Edward C. Walthall
Encyclopedia
Edward Cary Walthall was a general in the Confederate States Army
during the American Civil War
and a postbellum United States Senator from Mississippi
.
, Walthall moved to Mississippi
as a child, attended St. Thomas Hall in Holly Springs
, studied law, was admitted to the bar
in 1852 and commenced practice in Coffeeville
. He was elected district attorney
for the tenth judicial district of Mississippi in 1856 and reelected in 1859.
During the Civil War, he entered the Confederate Army as a lieutenant
, and was promoted to lieutenant colonel
, colonel
, brigadier general
, and finally a major general
. He especially distinguished himself at the battle of Missionary Ridge
, where he led his brigade over a ridge and held back the Federal troops till the Confederate army made its escape. He covered the retreat of General Hood's army after the defeat at Nashville
. He resumed the practice of law in Coffeeville and in 1871 moved to Grenada, Mississippi
, and continued the practice of law until 1885.
Walthall was appointed as a Democrat
to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Lucius Q.C. Lamar; he was subsequently elected to fill the vacancy, and was reelected in 1889 and served from March 9, 1885, to January 24, 1894, when he resigned due to ill health. While in the Senate, he was chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs (Fifty-third Congress) and a member of the Committee on Revolutionary Claims (Fifty-fifth Congress).
He was again elected for the term beginning March 4, 1895, and served from that date until his death in Washington, D.C.
in 1898. Funeral services were held in the Chamber of the United States Senate; interment was in Holly Springs Cemetery.
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and a postbellum United States Senator from Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
.
Biography
Born in Richmond, VirginiaRichmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, Walthall moved to Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
as a child, attended St. Thomas Hall in Holly Springs
Holly Springs, Mississippi
Holly Springs is a city in Marshall County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 7,957 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Marshall County. A short drive from Memphis, Tennessee, Holly Springs is the site of a number of well-preserved antebellum homes and other structures and...
, studied law, was admitted to the bar
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
in 1852 and commenced practice in Coffeeville
Coffeeville, Mississippi
Coffeeville is a town in Yalobusha County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 930 at the 2000 census. It is named after John Coffee , a planter and military leader.-Geography:Coffeeville is located at ....
. He was elected district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
for the tenth judicial district of Mississippi in 1856 and reelected in 1859.
During the Civil War, he entered the Confederate Army as a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
, and was promoted to lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
, colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
, brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
, and finally a major general
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
. He especially distinguished himself at the battle of Missionary Ridge
Battle of Missionary Ridge
The Battle of Missionary Ridge was fought November 25, 1863, as part of the Chattanooga Campaign of the American Civil War. Following the Union victory in the Battle of Lookout Mountain on November 24, Union forces under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant assaulted Missionary Ridge and defeated the...
, where he led his brigade over a ridge and held back the Federal troops till the Confederate army made its escape. He covered the retreat of General Hood's army after the defeat at Nashville
Battle of Nashville
The Battle of Nashville was a two-day battle in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign that represented the end of large-scale fighting in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. It was fought at Nashville, Tennessee, on December 15–16, 1864, between the Confederate Army of Tennessee under...
. He resumed the practice of law in Coffeeville and in 1871 moved to Grenada, Mississippi
Grenada, Mississippi
Grenada is a city in Grenada County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 14,879 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Grenada County.-History:...
, and continued the practice of law until 1885.
Walthall was appointed as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Lucius Q.C. Lamar; he was subsequently elected to fill the vacancy, and was reelected in 1889 and served from March 9, 1885, to January 24, 1894, when he resigned due to ill health. While in the Senate, he was chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs (Fifty-third Congress) and a member of the Committee on Revolutionary Claims (Fifty-fifth Congress).
He was again elected for the term beginning March 4, 1895, and served from that date until his death in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 1898. Funeral services were held in the Chamber of the United States Senate; interment was in Holly Springs Cemetery.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals
External links
- The E. C. Walthall Collection (MUM00462) can be found at the University of Mississippi, Archive and Special Collections.