PHINEAS BACON WILCOX.Phineas Bacon Wilcox, the only son of Seth Wilcox and his wife Molly Bacon. was born September 26, 1798, on his father's farm, "Forty Rod Hill," near Westfield, Connecticut. His ancestors were of Saxon origin, located at Bury, St. Edmonds, Suffolk county, England, one of whom emigrated to America and settled in Middletown, Massachusetts, in 1675.Young Phineas at the age of sixteen left the farm of his father and entered Cheshire Academy. Connecticut, and then attended Middlebury Academy, Vermont. He entered Yale and was graduated with honor in the class of 1821, at the age of twenty-three. Soon after receiving his diploma, he married Sarah D. Andrews, of Wallingford, Connecticut, who was a sister of Samuel C. Andrews and a cousin of the wife of the late Judge Joseph R. Swan. The new couple started on their bridal trip to the "Ohio country," arriving after a perilous trip over practically unbroken wild and dangerous country.Pleased with the prospect of Columbus, P. B. Wilcox began the study of law with Judge Orris Parish in a small frame building located on the southwest corner of High and State streets. He was a close and diligent student and was admitted to the bar in 1824. He at once entered the lists against such "old lawyers" as David Scott, Joshua Folsom and Gustavus `wan. He soon enjoyed a large practice in Franklin, Madison and Delaware counties, through which the bench and bar of that day rode circuit on horseback, with saddle-bags and leggings. Having mastered the intricacies of the Virginia military land titles, he became eminent as a "land lawyer." He was also distinguished as a chancery lawyer, which practice he preferred. He was a master of common law pleading, being familiar with all the learning and subtleties of the old English law special pleas, and a constant student of English common law.In 1833 he published his work. "Ohio Forms and Practice," and an enlarged edition of it in 1848. This book was the standard on law and equity, practice and pleading, both in the state and United States courts, until the adoption of the code of Civil Procedure in 1853, and after that was in universal use under the old practice. In 1849 when the matter of a new constitution and code was in agitation he published a pamphlet entitled, "Tracts on Law Reform," adopting the following motto : "We know already the worst of what IS-we know not the worst of what MAY BE." Like many lawyers of the old school. he could not abide the new code; but upon its adoption, accepted the situation and in 1862 published his "Practical Forms Under the Code of Civil Procedure," a work similar to his "Ohio Forms and Practice," under the old system.He was prosecuting attorney for Franklin county from 1834 to 1836, an wrote numerous forms for indictments, etc., which were long in use by his successors. He was reporter of the supreme court of Ohio; in 1842 reporting the tenth volume of Ohio Reports, where his knowledge of law and remarkable accuracy and terseness of statement are conspicuous. His note upon "assurances of title" in the case of Foote vs. Bennet, page 317 of the tenth volume, was considered a most able and perspicuous exposition of that abstruse subject, and received unusual encomium from Chancellor Kent.He was United States commissioner for the district of Ohio for many years, which office he resigned about the year 1858 rather than be made the instrument of remanding a fugitive slave to bondage. His law library was large and varied, containing many English reports, which were his delight and pastime. For many years it was "the library of the west," and was constantly resorted to by judges and lawyers, who were always welcome, especially the younger men to whom he was at all times a kind and sympathetic friend and willing adviser. Rare discussions, intermitted with wit and wisdom, were often had in "the old library" at his residence on South Third street, when Ewing, Stanberry, Hunter, Goddard, Lane, Swayne and others met there.Although he was a fine classical scholar, especially in Greek, which he kept up through life and a. student of the civil law and history, yet he was preeminently a. lawyer, a COMMON LAW lawyer, devoting his life to the study of law as a science, which he loved for itself, and considering the practice of the law as the highest and most ennobling of callings, above all petty tricks and mercenary purposes a grand and noble profession, to be pursued, not for personal ends, but for the good of his fellowman. It was once said of him by his personal friend, Judge Burnet, that he lived upon Coke and the Bible. With politics he had nothing to do. He was a stanch whig and afterward a decided republican.While P. B. Wilcox became an expert and able lawyer of much erudition he held peculiar ideas, none the less commendable because seldom found. One of these was that no man should accumulate a fortune largely in excess of his needs, and to this principle he consistently held during his entire lifetime. A few years after being admitted to the bar, he made a public profession of religion and united with the Trinity Episcopal church of Columbus, Ohio, under Rev. William Preston, where he was active for many years as a vestryman.His character was once summed up by one who knew him well, as follows: "He was a man of high character and personal integrity, of great benevolence and charity, a fine type of a conscientious Christian lawyer, attending with great diligence and fidelity to the cases of his clients, if his opinion, they had a just cause; but discouraging litigation for the mere sake of litigation or procrastination, and utterly refusing to lend himself or his great legal attainments to any unjust cause, however large the fee or tempting the glory."He died March 25, 1863, at his residence on Third street, in the city of Columbus, Ohio, in his sixty-fifth year, leaving his widow who survived him until January 2, 1873, and two children, General James A. Wilcox and Anna Maria.. wife of Robert Ellis, of New York.