Emerson Etheridge
| Henry Emerson Etheridge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 9th district | |
| In office March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1857 | |
| In office March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1861 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 28, 1819 Currituck County, North Carolina |
| Died | October 21, 1902 (aged 83) Dresden, Tennessee |
| Political party | Whig Know Nothing Opposition |
| Spouse(s) | Fannie N. Bell Etheridge |
| Children | Emma Etheridge Moran, Bell W. Etheridge |
| Profession | Attorney |
Henry Emerson Etheridge (September 28, 1819–October 21, 1902) was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for Tennessee's 9th congressional district.
Biography
Etheridge was born in Currituck, North Carolina on September 28, 1819. He moved with his parents to Tennessee in 1831. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1840. He married Fannie N. Bell and they had three children, one of whom died in infancy in 1854.
Career
After beginning his practice of law in Dresden, Tennessee, Etheridge was a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives from 1845 to 1847.
Etheridge was elected as a Whig to the Thirty-third Congress and re-elected as a member of the American Party to the Thirty-fourth Congress. He was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election in 1856 to the Thirty-fifth Congress, but he was later re-elected as a member of the Opposition Party to the Thirty-sixth Congress. He served from March 4, 1853 to March 3, 1857 and from March 4, 1859 to March 3, 1861.[1] During the Thirty-sixth Congress, he was chairman of the United States House Committee on Indian Affairs.
In the early months of 1861 Etheridge spoke eloquently in Congress in opposition to secession, for which he was labeled a "Southern Black Republican" by his opponents.[2] He remained loyal to the Union even after the Civil War broke out later that year. When his term in Congress ended, he was elected the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, serving in that position from 1861 to 1863.[3]
In 1867, Etheridge was an unsuccessful candidate for governor. He was a member of the Tennessee Senate in 1869 and 1870. From 1891 to 1894, he was the surveyor of customs of Memphis, Tennessee.[4]
Death
Etheridge died in Dresden, Tennessee on October 21, 1902 (age 83 years, 23 days). He is interred at Mount Vernon Cemetery near Sharon, Tennessee.[5]
References
- ↑ "Emerson Etheridge". Govtrack US Congress. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
- ↑ Daniel W. Crofts, 'No Better Southern Man,', New York Times blog, January 22, 2011
- ↑ Henry Emerson Etheridge, 1819-1902, Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture
- ↑ "Emerson Etheridge". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
- ↑ "Emerson Etheridge". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
External links
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