John Lafayette Camp

Background

John Lafayette Camp was born on September 23, 1855 at Gilmer, Upshur County, Texas, United States; the son of John Lafayette Camp, and Mary Ann (Ward) Camp.

Career

Camp served a term in the state senate, 1887-91 and then moved to San Antonio, where he practised law for six years. In 1897 he was appointed, by Gov. Culberson, judge of the forty-fifth district court.

In 1912 he was instrumental in preserving the Alamo, shrine of Texas liberty, as it stands to-day. A state law of 1905 had given the "care and custody" of the Alamo property to the Daughters of the Republic. But at the suggestion of Gov. Colquitt in 1912 the legislature appropriated $5, 000 to "improve" the Alamo. When the work of dismantling began, and it became known that the governor planned to make the Alamo grounds into a state park, the Daughters of the Republic appealed to Camp. A temporary and then a permanent injunction halted the work of dismantling the building. Camp held that the act of 1912 did not repeal that of 1905, that the superintendent of public buildings and grounds was given the direction of expenditure but not the power to dismantle the property, and that the Alamo was still in charge of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. The Governor appealed to the higher courts; but the Alamo still stands. Camp was appointed, by President Wilson, United States district attorney for the western district of Texas, which takes in the border. The position is an important one at any time; it was particularly so during Camp's incumbency. He secured the evidence which led to the arrest of Victoriano Huerta, former president of Mexico, on June 27, 1915, at Newman, New Mexico, charged with violating the United States neutrality laws in organizing a prospective military expedition against Mexico. Huerta was released under bond, but, when additional evidence was secured by Camp, he was rearrested on July 3 and was kept under guard at Fort Bliss until his death six months later. On the retirement of Judge Maxey from the bench of the western district of Texas, Camp had the unanimous indorsement of the eighteen Texas congressmen, the two United States senators from Texas, and the attorney-general for the position of federal judge. But President Wilson had decided that no man who had reached the age of sixty should be appointed as federal judge, and Camp was a few months over that age. He accepted a second appointment as federal district attorney, and filled that office creditably during the war.

Achievements

• During his tenure he tried a great many notable cases and had to his credit a larger percentage of sustained decisions than any other district judge in Texas has ever had. He was also the United States district attorney for the western district of Texas.

Connections

In 1881 he married Lamartine Felder, daughter of Dr. J. L. Felder, a well-known physician of Leesburg, Texas.

Father:

John Lafayette Camp

Mother:

Mary Ann (Ward) Camp

Wife:

Lamartine Felder