James B. Morgan
Encyclopedia
James Bright Morgan was a U.S. Representative
from Mississippi
.
He was born near Fayetteville, Tennessee
and moved with his parents to De Soto County, Mississippi in 1840, settling in Hernando
. He was given an academic education and studied law, after which he was admitted to the bar in 1857, practising in his home town.
In 1857 he was elected probate judge of De Soto County and served until 1861, the outbreak of the Civil War
. During the war he enlisted in the Confederate States Army
, initially as a private. During the war he progressed through the ranks, becoming major of the Twenty-ninth Mississippi Infantry
and eventually reached the rank of colonel. At the end of the war he returned to his law practice and was once again elected probate judge of De Soto County.
Morgan was elected as a member of the State senate in 1876, serving until 1878 when he became Chancellor of the third chancery district, a post he held until 1882. He was then elected as a Democrat
to the Forty-ninth, Fiftieth, and Fifty-first Congresses
(March 4, 1885-March 3, 1891).
After retiring from his political career he resumed the practice of law, until June 18, 1892, when he died near Horn Lake, Mississippi
. He was interred in Hernando Baptist Cemetery.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
.
He was born near Fayetteville, Tennessee
Fayetteville, Tennessee
Fayetteville is a city in Lincoln County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 6,994 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lincoln County.-History:...
and moved with his parents to De Soto County, Mississippi in 1840, settling in Hernando
Hernando, Mississippi
Hernando is a city in central DeSoto County, Mississippi. The population was 6,812 at the 2000 census. The 2006 census estimate reflects a population of 10,580. Hernando is the county seat of DeSoto County, the second-most-populous county in the Memphis metropolitan area. US Hwy 51 and the I-55...
. He was given an academic education and studied law, after which he was admitted to the bar in 1857, practising in his home town.
In 1857 he was elected probate judge of De Soto County and served until 1861, the outbreak of the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. During the war he enlisted in the Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
, initially as a private. During the war he progressed through the ranks, becoming major of the Twenty-ninth Mississippi Infantry
Mississippi Civil War Confederate Units
This is a list of Mississippi Civil War Confederate Units, or military units from the state of Mississippi which fought for the Confederacy in the American Civil War.-Infantry:* 1st Infantry* 1st Infantry...
and eventually reached the rank of colonel. At the end of the war he returned to his law practice and was once again elected probate judge of De Soto County.
Morgan was elected as a member of the State senate in 1876, serving until 1878 when he became Chancellor of the third chancery district, a post he held until 1882. He was then elected as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
to the Forty-ninth, Fiftieth, and Fifty-first Congresses
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
(March 4, 1885-March 3, 1891).
After retiring from his political career he resumed the practice of law, until June 18, 1892, when he died near Horn Lake, Mississippi
Horn Lake, Mississippi
Horn Lake is a city in DeSoto County, Mississippi, United States. Horn Lake is a suburb of Memphis, Tennessee, which is located just a few miles to the north. As of the 2000 U.S...
. He was interred in Hernando Baptist Cemetery.