John Marshall Stone (April 30, 1830March 26, 1900) was an American politician from
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 ...
. A Democrat, he served longer as
governor
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 ...
of that
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
than anyone else, from 1876 to 1882 and again from 1890 to 1896. He approved a new constitution in 1890 passed by the Democratic-dominated state legislature that
disfranchised most African Americans, excluding them from the political system. They were kept out for nearly 70 years.
Early life
Born in
Milan, Tennessee
Milan () is the second largest city after Humboldt in Gibson County, Tennessee and the largest entirely within the county. It is home to the Milan Army Ammunition Plant, the West Tennessee Agricultural Museum and several historical sites listed ...
, Stone was the son of Asher and Judith Stone, natives of
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
who were part of the migration to the west. He did not attend college since his family was fairly poor, but he studied a great deal and eventually taught school. He lived in
Jacks Creek, Tennessee before moving to
Tishomingo County, Mississippi
Tishomingo County is a county located in the northeastern corner of the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the population was 19,593. Its county seat is Iuka.
History
Tishomingo County was organized February 9, 1836, from Ch ...
in 1855. Stone became a station agent at
Iuka when the
Memphis and Charleston Railroad
The Memphis and Charleston Railroad, completed in 1857, was the first railroad in the United States to link the Atlantic Ocean with the Mississippi River. Chartered in 1846, the gauge railroad ran from Memphis, Tennessee to Stevenson, Alabama th ...
opened.
American Civil War
With 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 ...
in 1861, Stone 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 ...
that April. He commanded Company K of the Second Mississippi Infantry and saw action in Virginia. In 1862, Stone, a
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...
, was placed in command of another regiment due to a reorganization. Stone was highly commended by his division commander Maj. Gen.
Henry Heth
Henry Heth ( not ) (December 16, 1825 – September 27, 1899) was a career United States Army officer who became a Confederate general in the American Civil War.
He came to the notice of Robert E. Lee while serving briefly as his quartermast ...
, and in 1864, he frequently commanded the brigade. In January 1865, he recruited in Mississippi and commanded local troops countering
Stoneman's 1865 Raid. He and his men were captured in North Carolina and imprisoned in
Camp Chase
Camp Chase was a military staging and training camp established in Columbus, Ohio in May 1861 after the start of the American Civil War. It also included a large Union-operated prison camp for Confederate prisoners during the American Civil War ...
, Ohio; later transferred to
Johnson's Island
Johnson's Island is a island in Sandusky Bay, located on the coast of Lake Erie, from the city of Sandusky, Ohio. It was the site of a prisoner-of-war camp for Confederate officers captured during the American Civil War. Initially, Johnso ...
, Ohio.
Political career
![John M](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/John_M._Stone.jpg)
At the end of the war, Stone returned to Tishomingo County. He was elected mayor and treasurer. In 1869, he won a race to become state senator, winning re-election in 1873. State elections were marked by fraud and violence; the
Red Shirts, a paramilitary group, worked to disrupt and suppress black voting and turned Republicans out of office. After Governor
Adelbert Ames
Adelbert Ames (October 31, 1835 – April 13, 1933) was an American sailor, soldier, and politician who served with distinction as a Union Army general during the American Civil War. A Radical Republican, he was military governor, U.S. Senat ...
resigned in 1876, Stone, who was
president pro tempore of the
Mississippi State Senate at that time, served as the
acting governor
An acting governor is a person who acts in the role of governor. In Commonwealth jurisdictions where the governor is a vice-regal position, the role of "acting governor" may be filled by a lieutenant governor (as in most Australian states) or an ...
.
In the
1877 election, Stone won the governor's office 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 ...
. In
1881
Events
January–March
* January 1– 24 – Siege of Geok Tepe: Russian troops under General Mikhail Skobelev defeat the Turkomans.
