Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans. Vol. II. Boston, MA, USA: The Biographical Society, 1904
CATCHINGS, Thomas Clendinen, representative, was born in Hinds county, Miss., Jan. 11, 1847. He entered the university of Mississippi in 1859, leaving in l861 to enter Oakland college, but soon after volunteered in the Confederate army, serving during the entire civil war, after which he studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1866, and practised (sic) his profession at Vicksburg, Miss. He was elected to the state senate in 1875 and resigned in 1877 on being nominated for attorney-general by the state; he was elected for a term of four years, and was re-elected in 1881, resigning Feb. 16, 1885, having been elected a representative to the 49th Congress. He was re-elected to each succeeding Congress up to and inclusive of the 56th.
Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans. Vol. II. Boston, MA, USA: The Biographical Society, 1904
CHALMERS,
James Ronald, soldier,
was born in Halifax county, Va., Jan. 11, 1831, son of Joseph W. Chalmers, U.
S. Senator
from Mississippi. He was graduated at the South Carolina college in 1851, and
in 1853 was admitted to the bar. He was made district attorney in 1858, and in
1861 was a delegate to the secession convention. He was commissioned as colonel
of the 9th
Mississippi regiment, in 1861, and in February, 1862, was promoted
brigadier-general, serving with distinction throughout the war. In 1875 and
1876 he was a member of
the Mississippi state senate, and in the latter year was elected a
representative in the 45th Congress. He was re-elected to the 46th Congress,
and was given a certificate of election to the 47th Congress, but the office
was contested and won by John R. Lynch. He was elected to the 48th Congress,
and contested the election to the 51st Congress. He died at Memphis, Tenn.,
April 9, 1898.
Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans. Vol. II. Boston, MA, USA: The Biographical Society, 1904
CHALMERS, Joseph W., senator, was born in Halifax county, Va., in 1807, of Scotch parentage. He studied law in the University of Virginia, and in a lawyer's office in Richmond. Va. He removed to Jackson. Tenn., in 1835, and practised (sic) his profession there for five years, at the end of that time going to Holly Springs, Miss. He was appointed vice-chancellor in 1842, and held the office during 1842 and '43. He was appointed United States senator from Mississippi to succeed Robert J. Walker, and served from Dec. 7, 1845, to March 3, 1847. He then resumed his law practice in Holly Springs, Miss.. where he died in June, 1853.
Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans. Vol. II. Boston, MA, USA: The Biographical Society, 1904
CLAIBORNE, Ferdinand Leigh, soldier, was born in Sussex county, Va., in 1772; son of William and Mary (Leigh) Claiborne of Manchester, Va.; grandson of Nathaniel (of "Sweet Hall ") and Jane (Dole) Claiborne; great-grandson of Captain Thomas and Ann (Fox) Claiborne; great-great grandson of Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas and ——— (Dandridge) Claiborne, and great-great-great grandson of Secretary William and Elizabeth (Boteler) Claiborne. He was appointed ensign of infantry, U.S. army, 1793, and was promoted captain in 1799. He resigned his commission in the army in 1802, and was chosen brigadier-general of the Mississippi militia in 1811, and when the Creek Indians began hostilities, he recruited a regiment of volunteers and was made its colonel. He was promoted brigadier-general of volunteers and commanded in the engagement at the "Holy Ground," December, 1813. He was elected to the Mississippi legislative council of 1815 and presided over that body. He was married in 1802 to Magdalene, daughter of Col. Anthony Hutchins, an officer in the English army. He died in Natchez, Miss., in 1815.
