Thomas Boles (July 16, 1837 – March 13, 1905) was an American politician, a judge, and a

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 ...

from

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

Biography

Born near

Clarksville, Arkansas Clarksville is a city in Johnson County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 9,178, up from 7,719 in 2000. As of 2018, the estimated population was 9,743. The city is the county seat of Johnson County. It is nestled ...

, Boles attended the

common school A common school was a public school in the United States during the 19th century. Horace Mann (1796–1859) was a strong advocate for public education and the common school. In 1837, the state of Massachusetts appointed Mann as the first secretary o ...

s and taught school for several years.

Career

Boles was a deputy sheriff in

Yell County, Arkansas Yell County is a county in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,263. The county has two county seats, Dardanelle and Danville. Yell County is Arkansas's 42nd county, formed on December 5, 1840, from portio ...

in 1858 and deputy clerk of the circuit court of Yell County in 1859 and 1860. He studied law and 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 ...

in 1860 whereupon he commenced practice in

Danville, Arkansas Danville is a city in Yell County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 2,409 at the 2010 census. Along with Dardanelle, it is one of two county seats for Yell County. Danville is part of the Russellville Micropolitan Statistical Area. ...

. 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 ...

, Boles served on the

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

side as captain of Company E, Third Regiment, Arkansas Volunteer Cavalry from 1863 until 1864. After the war he served as judge of the fourth judicial circuit from 1865 until April 20, 1868, when he resigned. Upon the readmission of Arkansas to representation Boles was elected as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

to the Fortieth Congress and was reelected to the Forty-first Congress, serving from June 22, 1868 until March 3, 1871. He successfully contested the election of

John Edwards Johnny Reid Edwards (born June 10, 1953) is an American lawyer and former politician who served as a U.S. senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2004 alongside John Kerry, losing to incumbents George ...

to the Forty-second Congress and again served from February 9, 1872 until March 3, 1873, but he was not a candidate for renomination in 1872. Boles resumed the practice of law at

Dardanelle, Arkansas Dardanelle is a city in northeast Yell County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 4,745 at the 2010 census. Along with Danville, it serves as a county seat for Yell County. It is located near Lake Dardanelle. Dardanelle is part of the ...

and also served many years as school director and

alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many Jurisdiction, jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council membe ...

. He was appointed receiver of the land office at Dardanelle by President Hayes in February 1878. He then served as a

United States marshal The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The USMS is a bureau within the U.S. Department of Justice, operating under the direction of the Attorney General, but serves as the enforcem ...

for the western district of Arkansas from 1881 until 1889. He was a delegate to every Republican State convention from the organization of the party until his death. He also served as clerk of the United States Circuit Court for the Eighth Judicial Circuit from September 1897 until his death.

Death

Boles died in Fort Smith, Sebastian County, Arkansas, on March 13, 1905. He is

interred Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...

at Brearley Cemetery,

References

External links

*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boles, Thomas 1837 births 1905 deaths People from Johnson County, Arkansas Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Arkansas United States Marshals People from Clarksville, Arkansas People from Yell County, Arkansas People from Dardanelle, Arkansas 19th-century American politicians People of Arkansas in the American Civil War Southern Unionists in the American Civil War Union Army officers Burials in Arkansas