Jesse J. Finley

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Jesse Finley

Jesse Johnson Finley (November 18, 1812 – November 6, 1904) was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Florida and the mayor of Memphis, Tennessee. He was also a brigadier general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War.

Finley was born near Lebanon, Tennessee. He pursued an academic course. He served as captain of mounted volunteers in the Seminole War in 1836. Finley studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1838. He moved to Mississippi County, Arkansas, in 1840, where he practiced law. Finley served in the State senate in 1841. He moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1842, and continued the practice of law. He served as mayor of Memphis in 1845. He moved to Mariana, Florida, in November 1846 and was elected to the state senate of Florida in 1850.

Finley was a presidential elector on the Whig ticket in 1852. He served as a judge of the western circuit of Florida from 1853 to 1861.

With the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, he was appointed judge of the Confederate States court for the district of Florida in 1861. Finley resigned and volunteered as a private in the Confederate Army in March 1862, and was successively promoted to the rank of brigadier general on November 16, 1863.

Following the war, he settled in Lake City, Florida, in 1865 and continued the practice of law. He moved to Jacksonville, Florida, in 1871. He successfully contested as a Democrat the election of Josiah T. Walls to the Forty-fourth Congress and served from April 19, 1876, to March 3, 1877. Finley successfully contested the election of Horatio Bisbee, Jr., to the Forty-fifth Congress and served from February 20 to March 3, 1879. He presented credentials as a Member-elect to the Forty-Seventh Congress and served from March 4, 1881, to June 1, 1882, when he was succeeded by Horatio Bisbee, Jr., who contested his election. He presented credentials on December 5, 1887, as a Senator-designate to the United States Senate for the term commencing March 4, 1887, but was not permitted to qualify for the reason that the appointment was made before the vacancy occurred.

Finley died in Lake City, Florida, on November 6, 1904. He was interred in Evergreen Cemetery, Gainesville, Florida.

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Josiah T. Walls	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 2nd congressional district 1876 – 1877	Succeeded by Robert H. M. Davidson
Preceded by Horatio Bisbee, Jr.	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 1st congressional district 1879	Succeeded by Robert H. M. Davidson
Preceded by Horatio Bisbee, Jr.	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 1st congressional district 1881 – 1882	Succeeded by Horatio Bisbee, Jr.