Edmund William McGregor Mackey

Edmund William McGregor Mackey
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from South Carolina's 7th district
In office
March 4, 1883  January 27, 1884
Preceded by District re-established
William F. Colcock before district was eliminated in 1853
Succeeded by Robert Smalls
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from South Carolina's 2nd district
In office
May 31, 1882  March 3, 1883
Preceded by Samuel Dibble
Succeeded by George D. Tillman
In office
March 4, 1875  July 19, 1876
Preceded by Alonzo J. Ransier
Succeeded by Charles W. Buttz
Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from Charleston County
In office
November 28, 1876  May 29, 1877
In office
October 24, 1873  March 17, 1874
Personal details
Born March 8, 1846
Charleston, South Carolina
Died January 27, 1884(1884-01-27) (aged 37)
Washington, D.C.
Political party Republican (until 1874, 1876–onward)
Independent Republican (1874–1876)
Profession lawyer, politician

Edmund William McGregor Mackey (March 8, 1846 – January 27, 1884) was a United States Representative from South Carolina.

Life and career

Grave of Edmund Mackey at Glenwood Cemetery.

Born in Charleston, his father was Dr. Albert Mackey, who was the primary founder of Scottish Rite Freemasonry.

Edmund became a representative after the end of the American Civil War. As an active Republican, he was nominated to be a delegate from Charleston for the constitutional convention of South Carolina in 1868. He was admitted to the bar in 1868 and practiced law in Charleston while also having the positions of sheriff and alderman.

Mackey was elected as a Republican to South Carolina House of Representatives in 1872, but ran successfully in 1874 as an Independent Republican for the Second Congressional District. However, the Forty-fourth Congress declared his seat vacant on July 19, 1876.

He was elected again to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1876 and claimed to be the Speaker after a tumultuous campaign in the state, marked by violence and intimidation. Republicans disputed the election of Democratic Representatives from Edgefield and Laurens counties because of massive fraud in the election and barring of freedmen from the polls by Democratic Party Red Shirts.[1] Following the South Carolina Supreme Court's decision to allow seating of elected legislators from Edgefield and Laurens counties, rival state governments assembled. Mackey and the Republican legislators occupied the South Carolina State House with the support of Federal troops.

The order of President Hayes to remove Federal troops from South Carolina on April 10, 1877, a result of a national compromise, ended the Republicans' struggle to control state government. The Democrats annulled the election of representatives from Charleston County, including Edmund Mackey.

Mackey continued to be active in public life. While serving as an assistant United States attorney for South Carolina from 1878 to 1881, Mackey attempted to win election as a Republican to the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina. He lost the election against Michael P. O’Connor for the 2nd congressional district in 1878 and failed to have the Democratic-controlled House overturn the election. With the Republican takeover of the House for the Forty-seventh Congress, Mackey succeeded in replacing Samuel Dibble for the House seat. Re-elected in 1882 from the Seventh Congressional District, Mackey died during the term in Washington, D.C. on January 27, 1884.

See also

Citations

  1. Eric Foner, Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877, New York: Perennial Classics, 2002, p.575

References

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Alonzo J. Ransier
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from South Carolina's 2nd congressional district

1875–1876
Succeeded by
Charles W. Buttz
Preceded by
Samuel Dibble
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from South Carolina's 2nd congressional district

1882–1883
Succeeded by
George D. Tillman
Preceded by
District re-established
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from South Carolina's 7th congressional district

1883–1884
Succeeded by
Robert Smalls
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