Benjamin Watkins Lacy (January 27, 1839 – May 15, 1895) was an American

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

and Virginia lawyer, Confederate officer and jurist.

Early and family life

Lacy was born on the family plantation, Ellsworth, in

New Kent County, Virginia New Kent County is a county in the eastern part the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 22,945. Its county seat is New Kent. New Kent County is included in the Greater Richmond Region. History N ...

, the son of lawyer Richmond Terrell Lacy and his wife the former Ellen Green Lane. His father first won election to the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-number ...

(a part-time position) in 1842 and won re-election until 1850, then served many years as the Commonwealth Attorney (prosecutor). Through his paternal grandmother, he could trace his descent to Col. Thomas West, who served seven years on the Continental Line during the American Revolutionary War. Virginia not having public education at the time, the firstborn son received his early education from his mother, then traveled westward to attend boarding schools, including Pike Powers Academy in Staunton and Brown and Tebbs Academy in

Albemarle County Albemarle County is a county located in the Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its county seat is Charlottesville, which is an independent city and enclave entirely surrounded by the county. Albemarle County is part of the Char ...

. He had elder and younger sisters (Sally E. Lacy and Ellen G. Lacy, respectively, neither of whom married) as well as two younger brothers Richmond Terrell Lacy (who also joined the 3rd Virginia cavalry and later followed the family tradition as Commonwealth Attorney for New Kent County) and Thomas Hugo Lacy (who became an Episcopal priest in West Virginia and later Buckingham County, Virginia in Southside Virginia). Completing his formal education at the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...

, Lacy then read law under his father's guidance. On November 14, 1878, he married Sarah Rebecca Osborne, daughter of a Presbyterian minister. They had four children who survived their father.

Confederate military service

Lacy enlisted in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

on April 19, 1861, a week after the bombardment of

Fort Sumter Fort Sumter is a sea fort built on an artificial island protecting Charleston, South Carolina from naval invasion. Its origin dates to the War of 1812 when the British invaded Washington by sea. It was still incomplete in 1861 when the Battle ...

. Initially a private, he rose to captain his company in the

3rd Virginia Cavalry The 3rd Virginia Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment raised in Tidewater and Southside Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Initially assigned to defend the Hampton Roads area, it fought mostly w ...

. He was wounded three times, severely in the skirmishes at Kelly's Ford in 1863 and Nance's Shop in his home county in 1864. Lacy remained in the

Army of Northern Virginia The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was also the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most oft ...

until it surrendered at Appomattox Court House.

Career

After the war, Lacy refreshed his studies, was admitted to the Virginia bar in 1866 and practiced law together with his father. In 1870, he was appointed to the county court of Charles City and New Kent Counties and remained there for three years until the General Assembly reorganized the judiciary. Voters then elected Lacy to the

to represent the combined district comprising Charles and New Kent counties. Although the area had been

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

and elected African Americans William H. Brisby and Robert G.W. Jones in the first postwar election (when each county had a delegate), then William H. Patterson in 1871 when the two counties were combined into one district, Lacy ran and repeatedly won as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

with Readjuster sympathies. He served from 1874 to 1880, although in 1877 he was seated only following a successful challenge to the apparent election of John M. Gregory. During his last term, fellow delegates elected Lacy their 33rd Speaker (1879–1881).Cynthia Miller Leonard, Virginia's General Assembly 1619-1978 (Richmond, Virginia State Library 1978) pp. xv, 517, 521, 525, 529, 530 During that term, in 1880, fellow legislators elected Lacy a judge of the Eighth Circuit Court, to fill the seat vacated by Robert L. Montague, who had died in office. Lacy resigned his part time legislative position upon taking the trial court bench. J. Marshall Hanger, although of the opposing party, offered a resolution praising Lacy's faithfulness and integrity as Speaker. In 1882, the Virginia General Assembly elected four members to the

Supreme Court of Appeals The Supreme Court of Virginia is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It primarily hears direct appeals in civil cases from the trial-level city and county circuit courts, as well as the criminal law, family law and administrative ...

for twelve year terms effective January 1, 1883. Lacy, Thomas T. Fauntleroy, Drury A. Hinton and Robert A. Richardson remained on the appellate bench together until five successors took office in January 1895.(thus the succession box above is arbitrary)

Death

During the final months of his term, Lacy suffered a lingering illness, and died at the age of 56 his New Kent County home, Marl Springs, on May 15, 1895.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lacy, Benjamin Watkins 1839 births 1895 deaths Justices of the Supreme Court of Virginia Virginia lawyers Speakers of the Virginia House of Delegates Democratic Party members of the Virginia House of Delegates University of Virginia alumni People from New Kent County, Virginia People of Virginia in the American Civil War 19th-century American legislators 19th-century American judges 19th-century American lawyers Virginia circuit court judges 19th-century Virginia politicians