James A. Munday

Hon. James A. Munday, born in Hancock County, Ky., Aug. 14, 1843, was a son of Redmond and Martha L. (Hamilton) Munday. His father was a descendant of Reuben Munday, one of the first settlers of Virginia. He came to Kentucky when a young man, and was married here.

He had a family of two daughters and one son, the daughters both deceased. He died when his son was two years old. After the death of his father James A. and his mother moved to Hawesville, where he attended school till fourteen years of age. He then entered Greenville Academy, at that time flourishing under the presidency of Hon. Edward Rumsey, and superintendence of James K. Patterson, present President of the Kentucky State College. He afterward attended the Georgetown College, his junior year being interrupted by the political troubles preceding the war, on account of which the school was discontinued. Mr. Munday then returned home, and in August, 1862, after several unsuccessful attempts, succeeding in reaching the Confederate lines and enlisted in Company H, Tenth Kentucky Confederate Cavalry, under command of Captain H.C. Meriweather.

The regiment was afterward assigned to General Morgan’s command, in all the engagements and movements of which he took an active part. He was in a few months promoted to a Lieutenancy for soldiery conduct, and when Captain Meriweather was detailed for other duty, he took charge of the company, in which capacity he did much service as a scout. His company and another under his command were assigned to the advance of the Second Brigade on General Morgan’s memorable invasion of Indiana and Ohio, and were among the first to charge and carry the breast-works of Corydon. After the most remarkable ride on record his command was foiled in its attempts to rally a few men and assist in covering a retreat, he with several of his regiment were surrounded and captured, and taken to Johnson’s Island. The Government having determined on special severity with those who had dared to invade “the sacred soil,” sent half of General Morgan’s officers to the Ohio penitentiary, and the other half to the western penitentiary of Pennsylvania at Allegheny, holding them as exempt from the cartel of exchange. After eight months of close confinement, Mr. Munday with his fellow officers were transferred to Point Lookout, and afterward to Fort Delaware. At the close of the war he returned to Hawesville, and soon after his mother was killed by being thrown from a buggy.

Mr. Munday attended a course of lectures at the Louisville Law University. On his return home he took charge of the Circuit Clerk’s office as Deputy, and the following summer was elected Circuit Clerk – the youngest clerk ever elected in the State. He held the office two years. During the time he was elected Assistant Secretary of the Kentucky Senate. After the expiration of his term of office he commenced the practice of law in Hawesville. In 1870 he came to Owensboro and formed a partnership with Judge George W. Williams.

In 1871 he was made Master Commissioner of Daviess County Circuit Court; resigned that office in 1875 and formed a business partnership with Thomas S. Pettit in the manufacture of staves. He sold out in 1879 and became the owner of the Owensboro Monitor office, and established the Owensboro Messenger, a weekly Democratic newspaper, a half interest in which was sold in 1878 to C.W. Bransford. After beginning the publication of the DailyMessenger, in the fall of 1878, it was consolidated with the Examiner, a weekly paper then owned by L. Lumpkin, forming the Owensboro Messenger and Examiner, published weekly and semi-weekly. Mr. Munday continued in editorial charge of these papers until the spring of 1881, when he severed his connection with them and engaged in the canvass for Senator in his district, comprising Daviess and McLean counties.

He was elected Senator in August, 1881, and took an active part in the legislation of the session of 1881-’82. He is a member of the Star Lodge, No. 19, K. of P.; Owensboro Lodge, No. 130, A.F. & A.M.; and Owensboro Lodge, I.O.O.F.

Source: History of Daviess County, Kentucky. Chicago: Interstate Publishing Co., 1883. Print.