Augustus Alexandria Chapman (March 9, 1805 – June 7, 1876) was a 19th-century politician and lawyer from

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. Chapman served several terms in the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

, as well as one term in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

. He was also elected to the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1850.

Early life

Born in

Union, Virginia Union is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Floyd County, Virginia, Floyd County, Virginia, United States. References

Unincorporated communities in Virginia Unincorporated communities in Floyd County, Virginia {{Floy ...

(now

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

), Chapman studied law as a young adult, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws from the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

in 1827.

Career

He was admitted to the bar in 1825 and commenced practice in Union, Virginia. About 1829, Chapman settled in

Monroe County, Virginia Monroe County is a county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,376. Its county seat is Union. Monroe County was the home of Andrew Summers Rowan of Spanish–American War fame, who is immortalized in ...

. He was a member of the

from 1835 to 1841. Chapman was later elected a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the

, serving two terms from 1843 to 1847. Chapman was a member of the Virginia Constitutional Convention from 1850 to 1851 and later returned to the House of Delegates from 1857 to 1861. At the outbreak of the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, Chapman became a

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

of the Virginia Militia and as such took the field with his command in 1861. He was in charge of the 19th Brigade, which consisted of six regiments from

Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...

Mercer Mercer may refer to: Business * Mercer (car), a defunct American automobile manufacturer (1909–1925) * Mercer (consulting firm), a large human resources consulting firm headquartered in New York City * Mercer (occupation), a merchant or trader ...

, Fayette, Monroe, and Giles counties.

Later life

After the war, he resumed practicing law in his hometown and engaged in agricultural pursuits.

Death

Augustus Alexandria Chapman died on June 7, 1876, in

Hinton, West Virginia Hinton is a city in Summers County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,266 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Summers County. Hinton was established in 1873 and chartered in 1897. Hinton was named after John "Jack" Hin ...

. He is interred at Green Hill Cemetery in

Union, West Virginia Union is a town in Monroe County, West Virginia, United States. Union’s population is 427 as of 2020. It is the county seat of Monroe County. History Monroe County was established by an act of the Assembly of Virginia on January 14, 1799, occup ...

. Congressional Biographical Directory, "Augustus Chapman"

References

Bibliography

* * * * *

External links

Retrieved on 2008-08-12 *
Augustus A. Chapman
at

The Political Graveyard The Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 277,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information. The name comes from the website's inclusion of burial locations of ...

Chapman House, Historical Marker Database
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chapman, Augustus A. 1805 births 1876 deaths 19th-century American lawyers Democratic Party members of the Virginia House of Delegates Virginia lawyers Confederate militia generals People of Virginia in the American Civil War People from Union, West Virginia West Virginia lawyers People of West Virginia in the American Civil War Farmers from West Virginia People from Hinton, West Virginia Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia 19th-century American politicians