Josiah Patterson
Encyclopedia
Josiah Patterson was an American soldier, political figure, and a member of the United States House of Representatives
for the 10th District of Tennessee
.
, Alabama
. He attended locals schools, followed by the Somerville Academy in Somerville, Alabama
. He then studied law, and in 1859 was admitted to the bar
. He began his practice in Morgan County.
In September 1861, early in the American Civil War
, Patterson enlisted the Confederate Army. The following year, he was commissioned a first lieutenant
in the 1st Alabama Cavalry Regiment. Patterson was promoted through the ranks until he became a colonel
and was assigned command of the 5th Alabama Cavalry Regiment. He served in Gen. Philip Dale Roddey's brigade for the remainder of the war, mostly in North Alabama. Surrendering with his regiment at the war's end in May 1865, Patterson returned home and resumed his law practice. In January 1867, he relocated to Florence, Alabama
, and five years later moved to Memphis, Tennessee
.
Patterson served in the Tennessee House of Representatives
from 1883 to 1885. He was elected as a Democrat
to the Fifty-second, Fifty-third, and Fifty-fourth Congresses. He served from March 4, 1891 to March 3, 1897. Patterson was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election to the Fifty-fifth Congress as a Gold Democrat.
He continued his law practice until he died in Memphis in 1904 at the age of 56. He was buried in Forest Hill Cemetery.
Patterson's son, Malcolm Rice Patterson (June 7, 1861–March 8, 1935), served as governor of Tennessee from 1907 to 1911. His granddaughter, Virginia Foster Durr
(August 6, 1903-February 24, 1999), was a friend of Rosa Parks
and active in the Civil Rights Movement
.
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...
for the 10th District of Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
Biography
Patterson was born in Morgan CountyMorgan County, Alabama
Morgan County is the most populous county in the Decatur Metropolitan Area, and the second most populous county in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area in the U.S. State of Alabama. It was created by the Alabama Territorial legislature on February 6, 1818 from land acquired from the...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. He attended locals schools, followed by the Somerville Academy in Somerville, Alabama
Somerville, Alabama
Somerville is a town in Morgan County, Alabama. It is included in the Decatur Metropolitan Area, as well as the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the population of the town is 347. Somerville was the county seat of Morgan County from 1818 to 1891, when the seat...
. He then studied law, and in 1859 was admitted to the bar
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
. He began his practice in Morgan County.
In September 1861, early in the American 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...
, Patterson enlisted the Confederate Army. The following year, he was commissioned a first lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
in the 1st Alabama Cavalry Regiment. Patterson was promoted through the ranks until he became a colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
and was assigned command of the 5th Alabama Cavalry Regiment. He served in Gen. Philip Dale Roddey's brigade for the remainder of the war, mostly in North Alabama. Surrendering with his regiment at the war's end in May 1865, Patterson returned home and resumed his law practice. In January 1867, he relocated to Florence, Alabama
Florence, Alabama
Florence is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States, in the northwestern corner of the state.According to the 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the city's population was 36,721....
, and five years later moved to Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
.
Patterson served in the Tennessee House of Representatives
Tennessee House of Representatives
The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional requirements:...
from 1883 to 1885. He was 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 Fifty-second, Fifty-third, and Fifty-fourth Congresses. He served from March 4, 1891 to March 3, 1897. Patterson was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election to the Fifty-fifth Congress as a Gold Democrat.
He continued his law practice until he died in Memphis in 1904 at the age of 56. He was buried in Forest Hill Cemetery.
Patterson's son, Malcolm Rice Patterson (June 7, 1861–March 8, 1935), served as governor of Tennessee from 1907 to 1911. His granddaughter, Virginia Foster Durr
Virginia Foster Durr
http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/face/Article.jsp?id=h-1574Virginia Foster Durr was an American and a white civil rights activist and lobbyist...
(August 6, 1903-February 24, 1999), was a friend of Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks
Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was an African-American civil rights activist, whom the U.S. Congress called "the first lady of civil rights", and "the mother of the freedom movement"....
and active in the Civil Rights Movement
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
.