James Madison Wells

James Madison Wells

James Madison Wells (born January 8, 1808 in Alexandria , Louisiana , † February 28, 1899 in Rapides Parish , Louisiana) was an American politician and governor of the state of Louisiana from 1865 to 1867 .

Early years

James Wells attended Alden Partridge Military Academy in Connecticut , St. Joseph's College in Kentucky, and Cincinnati Law School . In 1829 he returned to Louisiana to take over some of his father's plantations. These included a large cotton plantation and a sugar plantation, all of which were managed with the help of numerous slaves.

Political rise

In 1840 Wells became sheriff in Rapides Parish. At the time he was a member of the Whig Party . After the collapse of this party in the mid-1850s, he joined the Democrats . In the presidential election of 1860 he supported Stephen A. Douglas , the candidate of the Democrats loyal to the Union. Wells was a strong supporter of the Union and strongly opposed to secession . This attitude created many enemies in his homeland and even in his family. During the civil war he was temporarily imprisoned by the Confederates for his sympathy for the Union.

In 1864, large parts of Louisiana were occupied by Union forces. That year Wells founded the "Unconditionel Union Club of West Louisiana". On March 4, 1864, Wells became the new lieutenant governor of Louisiana, with the support of both radical and moderate forces . He was thus the representative of Governor George Michael Hahn .

Louisiana Governor

After Hahn's resignation on March 3, 1865, Wells became governor. On November 7, 1865, he was confirmed in a general election in this office. Wells recruited many former Confederate supporters to his administration. That and his reluctance to deal with the now free former slaves brought him into conflict with the military government. Wells also endorsed President Andrew Johnson's policy of reconstruction, which was unpopular with radical Republicans . When there were riots in 1866 over some provisions of the state constitution of 1864, including the right to vote for blacks, Wells acted rather wait and see and did not intervene decisively. The military under General Philip Sheridan blamed him for the unrest. Eventually Wells was removed from office by General Sheridan. This was possible because Louisiana was still under military law at the time.

Another résumé

After his release, Wells retired to one of his plantations. In 1872 he supported the re-election of President Ulysses S. Grant . In the following years he was considered a friend of the Republican Party , of which he was now a member, which earned him the name "Mad Wells" (crazy Wells) in his home country. In 1873 he was a member of an electoral committee in which he decided in favor of the Republicans, who in return appointed him head of customs in the port of New Orleans. He held this office between 1874 and 1880. Then he withdrew from politics. James Wells died in 1899. He had 14 children with his wife, Mary Ann Scott.

literature

• Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 2, Meckler Books, Westport, 1978. 4 volumes.

Web links

• James Wells at the National Governors Association (English)
• The Governors of Louisiana (English)
• James Madison Wells in the database of Find a Grave (English)