Giles Mebane was a North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

 politician who served as Speaker of the North Carolina Senate during most of 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...

 (1862–1865).

He was the grandson of Congressman Alexander Mebane

Alexander Mebane

Alexander Mebane, Jr. was a U.S. Congressman from the state of North Carolina from 1793 to 1795. He was also a brigadier general in the North Carolina militia during the Revolutionary War....

 and the son of Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives James Mebane.

Mebane married Mary Yancey, the daughter of Bartlett Yancey

Bartlett Yancey

Bartlett Yancey, Jr. was a Democratic-Republican U.S. Congressman from North Carolina, USA, between 1813 and 1817....

, in 1837. He represented Orange County

Orange County, North Carolina

Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 133,801. Its county seat is Hillsborough...

 (later Alamance County after the latter county was formed in 1849) in the North Carolina House of Commons from 1844 through 1850 as a member of the Whig Party

Whig Party (United States)

The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...

. He returned to the House in 1854 and 1858 before being elected to the Senate

North Carolina Senate

The North Carolina Senate is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly.Its prerogatives and powers are similar to those of the other house, the House of Representatives. Its members do, however, represent districts that are larger than those of their colleagues in the House. The...

 in 1861. At the end of the war he moved to Caswell County

Caswell County, North Carolina

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,501 people, 8,670 households, and 6,398 families residing in the county. The population density was 55 people per square mile . There were 9,601 housing units at an average density of 23 per square mile...

, where he was also later elected to the state Senate.