Matt Whitaker Ransom
Matt Whitaker Ransom | |
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Born |
Warren County, North Carolina | October 8, 1826
Died |
October 8, 1904 78) Garysburg, North Carolina | (aged
Place of burial | near Weldon, North Carolina |
Allegiance | Confederate States of America |
Service/branch | Confederate States Army Infantry |
Years of service | 1861 – 1865 |
Rank | Brigadier General |
Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Other work | U.S. Senator; North Carolina Attorney General |
Matt Whitaker Ransom (October 8, 1826 – October 8, 1904) was a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War and a Democratic U.S. senator from the state of North Carolina between 1872 and 1895.
Early life and antebellum career
Matt Ransom was born in Warren County, North Carolina to Robert and Priscilla Whitaker Ransom. He was the elder brother of General Robert Ransom and a cousin to fellow Confederate officer Wharton J. Green, who served as a U. S. Congressman after the Civil War. He graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1847. After serving as North Carolina Attorney General and as a member of the North Carolina General Assembly, he was chosen as one of the three commissioners from North Carolina to the Confederate government at Montgomery, Alabama in 1861.
Civil War
Ransom was commissioned lieutenant colonel of the 1st North Carolina Infantry and later Colonel of the 35th North Carolina Infantry. This regiment was part of his brother Robert's brigade, which Matt later commanded. Ransom was promoted to Brigadier General June 13, 1863. Ransom saw action in the battles of Seven Pines, the Seven Days Battles, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Plymouth, Weldon, Suffolk and the siege of Petersburg. He was wounded three times during the Civil War and finally surrendered at Appomattox.
Political career
After the war, Ransom moved to Weldon, North Carolina, in 1866 where he was a planter and lawyer. In 1872, he was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy in the term commencing March 4, 1871. Ransom was re-elected in 1876, 1883, and 1889 and served from January 30, 1872, to March 4, 1895. Ransom served briefly as President Pro tempore of the Senate during the 53rd Congress. He was later appointed United States Minister to Mexico and served from 1895-1897.
Retirement and death
Following his term as ambassador, Ransom retired to his estate, "Verona" and engaged in agricultural pursuits. He died near Garysburg, North Carolina, on his 78th birthday, October 8, 1904. Ransom was buried on his estate, near Jackson, North Carolina. Verona was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.[1]
See also
References
- ↑ Staff (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
External links
- Matt Whitaker Ransom at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Retrieved on 2008-04-22
- "Matt Whitaker Ransom". Find a Grave. Retrieved 2008-02-13.
Legal offices | ||
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Preceded by William Eaton, Jr. |
Attorney General of North Carolina 1853–1855 |
Succeeded by Joseph B. Batchelor |
United States Senate | ||
Preceded by Joseph C. Abbott |
U.S. Senator (Class 2) from North Carolina 1872–1895 Served alongside: John Pool, Augustus S. Merrimon, Zebulon B. Vance, Thomas J. Jarvis, Jeter C. Pritchard |
Succeeded by Marion Butler |
Honorary titles | ||
Preceded by Isham G. Harris |
President pro tempore of the United States Senate January 7, 1895 – January 10, 1895 |
Succeeded by Isham G. Harris |
Diplomatic posts | ||
Preceded by Isaac P. Gray |
United States Ambassador to Mexico 1895–1897 |
Succeeded by Powell Clayton |
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