John J. Trigg
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| John Johns Trigg | |
| Virginia House of Delegates Virginia Senate U.S. Representative at-large |
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|---|---|
| Born | 1748 Bedford County, Virginia |
| Died | 17 May 1804 Old Liberty, Bedford County, Virginia |
| Residence | Bedford County, Virginia |
| Political party | Democratic-Republican |
| Spouse | Dianna Ayers |
| Children | Stephen, William, Nancy, Daniel, Theodosia, John, Mary |
John Johns Trigg (1748–May 17, 1804) was an American farmer and politician from Bedford County, Virginia. He fought with the Virginia militia in the Revolutionary War and represented Virginia in the U.S. Congress from 1797 until 1804.
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[edit] Family life
John was born on his father's farm near New London in Lunenburg County, Virginia. He was one of the eight children of William Trigg (1716-1773) and Mary (Johns) Trigg (1720-1773). His father, William served as a judge in Bedford County (which was formed from part of Lunenburg County in 1754) for many years. His brother, Abram, would serve with him in congress.
John married Dianna Ayers on December 17, 1770, and they settled on their own farm near what became the town of Liberty (now Bedford, Virginia). The family would grow to include seven children: Stephen, William, Nancy, Daniel, Theodosia, John Johns Jr., and Mary (Polly). Dianna survived John, living until some time after 1807.
[edit] Military service
Virginia expanded her militia as the revolution neared. Trigg raised a new militia company in Bedford County in 1775[1] and led it as its Lieutenant. He remained with this unit throughout the war, and saw several local actions. The state's House of Delegates named him as a Captain on March 23, 1778, and a major in 1781.[1] He was a Major of Artillery in the Revolutionary Army at Yorktown, led his unit to participate in the Battle of Yorktown later that year, and was present at the surrender of Cornwallis.
He was Sargeant under command of Gen. Washington in the First Virginia Regiment until it was disbanded. After the war Trigg continued his service in the militia. He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1791, and in 1793 served as a Major in the Second Battalion of the Tenth Regiment of the Virginia Militia.[1] In 1796 and 1802, he's commanding the 91st Regiment of the Virginia Militia [2]
[edit] Political career
Trigg's political service started around 1781 when he became a Justice of the Peace in Bedford County. He was elected to represent the county in the Virginia House of Delegates, and served there from 1784 until 1792.[1] In 1788 John represented Bedford County in the Virginia Convention that ratified the U.S. Constitution.[3]
In 1792, he served in the Virginia Senate until 1796.[3]
He was elected in the United States House of Representatives in 1796 as a member of the Democratic-Republican Party of Thomas Jefferson.
Trigg was reelected three times, and served in the Congress from 1797 until he died in office on May 17, 1804.
[edit] The Fifth Congress
Trigg arrived on the second day the Fifth Congress of the United States convened, Tuesday, May 16, 1797, and was in time to hear the new President's speech to Congress about his position in regards to France. At this time, Trigg, a Democratic-Republican/Anti-Federalist was in the minority party, as the House was majority Federalist, as was John Adams, the President of the United States. After the President's speech, which caused an uproar among Anti-Federalists as not being sympathetic enough to France and too hawkish[4], the House debated until May 31 on their response to his address. Their response, with an amendment, basically supported the President's speech. Trigg voted against the response, while his brother Abram voted for it.[5]
Other votes during this session:
- Yea: June 24 - "An act providing a Naval Armament"[6]
- Nay: July 3 - Stamp Duties[7]
- Nay: July 5 - Duty on Salt[8]
When the second session for this Congress returned in November, Trigg arrived three days late on November 16, 1797.
Votes during this session:
- Nay: May 18 - Establishing a Provisional Army[9]
He died at home on his farm near Liberty in Bedford County and was buried in a family plot there.
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ a b c d Biographical Directory of the US Congress. Accessed 11 June 2006
- ^ Virginia Militia Records, accessed 11 June 2006.
- ^ a b Swem, Earl G. and Williams, John W., A Register of the General Assembly of Virginia 1776-1918 and of the Constitutional Conventions (Richmond, Va: 1918), 439.
- ^ McCullough, David, John Adams (New York, Simon & Sschuster, 2001), 485.
- ^ Rivers, John C., Abridgment Of The Debates Of Congress, From 1789 To 1856. From Gales And Seaton's Annals Of Congress; From Their Register Of Debates; And From The Official Reported Debates (New York: D. Appleton & Company, 1857), II, 121-142.
- ^ Rivers, Abridgment Of The Debates Of Congress, From 1789 To 1856, II, 155.
- ^ Rivers, Abridgment Of The Debates Of Congress, From 1789 To 1856, II, 163.
- ^ Rivers, Abridgment Of The Debates Of Congress, From 1789 To 1856, II, 165.
- ^ Rivers, Abridgment Of The Debates Of Congress, From 1789 To 1856, II, 275-76.
[edit] External link
| Preceded by: Robert Clarke |
Virginia Senate 1792-1796 |
Succeeded by: George Penn |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Trigg, John Johns |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Planter, soldier, politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1748 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Bedford County, Virginia |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 17, 180 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Bedford County, Virginia |
