Abraham Looney Caruthers (1803 - 1862)

Born 14 Jan 1803 in Smith, Tennessee, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Eliza (Allen) Caruthers — married about 1828 in Smith, Tennessee, United States

Died 5 May 1862 at age 59 in Marietta, Cobb, Georgia, United States

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Biography

Abraham Looney Caruthers was born on 14 January 1803 in Smith, Tennessee, United States, son of Samuel Carruthers (1767–1810) and Jane Looney (1774–1803).^[1]

His siblings were:

• Elizabeth Caruthers (about 1793 – after 1850)
• Robert Looney Carruthers (31 July 1800 – 2 October 1882)
• Nancy Wood Caruthers (13 October 1807 – 26 April 1897)

Abraham (24) married Eliza Allen (17) (born on 9 April 1810 in Tennessee, United States) in 1828 in Smith, Tennessee, United States.

In 1840, Abram Caruthers was living in Smith, Tennessee.^[2]

In 1850, Abraham (48) and Eliza M (40) Caruthers were living in Lebanon, Wilson, Tennessee.^[3]

In 1860, Abraham (57) Caruthers and his children were living in Lebanon, Wilson, Tennesse.^[4]

Abraham died on 5 May 1862 in Marietta, Cobb, Georgia, United States, aged 59. He was buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Lebanon, Wilson County, Tennessee.^[1]

Life Sketch

Sketches of the Bench and Bar of Tennessee by Joshua W Caldwell in The Tennessean, 26 December 1897, p. 14:

Abraham Caruthers was the first law professor of Cumberland University. Judge Nathan Green of the Supreme Court was elected professor of international law and political economy in the university in 1845 but declined the position. Judge Caruthers, who was subsequently requested to establish a law school, entered upont he owrk in the month of October 1847, thereby becoming the founder of the most successful and the most useful law school that has existed up to the time in the Southern States. For this reason, and on account of his abilities and his personal worth, he is entitled to a high place among the lawyers of Tennessee.

He was born in Smith County on 14 January 1803. While a child his father died. By means of his own strong will and by the help of friends, he acquired a fair education, studied law, and began the practice in 1824 in Columbia. Soon afterwards he removed to Carthage in his native county and in 1833 was appointed by Governor Carroll, Judge of the Circuit Court for the Third Circuit. He was elected in 1836 Judge of the Fourth Circuit without opposition and at the expiration of this term was again elected without opposition and served until 1847, when he retired to take charge of the law school. In the records of the lives of our circuit judges and chancellors, prepared mainly by friends and kinspeople, it is almost invariably stated that few of their decisions were reversed by the Supreme Court. This statement may be made safely in regard to Judge Caruthers, whose abilities as a nisi prius Judge are universally recognized. It is said that it was not uncommon the for Supreme Court to incorporate his decisions literally in its opinions. In the administration of the criminal law he was exact and rigid, and his influence upon morals in his circuit was strong and salutary.

In resigning in 1847 and entering upon his new work, he was undertaking an experiment of doubtful result. The modern method of advertising was at that time unknown in Tennessee. The law school began when Judge Caruthers met seven students in the law office of his brother Robert L Caruthers in Lebanon. During the first term the number increased to thirteen. The first lesson recited was in the History of a Lawsuit, which was then a little book of forth pates, which Judge Caruthers had recently published and which he called the Primer. He did not adopt the lecture system, but assigned lessons in textbooks and upon each of these rigidly examined the students, holding that this was the only proper way to teach the law. He adopted also a system of moot courts, thereby making his students practicing lawyers from the first. His plan was popular, and was satisfactory to the management.

In the second year of the law school Judge Green, of the Supreme Court, and Bromfield L Ridley, Chancellor for the Lebanon Division, were associated with Judge Caruthers, cut Judge Ridley was able to give very little time to the work. In 1852 Judge Green resigned from the bench, and from that time gave his attention exclusively to the law school. In 1856 his son, Nathan Green Jr, became an active member of the law faculty and is now at the head of the school.

The issuance of President Lincoln's proclamation in April 1861, making a call for volunteers to suppress insurrection in the Southern States, caused the immediate suspension of the law school and the dispersion of the students to their homes. Judge Caruthers had been a strong Union man, and on many occasions had declared his opposition to secession, and to every movement that tended to disturb the harmony or to threaten the integrity of the United States; but, like the great majority of the Unionists of Middle and West Tennessee, he felt, when the issue had been made and a choice of position was unavoidable, that his duty lay with the South and with the State. He therefore declared his adherence to the Confederacy and earnestly devoted himself to its interest.

He was a member of the Legislature from Wilson County in 1861, the first Legislature elected under the Confederate regime. Upon the occupation of Middle Tennessee by the Federal army in the spring of 1862, fearing arrest, he left his home and went to Marietta, Georgia, where away from family and friends, he died on 5 May 1862.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5771632/abraham-caruthers: accessed 07 December 2023), memorial page for Judge Abraham “Abe” Caruthers (14 Jan 1803–5 May 1862), Find a Grave Memorial ID 5771632, citing Cedar Grove Cemetery, Lebanon, Wilson County, Tennessee, USA; Maintained by Vicky Hutchings (contributor 46501236).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} "United States Census, 1840", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHT1-FD3 : Fri Oct 06 07:40:46 UTC 2023), Entry for Abram Caruthers, Smith, Tennessee, United States, 1840.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} "United States Census, 1850", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MC6Q-P3J : Wed Oct 04 18:49:37 UTC 2023), Entry for Abraham Caruthers and Eliza M Caruthers, Lebanon, Wilson, Tennessee, United States, 1850.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} "United States Census, 1860", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8TR-G13 : Fri Oct 06 17:00:57 UTC 2023), Entry for Abraham Caruthers and Rebecca Caruthers, Lebanon, Wilson, Tennessee, United States, 1860.

See also:

• Fact: Occupation Judge and first Professor of Law at Cumberland University
• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 07 December 2023, 16:45), entry for Abraham Looney Caruthers (PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:LCJK-L7T ); contributed by various users.
• Abraham Looney Caruthers at FamilySearch