– 1 8 5 1 ). ▁Edward ▁was ▁the ▁young est ▁of ▁their ▁children ; ▁his ▁el dest ▁brother ▁James ▁R ives ▁Pol l ard ▁would ▁die ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 2 . ▁Four ▁of ▁his ▁mat ernal ▁un cles ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁Virginia ▁General ▁Assembly , ▁and ▁William ▁Cab ell ▁R ives ▁( 1 7 9 3 – 1 8 6 8 ), ▁who ▁inherited ▁Oak ▁R idge ▁upon ▁his ▁father ' s ▁death , ▁represented ▁Virginia ▁in ▁both ▁houses ▁of ▁Congress ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁U . S . ▁Amb assador ▁to ▁France . ▁ ▁Edward ▁Pol l ard ▁received ▁a ▁private ▁education ▁suitable ▁for ▁his ▁class , ▁then ▁attended ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Virginia ▁in ▁Char l ott es ville , ▁Virginia ▁( which ▁his ▁grand father ▁had ▁helped ▁found ), ▁gradu ating ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 9 . ▁Although ▁his ▁uncle ▁Alexander ▁R ives ▁was ▁a ▁prominent ▁local ▁lawyer ▁( and ▁would ▁later ▁become ▁a ▁judge ▁of ▁the ▁Virginia ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁and ▁the ▁U . S . ▁District ▁Judge ▁for ▁the ▁Western ▁District ▁of ▁Virginia ), ▁Edward ▁studied ▁law ▁formally , ▁first ▁in ▁Williams burg ▁at ▁the ▁College ▁of ▁William ▁and ▁Mary ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁in ▁Baltimore , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁admitted ▁to ▁the ▁bar . ▁ ▁Career ▁Pol l ard ▁did ▁not ▁establish ▁a ▁legal ▁practice , ▁but ▁rather ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁California ▁where ▁he ▁worked ▁for ▁a ▁newspaper ▁until ▁ 1 8 5 5 . ▁Pol l ard ▁would ▁later ▁write ▁that ▁his