John Francis Hamtramck Claiborne
Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans. Vol. II. Boston, MA, USA: The Biographical Society, 1904
CLAIBORNE, John Francis Hamtramck, historian and representative, was born in Natchez, Miss., April 24, 1809; son of Gen. Ferdinand Leigh and Magdalene (Hutchins) Claiborne; and grandson of Col. William and Mary (Leigh) Claiborne of Manchester, Va. He was admitted to the Virginia bar in 1825, but did not practice (sic). In 1838 he became editor of a paper published in Natchez by Col. Andrew Marschalk. He was elected to the state legislature before he had attained his majority and was re-elected to the two ensuing terms, at the close of which he removed to Madisonville, Miss. The first state Democratic convention ever held in Mississippi nominated him for representative in congress by acclamation, and after a bitter political canvass he was elected to the 24th congress. He was given a certificate of election to the 25th congress Oct. 3, 1837, but the seat being declared vacant Jan. 31, 1838, and a new election held, he was succeeded by Sergeant S. Prentiss of Vicksburg, May 30, 1838. He edited the Natchez Fair Trader until 1844, when he removed to New Orleans and became editor of the Jeffersonian, of the Statesman, and later of the Louisiana Courier. He was a staunch Democrat, a fearless, brilliant and independent writer, and well known in the literary and political world. In 1853 he was appointed U.S. timber agent for Louisiana and Mississippi by President Pierce; but the latter part of his life was spent upon his beautiful plantation "Dunbarton," near Natchez, Adams county, Miss., where he devoted himself to literary pursuits. There he accumulated a large library and an invaluable collection of historical-genealogical documents and manuscripts, which were nearly all consumed (with two volumes of his history in MSS. ) at the destruction of "Dunbarton" in 1884. He was elected a member of the Royal Historical Society of Great Britain and other learned associations, and the University of Mississippi conferred upon him the degree of LL. D. in 1882. In 1882 he presented to the university and state of Mississippi his valuable collection of state historical papers, the private correspondence and journals of Governor Claiborne, Sir William Dunbar, General Claiborne of the Creek war, George Poindexter, Col. Anthony Hutchins, Livingstone and other eminent men. He was married in 1828 to Martha Dunbar, the heiress to "Dunbarton," by whom he had one son and two daughters. His only sister married the Hon. John H. B. La Trobe, and was the mother of Ferdinand Claiborne La Trobe, elected five times Mayor of Baltimore, Md. Colonel Claiborne served the Confederacy during the civil war. His published writings include: Life and Correspondence of Gen. John A. Quitman (1860); A Life of Daniel Boone; Life and Times of Gen. Samuel Dale (1860); and History of Mississippi as a Province, a Territory and a State (1880). He died at Natchez, Miss., May 17, 1884
William Charles Cole Claiborne
Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans. Vol. II. Boston, MA, USA: The Biographical Society, 1904
CLAIBORNE,
William Charles Cole,
senator, was born in Sussex county, Va., in August, 1775; second son of William
and Mary (Leigh) Claiborne of Manchester, Va. He was educated at the Richmond
academy and William and Mary college, Va., was admitted to the bar, and settled
in Nashville, Tenn., where he was appointed judge of the supreme court of the
territory. In 1796 he participated in the framing of the state constitution. As
a Democrat he represented his district in the 5th and 6th congresses,
1797-1801, where his vote decided the issue in favor of Jefferson's election;
and in 1801 he was appointed by President Jefferson governor of the
territory
of Mississippi, serving 1802-05. He was appointed, Dec. 12, 1804, one of the
commissioners to receive the territory of Louisiana, ceded by France under
treaty of Oct. 31, 1803; was appointed governor of Orleans by temporary
commission, June 8, 1805; by permanent commission, Jan. 17, 1806;
recommissioned (sic) Nov. 14, 1808, and Nov. 26, 1811. He was elected governor
of Louisiana and served from 1812 to 1816, sharing with General Jackson in the
famous defence (sic) of New Orleans. He was elected to the United States senate
Jan. 13, 1817, to succeed Senator James Brown, but was prevented by illness
from taking his seat in the 15th congress. Governor Claiborne was married three
times: first to Eliza Lewis of Nashville, secondly to Clarisse Duralde,
daughter of a Spanish officer and magistrate, thirdly to Suzette Booque, who
afterward married John Randolph Grimes, the eminent New Orleans lawyer.
