Muscoe Russell Hunter Garnett (July 25, 1821 – February 14, 1864), was a nineteenth-century politician and lawyer from

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 ...

Early life

Garnett was born on his family’s " Elmwood" estate located near Loretto, Virginia. He was the son of James Mercer Garnett and Maria (née Hunter) Garnett, and born into the

First Families of Virginia First Families of Virginia (FFV) were those families in Colonial Virginia who were socially prominent and wealthy, but not necessarily the earliest settlers. They descended from English colonists who primarily settled at Jamestown, Williamsbur ...

. His grandfather James M. Garnett and aunts raised him after his father died in 1824. He received a private education suitable to his class. His uncle was a congressman Robert Garnett Robert Mercer Taliaferro Hunter. He attended the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...

, where he received his law degree in 1842. Garnett was admitted to the Virginia bar in 1842, and set up practice, as his father had done, in Loretto.

Career

He was a delegate to the Virginia Constitutional Convention in 1850 and 1851 where he opposed expansion of the electorate, fearing internal improvements that would benefit western counties. In 1850, he wrote a pamphlet ''The Union, Past and Future; how it works and how to save it. By a Citizen of Virginia'', which discussed the relationship of slavery to the national government. Prior to his election to

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

, he was a Virginia delegate to both the 1852 and 1856 Democratic National Conventions, a member of the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-number ...

(from 1853–1856), and a member of the

Board of Visitors In the United States, a board often governs institutions of higher education, including private universities, state universities, and community colleges. In each US state, such boards may govern either the state university system, individual ...

of the University of Virginia (from 1855–1859). In 1856, Garnett was elected 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 ...

from Virginia's 1st Congressional District to the 34th Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Thomas H. Bayly. He was subsequently reelected to both the 35th and 36th Congresses, serving from December 1, 1856, to March 3, 1861, only leaving at the outbreak of the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. With his sympathies lying with the South, he became a delegate to first the Virginia secession convention and then to the State constitutional convention in 1861. From 1862–1864, he was a Virginian member of 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 ...

. During that same time, his uncle Robert Hunter was the CSA Secretary of State and then a CSA Senator.

Personal life

He was married on July 26, 1860, to Mary Picton Stevens (1840-1903), a daughter of

Edwin Augustus Stevens Edwin Augustus Stevens (July 28, 1795 – August 7, 1868) was an American engineer, inventor, and entrepreneur who left a bequest that was used to establish the Stevens Institute of Technology. Life Stevens was born at Castle Point, Hobo ...

. They had two children before his early death: * James Mercer Garnett, who was born July 7, 1861. * Mary Barton Picton Garnett, who was born May 28, 1863. While attending the Confederate Congress in early 1864, Muscoe caught typhoid fever

and subsequently died at his family's "Elmwood" estate on February 14, 1864, where he was buried in the family cemetery. After his death, his widow married

Edward Parke Custis Lewis Edward Parke Custis Lewis (February 7, 1837 – September 3, 1892) was a Confederate Army colonel, lawyer, legislator, and diplomat who served as United States Minister to Portugal from 1885 to 1889. Early life Lewis was born at Audley, hi ...

, a diplomat, who was a descendant of

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

. " Elmwood" was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1970.

Elections

*1856; Garnett was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in a special election with 51.58% of the vote, defeating American Robert Saunders. *1857; Garnett was re-elected with 57.08% of the vote, defeating American John Critcher. *1859; Garnett was re-elected unopposed.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Garnett, Muscoe Russell Hunter 1821 births 1864 deaths Democratic Party members of the Virginia House of Delegates Virginia lawyers University of Virginia School of Law alumni Virginia Secession Delegates of 1861 Members of the Confederate House of Representatives from Virginia People from Essex County, Virginia Deaths from typhoid fever Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia Infectious disease deaths in Virginia 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American lawyers Garnett family of Virginia