Pendleton Murrah
Encyclopedia
Pendleton Murrah was the tenth Governor of Texas
. His term in office coincided with the American Civil War
.
A native of South Carolina
, Murrah graduated from Brown University
in 1848. He moved to Texas and opened a law practice in Marshall
. He ran and was defeated for the U.S. Congress
before winning the state gubernatorial race in 1863.
During the American Civil War
, Murrah emphatically supported the Rebel cause, although he ended up in a controversy over the conscription
of Texas militia troops into the Confederate army. Still, even after Robert E. Lee
surrendered in 1865, he encouraged Texans to continue the revolution. Only when Union occupation forces were en route to Texas did Murrah flee with other Confederate leaders to Mexico. The trip was too much for his already fragile health, and in August 1865, he died in Monterrey, Mexico
of tuberculosis
. His grave is located in the Panteon Municipal of Monterrey, Mexico.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. His term in office coincided with 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...
.
A native of South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, Murrah graduated from Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
in 1848. He moved to Texas and opened a law practice in Marshall
Marshall, Texas
Marshall is a city in Harrison County in the northeastern corner of Texas. Marshall is a major cultural and educational center in East Texas and the tri-state area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Marshall was about 23,523...
. He ran and was defeated for the U.S. Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
before winning the state gubernatorial race in 1863.
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...
, Murrah emphatically supported the Rebel cause, although he ended up in a controversy over the conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
of Texas militia troops into the Confederate army. Still, even after Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
surrendered in 1865, he encouraged Texans to continue the revolution. Only when Union occupation forces were en route to Texas did Murrah flee with other Confederate leaders to Mexico. The trip was too much for his already fragile health, and in August 1865, he died in Monterrey, Mexico
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. His grave is located in the Panteon Municipal of Monterrey, Mexico.
Ancestry
Murrah was born in Bibb County, Alabama in 1826 the illegitimate son of Peggy Murrah, a daughter of Charles and Avarilla Jones Murrah. Charles, born in 1775 in Warren Co., North Carolina, traces his ancestry to Lodowick and Mira Ann Jeter Murrah of Caroline County, Virginia through their son also named Charles and his wife Margaret (Peggy).See also
- Confederate States of America, "Died of states' rights
External links
- Entry about Pendleton Murrah from the Biographical Encyclopedia of Texas published 1880, hosted by the Portal to Texas History.