Thomas K. Harris ( – March 18, 1816) was an American politician who represented

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

in the

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Biography

After he had studied law, he was admitted to the

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. He practiced law in both

Sparta Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referre ...

and

McMinnville, Tennessee McMinnville is the largest city in and the county seat of Warren County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 13,605 at the 2010 census. It was named for Governor Joseph McMinn. Geography McMinnville is located at (35.686708, -85.779309) ...

. He was a soldier under General Andrew Jackson in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

Career

Harris served as a

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of Priestly Academy in Sparta, Tennessee. It was the first school of any importance in White County of which a record can be found. The school was taught by the Reverend Memucan Wade, a Presbyterian

minister Minister may refer to: * Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric ** Minister (Catholic Church) * Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department) ** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...

. It was established about 1815 in Sparta. Harris was a member of the Tennessee Senate during the 8th General A from 1809 until 1811. Having been elected as a

Democratic-Republican The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early ...

to the Thirteenth Congress, He was a United States Representative during the Thirteenth Congress which lasted from March 4, 1813, to March 3, 1815. General John Simpson and General Harris were candidates for brigadier general. When General Harris was successful and commissioned on January 8, 1815, General Simpson then claimed that he had been defeated because General Harris had withdrawn from the race, and had it not been for this report, Simpson would have been chosen. Bitter feelings arose between the two, and when they met on the Public Square in Sparta, General Simpson struck General Harris with a heavy cane. At the time the generals were separated, Harris swore he would kill Simpson.

Death

On March 18, 1816, Harris and Simpson met for the first time at a ford in Caney Fork River, near Rock Island. Both were prepared for the meeting. Simpson wanted a witness to what might follow; turned his horse; halted at a man's house and dismounted. Harris followed; fired at him and missed. Simpson then fired, inflicting a mortal wound in the breast of Harris. Simpson helped to carry Harris into the house. Harris was about 39 years of age. The location of his interment is unknown. General Simpson was commissioned as brigadier general of the Second Division of the State Militia on September 26, 1828. The pistol with which Simpson killed Harris was, in 1902, a possession of Dr. Charles Simpson, his grandson, of Waxahachie, Texas.

References

External links

Legends and Stories of White County, Tennessee

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Thomas K. 1770s births 1816 deaths Deaths by firearm in Tennessee People murdered in Tennessee Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee People from Sparta, Tennessee 1816 murders in the United States