John Selden Roane
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the Arkansas governor. For the Virginia politician, see John Roane.
- For the previous Roane's son, see John J. Roane.
| John Selden Roane | |
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| In office 1849 – 1852 |
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| Preceded by | Richard C. Byrd |
| Succeeded by | Elias N. Conway |
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| Born | January 8, 1817 Lebanon, Wilson County, Tennessee |
| Died | April 8, 1867 (aged 50) Pine Bluff, Arkansas |
| Political party | Democratic |
John Selden Roane (January 8, 1817 – April 8, 1867) was a Confederate Brigadier General during the American Civil War. He also served as Governor of the State of Arkansas.
John Selden Roane was born in Lebanon in Wilson County, Tennessee, and was educated at Cumberland College which at the time was located in Princeton, Kentucky. Roane immigrated to Arkansas in 1837, studied law, and was admitted to the bar. From 1840 to 1842 he was Prosecuting Attorney for the Second Judicial District of Arkansas. He served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1842 to 1844.
At the outbreak of the Mexican-American War, Roane was made a Lieutenant Colonel in Archibald Yell's Arkansas infantry regiment and succeeded to command of the regiment when Colonel Yell was mortally wounded repelling the charge of the Mexican lancers at the Battle of Buena Vista. Roane was officially appointed Colonel of the regiment on February 28, 1847. Roane was known to be jealous of the honor of his state and once challenged Albert Pike to a duel over what he perceived as derogatory statements made about the Arkansas regiment in the Mexican-American War. The duel was fought, but neither combatant was injured.
Roane served as Governor of Arkansas from 1849 to 1852 and advocated internal improvements and increased funding for education.
At the outbreak of the Civil War, Roane joined the Confederate Army and on 20 March 1862, and received an appointment as Brigadier General. After most troops were moved from Arkansas across the Mississippi River, Roane was placed in charge of the defense of Arkansas. At this time the state was nearly defenseless, and Roane, with the newly appointed commander of the Trans-Mississippi District General Thomas C. Hindman, cobbled together a reasonable defensive force. General Roane and his brigade took part in numerous battles in the Trans-Mississippi District, including the Battle of Prairie Grove in northwest Arkansas.
He died in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and is buried at Oaklawn Cemetery in Little Rock.
[edit] External links
- Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture entry: John Selden Roane
- John Selden Roane at Find A Grave Retrieved on 2008-02-13
| Preceded by : Richard C. Byrd |
Governor of Arkansas 1849-1852 |
Succeeded by: Elias Nelson Conway |
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