Charles B. Mitchell (April 20, 1842 - March 3, 1899) was an American politician. He served in both houses of the

Mississippi Legislature The Mississippi Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The bicameral Legislature is composed of the lower Mississippi House of Representatives, with 122 members, and the upper Mississippi State Senate, with 52 me ...

and was the Speaker of the

Mississippi House of Representatives The Mississippi House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the U.S. state of Mississippi. According to the state constitution of 1890, it is to comprise no more than 122 members elected fo ...

from 1888 to 1890.

Biography

Charles B. Mitchell was born in

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

on April 20, 1842. He was the son of Dr. Charles G. Mitchell, a physician and plantation owner. In his youth, Charles B. Mitchell moved with his parents to Pontotoc County, Mississippi, where his father owned a plantation. Mitchell attended a college in

Murfreesboro, Tennessee Murfreesboro is a city in and county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 152,769 according to the 2020 census, up from 108,755 residents certified in 2010. Murfreesboro is located in the Nashville metropol ...

. When 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 ...

began, Mitchell set aside his studies and enlisted in the

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

. He was shortly discharged due to a physical disability, but later rejoined and served until the end of the war. After the Civil War ended, Mitchell returned to Pontotoc County, Mississippi, where he studied law under Colonel C. B. Fontaine and was admitted to the bar. He then set up a law practice in Pontotoc County.

Political career

Mitchell was elected to represent, and then represented, Pontotoc County in the

in the 1870 and 1871 sessions. He was a presidential elector for Winfield Scott Hancock in the 1880 election. Mitchell then represented the 20th District in the

Mississippi State Senate The Mississippi Senate is the upper house of the Mississippi Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The Senate, along with the lower Mississippi House of Representatives, convenes at the Mississippi State Capitol ...

in the 1882 and 1884 sessions. Twice in the 1880s, Mitchell unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic nomination for the

U.S. 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 chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

. He was elected to the House again for the 1888 session, and served as its Speaker for that term. After being elected to fill a vacancy, he served in the House again in the 1894 session. He was re-elected to the Senate in 1895 to represent the 31st District for the 1896–1900 term. This term was cut short by his death. At the time of his death, Mitchell was also serving on the board of trustees of

Mississippi Industrial Institute and College Mississippi University for Women (MUW or "The W") is a coeducational public university in Columbus, Mississippi. It was formerly named the Industrial Institute and College for the Education of White Girls and later the Mississippi State College f ...

Personal life and death

Mitchell was a member of the

Baptist Church Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

. His first wife was the former Virginia Dennis. They had seven children: Charles D., Jennie (Mitchell) Connelly, Mary (Mitchell) Morphis, Willie, George T., Annie (Mitchell) Gracy, and Fannie. After Virginia's death in 1884, Mitchell remarried to San White, with whom he had one child, Ida. Mitchell's third wife was Pauline (Bayinger) Patterson, with whom he had two children: Victor and Pauline. Mitchell died after a short illness on March 3, 1899, in Pontotoc, Mississippi.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchell, Charles B. 1842 births 1899 deaths People from Pontotoc County, Mississippi Members of the Mississippi House of Representatives Mississippi state senators Speakers of the Mississippi House of Representatives