Governor Claiborne died at New Orleans Nov. 23, 1817, and a monument was
erected to his memory by the sculptor St. Gies.
Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans. Vol. II. Boston, MA, USA: The Biographical Society, 1904
CLAYTON, Alexander Mosby, jurist, was born in Campbell county, Va., Jan. 15, 1801; son of William and Clarissa (Mosby) Clayton, and a descendant of Dr. John Clayton (born in England, 1690, died in Virginia, 1773). He was admitted to the bar in 1823 and practised (sic) for a time at Louisa Court House, after which he removed to Clarkesville, Tenn. He was appointed U.S. judge for Arkansas Territory, Dec. 12, 1832, and remained in the office for two years. He removed to Mississippi in 1837 and was there judge of the high court of errors and appeals, 1842-51. In 1853 he was appointed U.S. consul at Havana, but resigned that post and removed to Memphis, Tenn. He remained in Memphis but a short time, returning to his old home "Woodcote" in Mississippi. He was a delegate to the Mississippi secession convention in 1861, and wrote the ordinance of secession reported by the committee and adopted. He was a member of the Confederate provisional congress; district judge of the Mississippi district during the war, and afterward circuit judge until removed by Governor Ames. He was a member and president of the board of trustees of the University of Mississippi, 1844-53, 1857, and 1878-89. He died at his seat, "Woodcote," in Benton county, Miss., Sept. 30, 1889.
Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans. Vol. II. Boston, MA, USA: The Biographical Society, 1904
COBB,
Joseph Beckham, author,
was born in Oglethorpe county, Ga., April 11, 1819; son of Thomas W. Cobb, U.S.
senator; grandson of John Cobb, and great-grandson of Thomas Cobb, who migrated
from Virginia and settled in Georgia about 1764. Joseph attended the University
of Georgia, but was not graduated. He removed to Noxubee county, Miss., in
1838, and devoted himself to literature. In 1851 he was a member of the Whig
state convention and was elected to the state senate for several terms. In 1853
he was nominated by the American party as a candidate for representative in the
33rd congress but failed of election. His published works include The
Creole, or the Siege of
New
Orleans (1850);
Mississippi Scenes (1850); and Leisure Labors (1858). He died in
Columbus, Ga., Sept. 15, 1858.
Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans. Vol. II. Boston, MA, USA: The Biographical Society, 1904
COCKE,
William, senator, was
born in Virginia in 1747; son of Abraham Cooke; grandson of Stephen Cocke;
great-grandson of Thomas Cocke; and great-great grandson of Richard Cocke, who
came to Virginia prior to 1632 and was a member of the house of burgesses from
Henrico county in that year. In company with Daniel Boone he explored the
territory afterward known as East Tennessee and Western Kentucky. In 1776 (see
Ramsey's History of Tennessee), with four companies of Virginians, he had a
fierce battle with the Indians at Cooke's Fort, Tenn., in which the Indians
received a crushing defeat. In 1796 he was elected by the legislature of
Tennessee one of the first U.S. senators from that state. He drew the short
term commencing Dec. 5, 1796, and served till the close of the first session of
the 5th congress, July 10, 1797, when he was succeeded by Andrew Jackson. He
had previously been very prominent in the convention which framed the first
constitution of Tennessee. He was again elected to the U.S. senate in 1799,
serving until March 4, 1805, when he was appointed judge of the first circuit.
Removing
to Mississippi he was elected to the state legislature, and in 1814 President
Madison appointed him agent for the Chickasaw nation. He fought in two wars,
served in the legislatures of four states (Virginia, North Carolina,
Tennessee
and Mississippi) and in the senate of the United States. He was founder of the
University of Tennessee, a trustee of Greenville college, and an incorporator
of Washington college. He died in Columbus, Miss., in the eighty-first year of
his age and was buried there under a tombstone erected to his memory by the
state of
Mississippi. The date of his death is Aug. 22, 1828.
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