James Craig (February 28, 1818 – October 22, 1888) was an American lawyer and politician from Saint Joseph, Missouri. He represented

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

in the

U.S. House 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 ...

from 1857 until 1861. He also served as an army Captain in the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

. 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 ...

, Craig served as a brigadier general of U.S. volunteers. From April to November 1862, Craig was the military commander in charge of the overland mail routes in Kansas and Nebraska. On November 2, 1862 he assumed command of the District of

Nebraska Territory The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Nebraska. The Nebrask ...

and commanded until May 5, 1863 when he resigned. Craig again served as a brigadier general, this time in the Missouri State militia, in 1864 and 1865. He is buried in

Mount Mora Cemetery Mount Mora Cemetery is the oldest public cemetery in St. Joseph, Missouri. Among those who are buried in the cemetery are three governors, a U.S. senator, soldiers from both sides in the American Civil War and riders of the Pony Express. In Octo ...

. James Craig is the namesake of

Craig, Missouri Craig is a city in Holt County, Missouri, United States. The population was 105 at the 2020 census. History Craig was laid out in 1868. The city was named after the attorney and Missouri politician James Craig. A post office called Craig has be ...

References

External links

biographic sketch at U.S. Congress
1818 births 1888 deaths People of Missouri in the American Civil War Union Army generals Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri 19th-century American politicians {{AmericanCivilWar-bio-stub