* January 13 – War of the Pacific – Battle of San Juan and Chorrillos: The ...
he was defeated for re-election by
Robert Lowry. Stone became governor again after winning the
1889 election. The gubernatorial term was extended through 1896 by the new
Mississippi Constitution
The Constitution of Mississippi is the primary organizing law for the U.S. state of Mississippi delineating the duties, powers, structures, and functions of the state government. Mississippi's original constitution was adopted at a constituti ...
of 1890. Determined to keep control and maintain
white supremacy
White supremacy or white supremacism is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races and thus should dominate them. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White s ...
, the Democratic-dominated legislature effectively
disfranchised most blacks in the state by adding a requirement to the constitution for voter registration for payment of
poll taxes
A poll tax, also known as head tax or capitation, is a tax levied as a fixed sum on every liable individual (typically every adult), without reference to income or resources.
Head taxes were important sources of revenue for many governments f ...
. Two years later, they passed laws requiring
literacy tests (administered by white officials in a discriminatory way) and
grandfather clauses (the latter benefited white citizens). These requirements, with additions in the legislation of 1892, resulted in a
90% reduction in the number of blacks who voted in Mississippi.
In every county a handful of prominent black ministers and local leaders were allowed to vote. African Americans were essentially excluded from the political system for 70 years until after the passage of federal civil rights legislation in the mid-1960s.
When this constitution and laws survived an appeal to the US Supreme Court, other southern states quickly adopted the "Mississippi Plan" and passed disfranchising constitutions through 1908.
[Michael Perman, ''Struggle for Mastery: Disfranchisement in the South, 1888–1908'' (2000), ch 4] Voter rolls dropped dramatically in other southern states as well, and white Democrats dominated politics.
Later life
Following his term as governor, in 1899, Stone accepted a position as the 2nd President of Mississippi A&M (now
Mississippi State University) in
Starkville. Stone died in
Holly Springs, Mississippi
Holly Springs is a city in, and the county seat of, Marshall County, Mississippi, United States, near the southern border of Tennessee. Near the Mississippi Delta, the area was developed by European Americans for cotton plantations and was d ...
, in 1900, at 69. He is buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in
Iuka, Mississippi
Iuka is a city in and the county seat of Tishomingo County, Mississippi, United States. Its population was 3,028 at the 2010 census. Woodall Mountain, the highest point in Mississippi, is located just south of Iuka.
History
Iuka is built on ...
.
Personal life
After the war, Stone married Mary G. Coman in 1872. The couple had two children who died young. They adopted three children of John's brother and raised them as their own.
Legacy and honors
* In 1916
Stone County, Mississippi
Stone County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the population was 17,786. Its county seat is Wiggins. Stone County was formed from the northern portion of Harrison County on June 5, 1916. The county ...
, was named in his honor posthumously.
* Stone Boulevard at Mississippi State is named for him.
* The
John M. Stone Cotton Mill in Starkville was formerly named in his honor. However, it was renamed the E.E. Cooley Building after being purchased by Mississippi State University (MSU) in 1965. This building was used for many years to house the university's physical plant.
[E.E. Cooley Building (John M. Stone Cotton Mill)](_blank)
The building reopened in 2015 as an event center.
See also
*
List of governors of Mississippi
*
List of lieutenant governors of Mississippi
The lieutenant governor of Mississippi is the second-highest ranking executive officer in Mississippi, below the governor of Mississippi. The office of lieutenant governor was established when Mississippi became a state, abolished for a few decade ...
*
List of members of the United Confederate Veterans
*
List of presidents of Mississippi State University
References
External links
Mississippi State University General InformationGallery of the Presidentsat the
National Governors Association
The National Governors Association (NGA) is an American political organization founded in 1908. The association's members are the governors of the 55 states, territories and commonwealths. Members come to the association from across the politica ...
John Marshall Stone entryat
The Political Graveyard
The Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 277,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information. The name comes from the website's inclusion of burial locations o ...
*
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stone, John Marshall
1830 births
1900 deaths
19th-century American politicians
American Civil War prisoners of war
Confederate States Army officers
Democratic Party governors of Mississippi
Lieutenant Governors of Mississippi
Democratic Party Mississippi state senators
People from Milan, Tennessee
People of Mississippi in the American Civil War
Presidents of Mississippi State University
Stone County, Mississippi