in the morning to study and he kept this up after his removal to Columbus, although in his day there was but little for the United States district judge to do but to maintain his dignity. In 1833, his adopted daughter died after ten days' painful illness, during which time the judge was a watcher night and day. After her death, Judge Campbell and his wife, broken down with anxiety, concluded to visit Delaware Springs for relaxation and rest. On the way Judge Camp bell was taken with a chill, followed by a high fever. However, the next day he proceeded to Delaware, but was taken worse and breathed his last on the twenty-fourth of September, 1833. On the arrival of the news of his death at Columbus, a great sensation was caused, as he was highly respected. Several hundred people of Columbus met his funeral procession at Worthington and accompained his remains to their last resting place.
In 1811, he was married to Miss Eleanor Doak, daughter of Robert Doak, of Augusta County, Virginia. There was no issue of this marriage. Judge Campbell was a man of great natural dignity and force of character.
The source of our information is a book entitled "Biographical Sketches with other Literary Remains of the late John W. Campbell, Judge of the United States Court for the District of Ohio," compiled by his widow. It was printed at Columbus, Ohio, in 1838, and published by Scott & Gallagher. The biography was evidently written by a lady because it is conspicuous in failing to tell, what, after a lapse of fitey-eight years, we would most like to know and by filling it up with comments for which posterity is not thankful and does not appreciate. What we would like to know as to Judge Campbell are the facts of his life and then our own judgment as to the place he should occupy in history.
He has been dead sixty-six years. All who knew him personally are dead. We have to resort to his writings and to written accounts left of him to make an estimate of his character. He was highly respected by all who knew him. He was public spirited and patriotic. He was a friend whom his friends valued most highly. As a public speaker, his manners and style were pleasing. He investigated every subject presented to him with great care. He was of the strictest integrity. He was a successful lawyer, never lost his self-poise or equanimity and his judgment was never controlled by his emotions. His opinions were carefully formed, but when formed, did not need to be revised. The
public welfare with him was paramount. He was very sympathetic in cases of suffering or distress brought to his notice. He took a great interest in education. He favored the colonization of the Negroes, and was president of the Ohio Colonization Society at the time of his death. He was strictly moral in all his life and conduct and this, from high principles, well considered and adopted, which served as guides to his life. He was intensely religious. He was the strongest kind of a Jacksonian Democrat, but yet was never offensive to his political opponents and treated them with the greatest consideration. His was a familiar figure on the streets of West Union from 1808 to 1826, during all of which time he resided there, but there is no tradition of him what ever in the village. He was fond of composing verse, was no insignificant poet, and had fine literary tastes. Altogether he was a valuable citizen of whose career present and future generations in Adams County may be proud.
From History of Adams County, Ohio from its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time - by Nelson W. Evans and Emmons B. Stivers - West Union, Ohio - Published by E. B. Stivers - 1900