Thomas Clement Fletcher

Thomas Clement Fletcher (born January 22, 1837 in Herculaneum , Jefferson County , Missouri , † March 25, 1899 ) was an American politician and from 1865 to 1869 the 18th governor of Missouri.

Early years and political advancement

Fletcher attended local schools in his home country. After studying law, he was admitted to the bar in 1856. As early as 1846, he was a clerk at the Jefferson County court.

Thomas Fletcher was a co-founder of the Missouri Republican Party . In 1860, he was a delegate to the federal convention where Abraham Lincoln was nominated for president. During the Civil War , he was Colonel in the 31st Missouri Volunteer Infantry Regiment from 1862-64. Then Colonel of the 47th Missouri Volunteer Infantry Regiment. In 1862 he was captured in the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou , which he spent in Libby Prison . In May 1863 it was exchanged and still saw the fall of Vicksburg . He fought in the Battle of Chattanooga and commanded a brigade in the Atlanta Campaign. When the war ended, he held the rank of Brevet - brigadier general achieved. On November 8, 1864, he was elected as his party's candidate for the new governor of his state.

Missouri governor

Thomas Fletcher took up his new office on January 2, 1865. At this point the civil war was still in full swing. In the following years, the consequences of the war also had to be overcome in Missouri. Later in his tenure, the budget deficit was reduced and the Lincoln Institute for Negroes was founded.

Another résumé

After the end of his tenure on January 12, 1869, Fletcher withdrew from politics. He later moved to Washington where he worked as a lawyer. Thomas Fletcher died on March 25, 1899. He and his wife, Mary Clara Honey, had two children.

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

personal data
SURNAME	Fletcher, Thomas Clement
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	January 22, 1837
PLACE OF BIRTH	Herculaneum , Missouri
DATE OF DEATH	March 25, 1899