George Madison Adams (December 20, 1837 – April 6, 1920) was a

U.S. Representative 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 c ...

from

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 ...

, nephew of

Green Adams Green Adams (August 20, 1812 – January 18, 1884) was a lawyer, slave owner, and member and functionary of the United States Congress. He was born in Barbourville, Kentucky in 1812. Biography He studied law and was admitted to the bar. In 1839 ...

, and slaveowner.

Early years

Adams was born in Barbourville,

Knox County, Kentucky Knox County is a county located in Appalachia near the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 30,193. Its county seat is Barbourville. The county is named for General Henry Knox. It is one ...

, on December 20, 1837. He received private instruction from his father and studied law at

Centre College Centre College is a private liberal arts college in Danville, Kentucky. It is an undergraduate college with an enrollment of approximately 1,400 students. Centre was officially chartered by the Kentucky General Assembly in 1819. The college is ...

Danville, Kentucky Danville is a home rule-class city in Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. It is the seat of its county. The population was 17,236 at the 2020 Census. Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes ...

, but did not graduate.US Congress, id: A000035 He served as clerk of the circuit court of Knox County, from 1859 to 1861. During 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 ...

, he enlisted in the Union army, raised a company of volunteers and was captain of Company H,

7th Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Infantry The 7th Kentucky Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 7th Kentucky Infantry Regiment was organized at Camp Dick Robinson and mustered in for a three-year enlistment o ...

, from 1861 to 1863. In 1863 he was appointed additional paymaster of volunteers with the rank of captain, serving until 1865. He was a slaveowner, as was his son.

Career

Adams was elected as 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 Fortieth and to the three succeeding Congresses from March 4, 1867, to March 3, 1875 ( 41st, 42rd and 43rd congresses). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1874 to the Forty-fourth Congress. Adams was elected Clerk of the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

on December 6, 1875, during the Forty-fourth Congress, and served until the commencement of the Forty-seventh Congress, December 5, 1881. He was appointed register of the Kentucky land office by Governor

J. Proctor Knott James Proctor Knott (August 29, 1830 – June 18, 1911) was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky and served as the 29th Governor of Kentucky from 1883 to 1887. Born in Kentucky, he moved to Missouri in 1850 and began his political career the ...

and served from 1884 to 1887. He was appointed secretary of state for Kentucky by Governor

Simon B. Buckner Simon Bolivar Buckner ( ; April 1, 1823 – January 8, 1914) was an American soldier, Confederate combatant, and politician. He fought in the United States Army in the Mexican–American War. He later fought in the Confederate States Army ...

and served from 1887 to 1891. He was appointed Kentucky State railroad commissioner in 1891. He was appointed United States pension agent at

Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...

by President

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...

and served from 1894 to 1898.

Last years

After retirement he resided at

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

Clark County, Kentucky Clark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,972. Its county seat is Winchester. The county was created in 1792 from Bourbon and Fayette counties and is named for Revolutionary War ...

, until his death April 6, 1920. He was interred at

Lexington Cemetery Lexington Cemetery is a private, non-profit rural cemetery and arboretum located at 833 W. Main Street, Lexington, Kentucky. The Lexington Cemetery was established in 1848 as a place of beauty and a public cemetery, in part to deal ...

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, Fayette County. By population, it is the List of cities in Kentucky, second-largest city in Kentucky and List of United States cities by popul ...

References

Sources

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, George Madison 1837 births 1920 deaths People from Barbourville, Kentucky American people of English descent Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky Clerks of the United States House of Representatives Secretaries of State of Kentucky Kentucky lawyers American slave owners People from Winchester, Kentucky 19th-century American lawyers Centre College alumni Union Army officers Southern Unionists in the American Civil War People of Kentucky in the American Civil War