James Henderson Berry (May 15, 1841 – January 30, 1913) was a
United States Senator
The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...
and served as the 14th
governor of Arkansas
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...
.
Early life
James Henderson Berry was born in
Jackson County, Alabama
Jackson County is the northeasternmost county in the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 52,579. The county seat is Scottsboro. The county was named for Andrew Jackson, general in the United States Army and afterw ...
, to Isabella Jane (née Orr) and James McFerrin Berry. The family moved to Arkansas in 1848. Berry attended Berryville Academy in
Berryville, Arkansas, for one year. The academy was named after his family. Berry studied
law and in 1866 was
admitted to the Arkansas bar.
American Civil War
At the outbreak of 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 ...
, Berry joined 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 was commissioned as a
second lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank.
Australia
The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
with Company E,
16th Arkansas Infantry. Berry lost his right leg during the
Battle of Corinth in northern
Mississippi
Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
. After recuperating from his wound, he worked as a school teacher and started a private law practice.
Political career
Berry was elected to the
Arkansas House of Representatives
The Arkansas State House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arkansas General Assembly, the state legislature of the US state of Arkansas. The House is composed of 100 members elected from an equal amount of constituencies across the ...
in 1866. He was reelected in 1872 and in 1874. In his last term he was selected to be Speaker of the House. Berry was the chairman of the Democratic State Convention in 1876. In 1878 he became a judge for the Fourth Circuit Court and served in that post until 1882 when he was elected Governor of Arkansas. The Berry administration focused on reducing the state debt and creating a state mental hospital. Berry did not run for reelection. In March 1885, Berry was selected by the legislature to fill the unexpired term of Senator
Augustus H. Garland. Berry remained in the U.S. Senate for the next 22 years.
Later life
In 1910, Berry accepted a position with the Arkansas History Commission to mark the graves of all Arkansas Confederate soldiers who had died in northern prisons. Berry died in
Bentonville, Arkansas, and is buried at the Knights of Pythias Cemetery (present-day Bentonville Cemetery), Bentonville, Arkansas.
Personal life
In 1865, Berry married E.Q. "Lizzie" Quaile. They had six children.
References
External links
*
*Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture entry
James Henderson Berry1905 Full Portrait
{{DEFAULTSORT:Berry, James H.
1841 births
1913 deaths
19th-century American politicians
American amputees
Arkansas lawyers
American politicians with disabilities
Arkansas state court judges
Confederate States Army officers
Deaths in Arkansas
Democratic Party governors of Arkansas
Democratic Party United States senators from Arkansas
People from Jackson County, Alabama
Speakers of the Arkansas House of Representatives
Democratic Party members of the Arkansas House of Representatives
19th-century American judges
19th-century American lawyers