Thomas Fletcher (April 8, 1817February 26, 1880) was an American politician and lawyer who served as
acting
Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor or actress who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode.
Acting involves a broad r ...
governor of Arkansas
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 r ...
from November 4 to 15, 1862, following the resignation of
Henry M. Rector
Henry Massie Rector (May 1, 1816August 12, 1899) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the sixth governor of Arkansas from 1860 to 1862.
Early life and education
Henry Massie Rector was born in Louisville, Kentucky, the son of ...
. He was president of the
Arkansas Senate
The Arkansas State Senate is the upper branch of the Arkansas General Assembly. The Senate consists of 35 members, each representing a district with about 83,000 people. Service in the state legislature is part-time, and many state senators have ...
from 1858 to 1864, and
in exile at
Washington, Arkansas
Washington is a city in Ozan List of Arkansas townships, Township, Hempstead County, Arkansas, Hempstead County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 180 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, up from 148 in 2000 United States Ce ...
until 1865.
Early life
Fletcher was born on April 8, 1817, at
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...
. He became prominent in the profession of law and, during the
Polk administration
The presidency of James K. Polk began on March 4, 1845, when James K. Polk was United States presidential inauguration, inaugurated as President of the United States, and ended on March 4, 1849. He was a Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, ...
, was appointed 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 ...
. An attorney in
Hinds County, Mississippi
Hinds County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. With its county seats (Raymond and the state's capital, Jackson), Hinds is the most populous county in Mississippi with a 2020 census population of 227,742 residents. Hinds Coun ...
in 1850, he later moved to
Arkansas County, Arkansas
Arkansas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 19,019. Located in the Arkansas Delta, the county has two county seats, DeWitt and Stuttgart.
The first of the state's 75 present- ...
. Turning to elective politics, he represented the 18th district in the Arkansas Senate from 1858 to 1864, and in the State government in exile at Washington, Arkansas until the
end of the American Civil War.
Acting Governor of Arkansas
Fletcher's service as acting governor of Arkansas continued from the resignation of Henry M. Rector until the inauguration of
Harris Flanagin
Harris Flanagin (November 3, 1817October 23, 1874) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 7th governor of Arkansas from 1862 to 1864, and in exile from 1864 to 1865. Prior to this he was a Confederate States Army officer who ...
, who was chosen at the
general election held on October 6, 1862. Fletcher's tenure of the office as acting governor was by virtue of his position as president of the Arkansas Senate.
Later life and death
After the
reconstruction period
The Reconstruction era was a period in History of the United States, American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebui ...
ended in
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 ...
, he represented the 16th district in the Arkansas Senate. In 1878 he began the practice of the law at
Little Rock, Arkansas
(The Little Rock, The "Little Rock")
, government_type = council-manager government, Council-manager
, leader_title = List of mayors of Little Rock, Arkansas, Mayor
, leader_name = Frank Scott Jr.
, leader_ ...
, but his career was soon afterward terminated by his death at age 62,
on February 26, 1880, at Little Rock, due to complications from
pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...
.
See also
*
List of burials at Mount Holly Cemetery
Mount Holly Cemetery is a historic cemetery located in the Quapaw Quarter area of downtown Little Rock in the U.S. state of Arkansas, and is the burial place for numerous Arkansans of note. It was listed on the National Register of Historic ...
*
List of Freemasons
This "List of Freemasons" page provides links to alphabetized lists of notable Freemasons. Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation which exists in a number of forms worldwide. Throughout history some members of the fraternity have made no secre ...
*
List of governors of Arkansas
The governor of Arkansas is the head of government of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The governor is the head of the executive branch of the Arkansas government and is charged with enforcing state laws. They have the power to either approve or ve ...
*
List of people from Nashville, Tennessee
The following is a list of notable people who have lived in Nashville, Tennessee.
Native Nashvillians
People born in Nashville:
Musicians and songwriters
With its status as a major hub of music production (especially country and gospel music), ...
*
List of pneumonia victims
In alphabetical order, this is a list of famous people who died of pneumonia.
Notes
External linksWorld Pneumonia Day
{{Authority control
*
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting th ...
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fletcher, Thomas
1817 births
1880 deaths
19th-century American judges
19th-century American lawyers
19th-century American politicians
19th-century Methodists
Acting Governors of Arkansas
American Freemasons
American lawyers admitted to the practice of law by reading law
Methodists from Arkansas
American slave owners
Arkansas Democrats
Arkansas Independents
Arkansas state senators
Burials at Mount Holly Cemetery
Confederate States of America state governors
Deaths from pneumonia in Arkansas
Democratic Party governors of Arkansas
Exiled politicians
Farmers from Arkansas
Lawyers from Little Rock, Arkansas
People from Hinds County, Mississippi
People from Nashville, Tennessee
People of Arkansas in the American Civil War
Politicians from Arkansas County, Arkansas
Polk administration personnel
Recipients of American presidential pardons
United States Marshals
University of Nashville alumni