James Phelan Sr. (October 11, 1821 – May 17, 1873) was a senator in the
Confederate Congress
The Confederate States Congress was both the Provisional government, provisional and permanent Legislature, legislative assembly of the Confederate States of America that existed from 1861 to 1865. Its actions were for the most part concerned w ...
during 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 ...
from the state of
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 ...
.
Biography
He was born in
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in t ...
to John Phelan and Priscilla Oakes (Ford) Morris, a niece of Sir Richard Oakes of Scotland. They married on 8 June 1807. His father John Phelan was a native of Marysbourough,
Queen's County, Ireland
County Laois ( ; gle, Contae Laoise) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It was known as Queen's County from 1556 ...
. John Phelan was the grand-nephew of James Phelan,
Bishop of Ossory
The Bishop of Ossory () is an Episcopal polity, episcopal title which takes its name after the ancient of Kingdom of Ossory in the Provinces of Ireland, Province of Leinster, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remain ...
(d. 1695). John Phelan married Mary Sluigan, of Cloncons Castle,
King's County, and came to the United States in 1793, at the age of twenty-four. He settled first in
New York city
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, and afterwards moved to
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, where he was cashier of the
Bank of New Brunswick
The Bank of New Brunswick, established in 1820, was the first Canadian bank to operate under a charter. The bank operated independently in New Brunswick and later in Prince Edward Island until it merged with the Bank of Nova Scotia (now Scotiabank ...
, moving to Huntsville, Alabama in 1818.
[''Robert Early Phelan'' entry at Encyclopedia of American biography: New series, Volume 22, American Historical Society, 1959]
James Phelan was apprenticed as a printer to the ''Democrat'' at fourteen years of age, subsequently edited the ''Flag of the Union'', a Democratic organ, and became state
printer
Printer may refer to:
Technology
* Printer (publishing), a person or a company
* Printer (computing), a hardware device
* Optical printer for motion picture films
People
* Nariman Printer ( fl. c. 1940), Indian journalist and activist
* Jame ...
in 1843. He was admitted to the bar in 1846, moved to
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 ...
in 1849, and settled in
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
, where he soon established a large practice.
He became a member of 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 1860, then was elected as a Senator from Mississippi in the
First Confederate Congress
The 1st Confederate States Congress, consisting of the Confederate States Senate and the Confederate States House of Representatives, met from February 18, 1862, to February 17, 1864, during the first two years of Jefferson Davis's presidency, a ...
1862–64. In 1863, he introduced what was called the "Crucial bill of the Confederacy," which was a proposition to confiscate all the
cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...
in the South, paying for it in Confederate bonds, and using it as a basis for a foreign loan. The bill passed the house, but was defeated in the senate, and created so much indignation among the planters that Phelan was burned in effigy, and defeated in the next election. After 1864, Phelan served as
judge advocate
Judge-advocates are military lawyers serving in different capacities in the military justice systems of different jurisdictions.
Australia
The Australian Army Legal Corps (AALC) consists of Regular and Reserve commissioned officers that provi ...
till the end of the war, when he settled in
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...
, and practised law in a firm formed with
Henry T. Ellett in that city until his death.
He was interred in
Aberdeen, Mississippi
Aberdeen is the county seat of Monroe County, Mississippi, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 5,612.
Located on the banks of the Tombigbee River, Aberdeen was one of the busiest Mississippi ports of the 19th century. Cotto ...
, following his death at the age of 51.
Personal life
His brother,
John Dennis Phelan
John Dennis Phelan (March 23, 1809 – September 9, 1879) was an American editor, politician and jurist.
Early life
Phelan was born on March 23, 1809, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He was the son of John Phelan (d. 1850), an Irish immigrant, an ...
, was a noted lawyer, jurist and politician. His son
James Phelan Jr. became a congressman.
Notes
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Phelan, James Sr.
1821 births
1873 deaths
American editors
American jurists
American printers
Confederate States of America senators
19th-century American politicians
Mississippi state senators
Politicians from Huntsville, Alabama
People of Mississippi in the American Civil War
19th-century American businesspeople
Southern Historical Society