Dabney Smith Carr was born on March 5, 1802 in Albemarle County, Virginia, United States; son of Peter and Hester (Smith) Carr, and nephew of Dabney Carr. His grandfather, Dabney Carr the elder, was a rival of Patrick Henry in patriotic oratory and married Martha, sister of Thomas Jefferson, while his father, a lawyer of great ability, was for a time Jefferson's private secretary but retired from public life to live in lordly elegance on his estate, "Carr's Brook. "
Young Dabney's career began in the counting house of his uncle, Gen. Samuel Smith, head of the firm of Smith & Buchanan, famous Baltimore merchants; but his ability as a writer and strong interest in politics led him in 1827 to found a newspaper, the Baltimore Republican and Commercial Advertiser. His violently partisan support of Andrew Jackson during the presidential campaign of 1828 was considered largely responsible for a sweeping victory in Maryland. For this service he was rewarded by appointment as naval officer for the port of Baltimore. To make a place for him Jackson had to remove the oldest son of Commodore Joshua Barney. This raised such a storm of criticism that for a time it was doubtful whether the Senate would consent to the President's nomination. Confirmed by a majority of one vote, Carr sold his newspaper on Apil 16, 1829, and took up his new work. For fourteen years he held the position and became popular with local merchants through his unfailing honesty and courtesy. In 1843 President Tyler appointed him to succeed Commodore David Porter as United States minister to Turkey. There he gave six years of unostentatious but efficient service, which merited the praise of merchants, missionaries, and the Ottoman Government. Broken in health, he returned to America in 1850 and was long occupied in attempting to obtain compensation from Congress for a special mission to Syria.
Carr died in 1854 in Charlottesville, Virginia. He was interred at the family cemetery at Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello, in Charlottesville.
As a political writer his style was vigorous to the point of bellicosity, though in private life he was a polished and genial gentleman.
He married a woman named Sidney Nichols, she was a daughter of Gov. W. C. Nicholas of Virginia.
