Alexander McKinstry (March 7, 1822 – October 9, 1879) was the third Lieutenant Governor of

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

. A

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, McKinstry served under Governor

David P. Lewis David P. Lewis (born David Peter Lewis; May 18, 1820 – July 3, 1884) was a lawyer and politician who served as the List of governors of Alabama, 23rd governor of Alabama from 1872 to 1874 during the Reconstruction era. He was also a Deput ...

of the same political party from 1872 to 1874. He was the last Republican to serve as Lieutenant Governor until Steve Windom was sworn-in 125 years later.

Biography

A native of

Augusta, Georgia Augusta ( ), officially Augusta–Richmond County, is a consolidated city-county on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies across the Savannah River from South Carolina at the head of its navig ...

, McKinstry moved to

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, to live with relatives at the age of fourteen. Working odd jobs, McKinstry began

reading law Reading law was the method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship under the ...

while working in the office of John A. Campbell, who would later serve as an

Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court An associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States is any member of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the chief justice of the United States. The number of associate justices is eight, as set by the Judiciary Act of 1 ...

from 1853–1861. Soon after, McKinstry was admitted to the

bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar (u ...

and began practicing law in Mobile County. Two years later, in 1847, McKinstry was elected

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

of the 48th Alabama Infantry Regiment, 9th Brigade, 4th Division of the State

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

. After serving for three years, McKinstry resigned, returned to Mobile, and served as a judge for the city until 1860. Over the next few years, McKinstry would serve several positions in the military, including serving as colonel of the

32nd Regiment Alabama Infantry {{Infobox Military Unit , unit_name= 32nd Alabama Infantry Regiment , image= , caption=Flag of Alabama in 1861 (obverse and reverse) , dates= April 1862 to November 1863 , country= Confederate States of America , allegiance= CSA , branch= Infantry ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, returning to his law practice in 1864. The following year, in 1865, McKinstry expanded his legal career into politics. He was elected to the Alabama legislature and served as the chairman of the Alabama judiciary committee. He served in this capacity until his election as the third Lieutenant Governor of Alabama in 1872. In February 1873 McKinstry instigated a power grab when he manipulated parliamentary rules to deny Democrats control over the state senate. McKinstry ran again for lieutenant governor in 1874, but the Republican ticket went down in defeat.

External links

Biography courtesy of the Alabama Department of Archives

References

Lieutenant Governors of Alabama Confederate States Army officers People of Alabama in the American Civil War 1822 births 1879 deaths Politicians from Mobile, Alabama Politicians from Augusta, Georgia Members of the Alabama Legislature 19th-century American politicians American lawyers admitted to the practice of law by reading law Military personnel from Mobile, Alabama {{AmericanCivilWar-bio-stub