By Hunter Howard
Submitted
David Dudley Sublett, or better known by his initials D. D. Sublett. Was one of the leading men in our county in politics, and in law.
He was born March 9, 1833 in Bath County, Kentucky. Some sources say he was of French Huguenot stock, unlike most of Eastern Kentucky which was mostly English and Scots-Irish.
D. D. was living in Magoffin County by at least Nov. 1861, when he married Virginia Gardner, the 24-year-old daughter of George Washington Gardner, Ben Gardner’s brother. She was Henry Gardner’s sister. They lived with their Uncle Ben after their father died.
He was a prominent lawyer in this county, and his sympathies, as far as I can tell during the ongoing Civil War, was with the South and the Confederacy.
Peace was soon over for D. D! In July 1862, Gen. J. T. Boyle who led Union forces in Kentucky—-ordered the arrest of several prominent Southern Sympathizers. The following, including but not limited to:
Henry George Hager, former Major of the Magoffin County State Guard (my 5th great grandfather) Sold Supplies to the Confederate Army.
John M. Rice, future US Congressman from Louisa. (see Ziegler V. Rice)
J. G. Trimble of Hazel Green (also my 5th great grandfather) Accused of being a Sympathizer, previously charged with treason in 1861 with his brothers.
Many other men were taken as well.
David and the said arrested were held as potential bargaining chips for a slew of Union prisoners captured by Confederate soldiers in early 1862, in Morgan County.
According to Mrs. Marlitta Perkins blog on East Kentucky And The Civil War, (the former a noted historian and researcher of the Civil War in our region,) by August 28th some of those men were released.
It is unknown when D. D. was released. Presumably within a month, likely on oath and parole.
He spent the rest of his life championing the Democratic Party and active in the politics of then. D. D. was at some point elected County Attorney of Magoffin County, served as a state legislator, was Chairman of the Magoffin County Democrats in 1885, and Sergeant At Arms for the Kentucky Senate.
D. D. even had the tiny “town” which today is like many of the former towns in our County—-merely a name on a map unfortunately, named in his honor. Sublett, Magoffin County Kentucky.
D. D. was an ordained Elder of the Salyersville Christian Church located in downtown Salyersville and known for his many speeches.
He died December 27, 1916 at Salyersville, and is buried near College Heights in the abandoned David Sublett Cemetery.
His obituary, in early 1917. Per Big Sandy News reads as the following:
SUBLETT, Hon. D. D.
Salyersville, KY—Dec 30—The Hon. D. D. Sublett, at one time County Attorney of Magoffin County, and later sergeant-at-arms of the Kentucky Senate, is dead here after b long illness. He was at one time a member of the Kentucky Legislature. Mr. Sublett was born in Bath County, KY, Mar 9, 1833. He was deputy collector of Internal revenue during Cleveland’s Administration. In 1861 he married Virginia Gardner, of Greenup County. He was the father of Charles D. Sublett, who served in the Kentucky Senate during the session of 1904-1905. He was a great friend of education and did much toward making the schools of the town the foremost. He had been a member of the Christian Church at this place for several years and was an elder of the local church at the time of his death. He was a fluent stump speaker and often took part in the various campaigns for the Democratic party. Big Sandy News, Jan 5, 1917
SOURCES—-
1. FamilySearch.Org (LDS, Provo UT)
2. East Kentucky Civil War Blogspot, Mrs. Marlitta Perkins
3. Big Sandy News (Louisa, Lawrence County Kentucky, January 5th 1917.)
4. FindaGrave.Com
5. ChroniclingAmerica (Library Of Congress)
