13th governor of Arkansas
Thomas James Churchill
|
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|
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In office
January 13, 1881 ? January 13, 1883
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Preceded by
| William R. Miller
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Succeeded by
| James H. Berry
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|
In office
November 12, 1874 ? January 12, 1881
|
Governor
| Augustus H. Garland
William R. Miller
|
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Preceded by
| Robert C. Newton
|
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Succeeded by
| William E. Woodruff, Jr.
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In office
September 11, 1857 ? March 26, 1861
|
Nominated by
| James Buchanan
|
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Preceded by
| John E. Reardon
|
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Succeeded by
| William F. Pope
|
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|
|
Born
| (
1824-03-10
)
March 10, 1824
Louisville, Kentucky
, U.S.
|
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Died
| May 14, 1905
(1905-05-14)
(aged 81)
Little Rock, Arkansas
, U.S.
|
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Resting place
| Mount Holly Cemetery
,
Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.
34°44′15.3″N
92°16′42.5″W
/
34.737583°N 92.278472°W
/
34.737583; -92.278472
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Political party
| Democratic
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Spouse
|
Anna M. Sevier
(
m.
)
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Relations
| Ambrose H. Sevier
(father-in-law)
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Children
| 5
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Alma mater
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Allegiance
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Service
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Years of service
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Rank
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Unit
| Company E,
1st Kentucky Cavalry Regiment
(1846?47)
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Commands
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Battles
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Thomas James Churchill
(March 10, 1824 ? May 14, 1905) was an American soldier and politician who served as the
13th governor of Arkansas
from 1881 to 1883. Before that, he was a senior
officer
of the
Confederate States Army
who commanded
infantry
in the
Western
and
Trans-Mississippi
theaters of the
American Civil War
.
Elected as part of the
Redeemers
coalition that restored former Confederates to office after
Radical Republicans
were overthrown across
the South
, Churchill's gubernatorial tenure was largely derailed by a financial scandal stemming from his tenure as treasurer.
Early life and education
[
edit
]
Thomas James Churchill was born near
Louisville, Kentucky
.
[a]
He graduated from
St. Mary's College
in Bardstown in 1844, then studied law at
Transylvania University
in Lexington. He served during the
Mexican?American War
, rising to the rank of
first lieutenant
in the
1st Kentucky Cavalry Regiment
. The
Mexican Army
captured Churchill, who remained a
prisoner of war
until near the war's end. In 1848, Churchill moved to
Little Rock, Arkansas
, married the daughter of United States Senator
Ambrose H. Sevier
, and became a planter. Appointed by President
James Buchanan
, he was a
postmaster
from September 1857 to March 1861.
[1]
His nephew would use part of the family estate at Spring Grove, Kentucky, to construct
Churchill Downs
.
[2]
American Civil War
[
edit
]
At the start of the American Civil War, Churchill joined the
Confederate States Army
cavalry as a colonel of the
1st Arkansas Mounted Rifles
. His first combat took place at the
Battle of Wilson's Creek
near
Springfield, Missouri
. On March 4, 1862, he was promoted to
brigadier-general
and fought at the
Siege of Corinth
and soon thereafter took part in the
Confederate Heartland Offensive
. Churchill played an important role in the
Battle of Richmond
, commanding a division of men from Texas and Arkansas. Leading his division along a ravine that became known as "Churchill's Draw", he delivered a successful and surprising flanking attack. On February 17, 1864, Churchill was cited as one of three officers to receive special recognition in a Thanks of
Confederate States Congress
resolution for his actions at Richmond.
[3]
During the latter part of 1862, Churchill was transferred back to Arkansas and placed in charge of the fortifications at
Arkansas Post
. In January 1863, the Post was attacked and seized in the
Battle of Arkansas Post
by an overwhelming
United States Army
force under U.S. Maj. Gen.
John Alexander McClernand
. After his exchange, Churchill served for a brief time in the
Army of Tennessee
before once again being sent west of the Mississippi, where he continued his service in the
Trans-Mississippi Department
, commanding a division during the
Red River Campaign
. He played a significant role in the
Battle of Jenkins' Ferry
and was promoted to
major-general
on March 17, 1865.
[3]
Later life
[
edit
]
Churchill was elected
Treasurer of Arkansas
in 1873. He was subsequently re-elected in 1875, 1877, and 1879. During the
Brooks?Baxter War
of 1874, Churchill supported
Elisha Baxter
and helped enroll volunteers in Baxter's militia. Elected
governor of Arkansas
in 1880, Churchill served until 1883.
[4]
While governor, he was plagued by allegations of discrepancies in the treasurer's account from when he served as state treasurer. A special committee found a shortage of $294,876 ($9,310,000 in today's dollars) in state funds during Churchill's tenure as treasurer.
[5]
A lawsuit was brought against him, and he was ordered to repay the missing funds.
[6]
The scandal drew widespread opprobrium, even from the partisan press, and tarnished the image of the
Redeemers
in Arkansas, who ostensibly were elected to clean up the scandal-ridden
Radical Republican
state government that had been installed during Reconstruction.
[7]
Churchill died in Little Rock and was buried in historic
Mount Holly Cemetery
with military honors.
See also
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Postmaster Finder"
.
United States Postal Service
. Retrieved
May 27,
2019
.
- ^
"History of Louisville"
.
kygenweb.net
. Retrieved
April 7,
2023
.
- ^
a
b
Eicher, John H.
;
Eicher, David J.
(2001).
Civil War High Commands
. Foreword by
John Y. Simon
. Stanford:
Stanford University Press
. p. 173.
ISBN
978-0-8047-3641-1
.
OCLC
928433486
.
OL
6210070W
.
- ^
Hodges, Earle W. (1913).
Arkansas Biennial Report of the Secretary of State
. Little Rock: Tunnah & Pittard. pp. 104, 106.
- ^
Hild, Matthew (2018).
Arkansas's Gilded Age: The Rise, Decline, and Legacy of Populism and Working-Class Protes
. Columbia, Missouri:
University of Missouri Press
. p. 7.
ISBN
9780826221667
.
LCCN
2018021863
.
OCLC
1030391765
.
- ^
"Thomas James Churchill (1824?1905)"
.
Encyclopedia of Arkansas
. Retrieved
May 30,
2019
.
- ^
"Gilded" (2018)
, p. 7.
External links
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International
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National
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Other
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