John Geddes
Encyclopedia
John Geddes was the 47th Governor
of South Carolina
from 1818 to 1820.
, Geddes was the son of a merchant and received his education at the College of Charleston
. He then studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1797. Afterwards, Geddes became active with the South Carolina militia as a Cavalry
Major
and later as a Major General
.
and became Speaker
of the House for two years. He was a member of the House of Representatives until his election to the South Carolina Senate
in 1816. The General Assembly
chose Geddes to be the Governor of South Carolina
in 1818 for a two-year term because of his strong Republican
views.
of the South Carolina militia. In 1821, he purchased the island of Key West
from a sloop trader, but could not secure the rights of the island before John W. Simonton, who also claimed the island and was helped by some influential friends in Washington, D.C.
He remained active in politics and ran for mayor of Charleston in 1823, serving from 1824 to 1825. Having felt that his honor was insulted by Edward P. Simons during the campaign, Geddes challenged Simons to a duel
. Simons managed to fire four shots, two hitting Geddes' son in both of his thighs, but the duel resulted in Simons' death. Geddes died in Charleston on March 4, 1828 and was buried at the Scotch Presbyterian Churchyard.
Governor of South Carolina
The Governor of the State of South Carolina is the head of state for the State of South Carolina. Under the South Carolina Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the South Carolina executive branch. The Governor is the ex officio...
of South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
from 1818 to 1820.
Early life and career
Born in CharlestonCharleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, Geddes was the son of a merchant and received his education at the College of Charleston
College of Charleston
The College of Charleston is a public, sea-grant and space-grant university located in historic downtown Charleston, South Carolina, United States...
. He then studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1797. Afterwards, Geddes became active with the South Carolina militia as a Cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
and later as a Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
.
Political career
In 1808, Geddes won election to the South Carolina House of RepresentativesSouth Carolina House of Representatives
The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the upper house being the South Carolina Senate. It consists of 124 Representatives elected to two year terms at the same time as US Congressional elections...
and became Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of the House for two years. He was a member of the House of Representatives until his election to the South Carolina Senate
South Carolina Senate
The South Carolina Senate is the upper house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the lower house being the South Carolina House of Representatives...
in 1816. The General Assembly
South Carolina General Assembly
The South Carolina General Assembly, also called the South Carolina Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The legislature is bicameral and consists of the lower South Carolina House of Representatives and the upper South Carolina Senate. Altogether, the General...
chose Geddes to be the Governor of South Carolina
Governor of South Carolina
The Governor of the State of South Carolina is the head of state for the State of South Carolina. Under the South Carolina Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the South Carolina executive branch. The Governor is the ex officio...
in 1818 for a two-year term because of his strong Republican
Republicanism in the United States
Republicanism is the political value system that has been a major part of American civic thought since the American Revolution. It stresses liberty and inalienable rights as central values, makes the people as a whole sovereign, supports activist government to promote the common good, rejects...
views.
Later life and career
Upon leaving the governorship in 1820, Geddes was given the position of Brigadier GeneralBrigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
of the South Carolina militia. In 1821, he purchased the island of Key West
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
from a sloop trader, but could not secure the rights of the island before John W. Simonton, who also claimed the island and was helped by some influential friends in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
He remained active in politics and ran for mayor of Charleston in 1823, serving from 1824 to 1825. Having felt that his honor was insulted by Edward P. Simons during the campaign, Geddes challenged Simons to a duel
Duel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with agreed-upon rules.Duels in this form were chiefly practised in Early Modern Europe, with precedents in the medieval code of chivalry, and continued into the modern period especially among...
. Simons managed to fire four shots, two hitting Geddes' son in both of his thighs, but the duel resulted in Simons' death. Geddes died in Charleston on March 4, 1828 and was buried at the Scotch Presbyterian Churchyard.