Henry Smith Van Eaton (September 14, 1826 – May 30, 1898) was an attorney, politician and military officer, reaching the rank of captain in the Confederate Army. He was elected from

Mississippi's 6th congressional district Mississippi's 6th congressional district existed from 1873 to 1963. It was created after the United States 1870 census and abolished following the 1960 census, due to changes in population. Boundaries The 6th congressional district boundaries i ...

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 ...

, serving 1883 to 1887.

Early life and education

Van Eaton was born and raised in Anderson Township, Ohio. In 1848, he graduated from Illinois College,

Jacksonville, Illinois Jacksonville is a city in Morgan County, Illinois, Morgan County, Illinois, United States. The population was 19,446 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Morgan County. It is home to Illinois College, Illinois School for the Deaf, and the ...

, where he studied law. During this time, he became a founding member of

Phi Alpha Literary Society Phi Alpha () is a men's Literary Society founded in 1845 at Illinois College in Jacksonville, Illinois. It conducts business meetings, literary productions, and other activities in Beecher Hall, the oldest college building in the state of Illi ...

. While an active member, he served as president and recording secretary. In 1848, at 22 years, Van Eaton moved to

Woodville, Mississippi Woodville is a town in and the county seat of Wilkinson County, Mississippi, United States. Its population as of 2020 was 928. History This historic town, one of the oldest in Mississippi, is set among the rolling hills and pastures of Wilkins ...

, where he taught school. In 1855, he was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

and began practicing law in Woodville, Wilkinson County. In 1857, Van Eaton was elected district attorney. In 1859, he served as a member of the State House of Representatives. When 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 ...

broke out, he enlisted in the

Confederate States 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 ...

and served throughout the country, earning the rank of captain.1845-1890. Catalogue of Phi Alpha Society
/ref> In 1865, following his service in the war, he resumed the practice of law in Woodville. In 1880, he was appointed chancellor of the tenth Mississippi district. Defeating the

fusion Fusion, or synthesis, is the process of combining two or more distinct entities into a new whole. Fusion may also refer to: Science and technology Physics *Nuclear fusion, multiple atomic nuclei combining to form one or more different atomic nucl ...

candidate, he was elected in 1882 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 Forty-eighth and Forty-ninth Congresses (March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1887). In 1887, Van Eaton was appointed to the Board of Visitors to the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

at Annapolis 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 ...

. He was appointed to another patronage position in 1888, serving as a member of a commission to examine and report upon the last completed portion of the

Northern Pacific Railroad The Northern Pacific Railway was a transcontinental railroad that operated across the northern tier of the western United States, from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest. It was approved by 38th United States Congress, Congress in 1864 and given ...

. Van Eaton returned to Mississippi and practiced law. He died in Woodville, on May 30, 1898. He was interred in Evergreen Cemetery.

Early life and education

References

Further reading