Darius Henry Starbuck (September 15, 1818 – May 26, 1887) was a North Carolina lawyer and political figure who served as United States Attorney for the entire state, and then for the Western District of North Carolina after the state was divided into two districts. Early life D. H. Starbuck was born Darius Henry Starbuck in Guilford County, North Carolina on September 15, 1818. He was the son of Reuben and Mary Beeson Starbuck. Reuben was born in Nantucket, Massachusetts on November 4, 1787, the son of Gayer and Rachel Folger Starbuck. His mother was born in Guilford County on September 28, 1789, the daughter of Benjamin and Rachel Green Beeson. Both of his parents' were born into Quaker families. His parents married on February 12, 1812, in Guilford. Darius was one of eight siblings: Melinda Starbuck (1812–1846) Uriel Starbuck (1814–1844) Elihu Starbuck (1816–1889) Darius Henry Starbuck (1818–1887) Lewis Starbuck (1822–1877) Benjamin Beeson Starbuck (1827–1876) Thomas Clarkson Starbuck (1832–1906) Matilda Starbuck (1834–1844) Darius's father, Reuben, worked as a farmer in Guilford County. Darius and his brothers worked on the family farm while growing up there. In 1820 and 1830 an elderly woman, aged between 80 and 89 in 1830, is living in the Starbuck household. This is likely to be Darius's paternal grandmother, Rachel Folger Starbuck, as she was widowed in 1814. A young man aged between 19 and 25 was also living in the family household in 1820, he was also working on the family farm at that time. The Starbucks were early members of the Dover Monthly Meeting, having appeared in the church's records within the first few months of services. Professional life Starbuck graduated from New Garden College, before studying law under John Adams Gilmer. In 1840 he was admitted to the bar. After settling in Salem around 1849, he soon took to his law practice in Forsyth. Following the secession of South Carolina from the Union on December 20, 1860, citizens of Forsyth County were reported in local newspapers as having sparred over the subject of the possibility of the future secession of North Carolina. The county's Whig newspaper, The People's Press, is cited as having advised its readers to "watch their tongues" in response to the recent outbreak of quarreling. A public meeting was arranged to be held at the Winston courthouse on December 29 to discuss this issue. In 1860, Forsyth had a population