| Thomas Lanier Clingman | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 27, 1812 Huntsville, North Carolina |
| Died | November 3, 1897 (aged 85) Morganton, North Carolina |
| Place of burial | Riverside Cemetery, Asheville, North Carolina |
| Allegiance | United States of America Confederate States of America |
| Service/branch | Confederate States Army Infantry |
| Years of service | 1861-1865 |
| Rank | Brigadier General |
| Battles/wars | |
| Other work | U.S. senator U.S. congressman |
Thomas Lanier Clingman (July 27, 1812 – November 3, 1897), known as the "Prince of Politicians," was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 1843 to 1845 and from 1847 to 1858, and U.S. senator from the state of North Carolina between 1858 and 1861. During the Civil War he refused to resign his Senate seat and was one of ten senators expelled from the Senate in absentia. He then served as a general in the Confederate States Army.
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Clingman was born in Huntsville, a small community in present day Yadkin County, North Carolina. His parents were Jacob and Jane Poindexter Clingman and he was named for Dr. Thomas Lanier, his half uncle. [1] He was educated by private tutors and in the public schools in Iredell County, NC. Clingman graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1832. He then studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1834 and began pr actice in Huntsville.
Clingman was elected to the North Carolina State house of commons in 1835. In 1836 he moved to Asheville, North Carolina. He was a member of the North Carolina State senate in 1840. In 1843 Clingman ran as a Whig and was elected to the 28th United States Congress, however he was defeated in his reelection bid in 1845. In 1845 he fought a duel with a fellow congressman William Lowndes Yancey of Alabama. In Yancey's maiden speech on the House floor, he had impugned his opponent's integrity. Both duelists had missed. In 1847 he regained the seat and won reelection in 1849, 1851, 1853, 1855 and 1857. On May 7, 1858, he resigned after becoming a United States Senator as a Democrat the previous day, replacing the resigning Asa Biggs. He was reelected but was expelled from the Senate for support of the rebellion.
When he first entered the War, Clingman was the commander of the 25th North Carolina Infantry and took part in the Peninsula Campaign. He later commanded a brigade of infantry. Clingman's Brigade consisted of the 8th, 31st, 51st and 61st North Carolina Infantry. Clingman's Brigade fought at Goldsboro, Battery Wagner, Drewry's Bluff, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Globe Tavern, Fort Fisher and Bentonville.
After the Civil War, Clingman explored and measured mountains in western North Carolina and Tennessee. Tennessee's highest mountain, also partly in North Carolina, was named Clingman's Dome in his honor. He died in Morganton, North Carolina and was buried in the Riverside Cemetery in Asheville, North Carolina.[2]
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| Preceded by Kenneth Rayner |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 1st congressional district March 4, 1843 – March 4, 1845 |
Succeeded by James Graham |
| Preceded by James Graham |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 1st congressional district March 4, 1847 – March 4, 1858 |
Succeeded by Henry Marchmore Shaw |
| United States Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Asa Biggs |
United States Senator (Class 3) from North Carolina 1858–1861 Served alongside: David S. Reid, Thomas Bragg |
Succeeded by vacant 1 |
| Notes and references | ||
| 1. North Carolina seceded from the Union in 1861. Seat declared vacant until John Pool was elected after North Carolina's readmission into the Union | ||