John Wilkins Whitfield

John Wilkins Whitfield

John Wilkins Whitfield (born March 11, 1818 in Franklin , Tennessee , † October 27, 1879 in Hallettsville , Texas ) was an American army officer and politician . Between 1854 and 1857 he represented the Kansas Territory as a delegate in the US House of Representatives .

Career

John Whitfield attended public schools in his home country. In 1846 he took part in the Mexican-American War as a soldier in the US Army . In 1853 he moved to Independence , Missouri , where he worked as an Indian agent between 1855 and 1856 .

Whitfield was a member of the Democratic Party . After the founding of the Kansas Territory, he was elected as its delegate to the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC ; he took up this mandate on December 20, 1854. In the elections of 1854 he was confirmed. This enabled him to begin another legislative term in Congress on March 4, 1855 . However, its seat was declared vacant on August 1, 1856. This made a by-election necessary, which Whitfield won again. Between December 9, 1856 and March 3, 1857, he was able to end the suspended legislative period.

Between 1857 and 1861 Whitfield was employed by the Doniphan Land Administration . During the Civil War he went into the army of the Confederate States to brigadier general on. At times he commanded the Confederate Cavalry in Arkansas .

After the war, Whitfield moved to Lavaca County , Texas, where he worked in ranching and other agricultural matters. In his new home state he was later elected to the House of Representatives there. He died in October 1879 and was buried in Hallettsville.

Web links

• John Wilkins Whitfield in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

• John Wilkins Whitfield in the database of Find a Grave (English)