Robert Murphy Mayo (April 28, 1836 – March 29, 1896) was a Virginia lawyer,

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

officer and politician who served in 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 ...

and briefly in the

U.S. Representative 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 c ...

as a member of the

Readjuster Party The Readjuster Party was a bi-racial state-level political party formed in Virginia across party lines in the late 1870s during the turbulent period following the Reconstruction era that sought to reduce outstanding debt owed by the state. Readj ...

Early life and education

Born in

Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...

Westmoreland County, Virginia Westmoreland County is a county located in the Northern Neck of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 18,477. Its county seat is Montross. History As originally established by the Virginia colony's ...

, in 1836, to

Northern Neck The Northern Neck is the northernmost of three peninsulas (traditionally called "necks" in Virginia) on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in the Commonwealth of Virginia (along with the Middle Peninsula and the Virginia Peninsula). The P ...

plantation owner and Virginia judge Robert Mayo and his wife, the former Emily Ann Campbell, who had married in 1831. His grandfather Joseph Mayo and grandmother Jane Poythress Mayo had lived in

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

, and his uncle Joseph Carrington Mayo, likewise a lawyer, would serve as Richmond's city attorney and mayor through the American Civil War. The younger Robert Mayo had two older brothers: Dr. John Campbell Mayo (1832–1871) and Joseph Campbell Mayo (1834–1898). He may also have had younger brothers William Mayo and Philip Mayo. He attended private schools and briefly the

College of William and Mary The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III ...

Williamsburg, Virginia Williamsburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 15,425. Located on the Virginia Peninsula, Williamsburg is in the northern part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. It is ...

. He graduated from

Virginia Military Institute la, Consilio et Animis (on seal) , mottoeng = "In peace a glorious asset, In war a tower of strength""By courage and wisdom" (on seal) , established = , type = Public senior military college , accreditation = SACS , endowment = $696.8 mill ...

at Lexington, Virginia, in 1858, and then taught mathematics at Mount Pleasant Military Academy, Sing Sing (now Ossining), New York, and later at his alma mater. While teaching in Lexington, Mayo also studied law at Lexington Law School in 1858 and 1859. His father owned 9 male and 11 female slaves in the 1850 federal census, which R.M. Mayo Jr. may have taken possession of by 1860.

American Civil War

Robert M. Mayo 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 ...

as a major on May 18, 1861, and helped organize the

47th Virginia Infantry The 47th Virginia Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia and was a unit in A.P. Hill's Light Di ...

the next month with Col. George William Richardson. The unit was initially based at Stafford and assigned to protect the shores of the Potomac and

Rappahannock River The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States, approximately in length.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 It traverses the entir ...

s near most members' homes, but was told to withdraw in March 1862 before an expected advance of Union troops under General George McClellan. Mayo was elected the unit's

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 ...

on May 1, 1862, and was wounded in the arm at Seven Pines opposing the Union Peninsular campaign. He was later convicted at a court martial on September 10, 1863, for drunkenness and sentenced to be reduced in rank, but ended up serving throughout 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 ...

(except for sick furlough that began on September 1, 1864). He received his parole at Ashland on April 27, 1865. His elder brother Joseph Campbell Mayo, who graduated in VMI's class of 1852, held similar positions with the 3rd Virginia Infantry (based in Norfolk and one of the companies originally assigned to capture the abolitionist John Brown in 1858 and early in the war defended the Atlantic Coast). J.C. Mayo was wounded at Sharpsburg and Gettysburg, and after the war practiced law in Richmond and became the

treasurer of Virginia The Virginia State Treasurer is the head of the Virginia Department of the Treasury. They are the primary manager of the state's multi-billion dollar investment portfolio and oversee the issuance of bonds and management of debt in excess of $15 b ...

in 1872, before returning home to Westmoreland County and becoming its Commonwealth's Attorney, and eventually dying at his mansion "Auburn" in 1898.

Career

R. M. Mayo Jr. was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

and after the war returned to his legal practice in Westmoreland County and neighboring areas. He opened his office in Westmoreland County's seat,

in 1865. Westmoreland County voters elected R. M. Mayo their Commonwealth's attorney (prosecutor, one of three elected offices in the county). In 1881 voters in Northumberland and Westmoreland Counties elected Mayo to the

(a part-time position), where he succeeded S. B. Burgess. In the election of 1882, Mayo ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives to represent Virginia's first district. The vote was close—he was first declared the loser, then the winner and then the loser again. Incumbent Democrat

George T. Garrison George Tankard Garrison (January 14, 1835 – November 14, 1889) was a U.S. Representative from Virginia. Early life and education Born in Accomack County, Virginia, Garrison was graduated from Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in 18 ...

of Accomack County according to the initial tally won 70 more votes than challenger Mayo. The Readjuster-controlled State Board of Canvassers then threw out the votes of Gloucester County and Hog Island (Garrison had received all 14 votes from Hog Island). Thus Mayo led by a single vote: 10,505–10,504. (A third candidate, Republican John W. Woltz, received only 168 votes.) Mayo was seated and served from March 4, 1883, until March 20, 1884. However, Garrison refused to concede, and the House Committee of Elections then chose to accept the Gloucester County and Hog Island ballots, so the House voted unanimously to seat Garrison halfway through the term. Mayo then returned to Virginia's Northern Neck and resumed his legal practice. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to Congress in 1884, but again won election to the House of Delegates in 1885 and 1887.

Family life

Robert M. Mayo Jr. married Lucy Claybrook on December 3, 1867, in Westmoreland County. His wife was the daughter of Richard Claybrook and his wife Charlotte Brown Claybrook. They had daughters Nellie Mayo (1869-b/f 1880) and Charlotte Brown Mayo Johnson (1871-after 1893) and sons Richard Claybrook Mayo (1872-1911) and Archibald Campbell Mayo (1882-after 1917). In 1880 the household also included his father Judge Mayo and his younger brother farmer Philip Mayo, as well as household servants.1880 U.S. Federal Census for Westmoreland County, Virginia

Death and legacy

Robert Mayo died in

Hague, Virginia Hague is an unincorporated community in Westmoreland County, in the U. S. state of Virginia. The Morgan Jones 1677 Pottery Kiln and Mount Pleasant are listed on the National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Pla ...

, on March 29, 1896. He was interred in Yeocomico Cemetery in

Tucker Hill, Virginia Tucker Hill is an unincorporated community in Westmoreland County, in the U. S. state of Virginia. The Yeocomico Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United Sta ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mayo, Robert Murphy 1836 births 1896 deaths Members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia Virginia lawyers Confederate States Army officers College of William & Mary alumni Washington and Lee University School of Law alumni Readjuster Party members of the United States House of Representatives Readjuster Party politicians People from Westmoreland County, Virginia Virginia Military Institute alumni Virginia Military Institute faculty Members of the Virginia House of Delegates People of Virginia in the American Civil War 19th-century American politicians Members of the United States House of Representatives removed by contest