Thomas E. Bramlette
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Thomas Elliott Bramlette (January 3, 1817 – January 12, 1875) was the 23rd Governor of Kentucky. He was elected in 1863 and guided the state through the latter part of the Civil War and the beginning of Reconstruction. At the outbreak of the war, Bramlette put his promising political career on hold and enlisted in the Union Army, raising and commanding the
3rd Kentucky Infantry The 3rd Kentucky Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment that served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It was part of the First Kentucky Brigade through August 1862. Service The 3rd Kentucky Infantry was ...
. In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln appointed him
district attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a l ...
for Kentucky. A year later, he was the Union Democrats' nominee for governor. Election interference by the Union Army gave him a landslide victory over his opponent,
Charles A. Wickliffe Charles Anderson Wickliffe (June 8, 1788 – October 31, 1869) was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky. He also served as Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives, the 14th Governor of Kentucky, and was appointed Postmaster General by P ...
. Within a year, however, federal policies such as recruiting Kentucky Negroes for the Union Army and suspending the writ of '' habeas corpus'' for Kentucky citizens caused Bramlette to abandon his support of the Lincoln administration and declare that he would "bloodily baptize the state into the
Confederacy 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 ...
". After the war, Bramlette issued a general
pardon A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the ju ...
for most ex-Confederates in the state. He opposed ratification of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments and the establishment of the
Freedmen's Bureau The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, usually referred to as simply the Freedmen's Bureau, was an agency of early Reconstruction, assisting freedmen in the South. It was established on March 3, 1865, and operated briefly as a ...
in Kentucky. Among his accomplishments not related to the war and its aftermath were the reduction of the state's debt and the establishment of the Kentucky Agricultural and Mechanical College (now the University of Kentucky). Following his term as governor, Bramlette returned to his legal practice in Louisville. He died January 12, 1875 and was buried in Cave Hill Cemetery.


Early life

Thomas E. Bramlette was born on January 3, 1817, at Elliott's Cross Roads in
Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...
(now
Clinton Clinton is an English toponymic surname, indicating one's ancestors came from English places called Glympton or Glinton.Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. ''A Dictionary of Surnames''. Oxford University Press, 1988 Clinton has frequently been used as a given ...
) County, Kentucky.Allen, p. 106 He was the son of Colonel Ambrose S. and Sarah (Elliott) Bramlette.Harrison, p. 112 His father served two terms in the
Kentucky Senate The Kentucky Senate is the upper house of the Kentucky General Assembly. The Kentucky Senate is composed of 38 members elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. There are no term limits for Kentucky Senators. The Kentu ...
and several terms in the
Kentucky House of Representatives The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form ...
. Bramlette studied law, was admitted to the
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in 1837 at the age of 20, and began practicing in Louisville, Kentucky.NGA Bio In September of that year, Bramlette married Sallie Travis, the first of his two wives.Powell, p. 56 The couple had two children, Thomas and Corinne.Webb, p. 93 Bramlette's political career began in 1841, when he was elected to represent Clinton County in the
General Assembly A general assembly or general meeting is a meeting of all the members of an organization or shareholders of a company. Specific examples of general assembly include: Churches * General Assembly (presbyterian church), the highest court of presby ...
. In 1848, Governor John J. Crittenden appointed Bramlette Commonwealth's Attorney. He resigned the position in 1850 to continue his legal practice, relocating to
Columbia, Kentucky Columbia is a home rule-class city just above Russell Creek in Adair County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 4,452 at the 2010 census. Columbia is the seat of its county. History The area was settled by Daniel Trabue. The ...
in 1852. He was the Whig nominee for his district's seat in the House of Representatives in 1853, but was defeated by
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 ...
James Chrisman James Stone Chrisman (September 14, 1818 – July 29, 1881) was an Antebellum era, antebellum United States Representative from Kentucky and then a member of the Confederate States Congress during the American Civil War. Chrisman was born in Monti ...
. In 1856, he was elected as a judge in Kentucky's 6th Judicial District, serving with distinction for five years.


Military service

Bramlette resigned his judgeship and accepted a commission as a colonel in the Union Army on August 7, 1861.Trowbridge, "Kentucky's Military Governors" In violation of Kentucky's agreement to remain neutral in the Civil War, he raised and commanded the
3rd Kentucky Infantry The 3rd Kentucky Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment that served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It was part of the First Kentucky Brigade through August 1862. Service The 3rd Kentucky Infantry was ...
. On September 19, the 3rd Kentucky marched on Lexington to forestall a peace conference scheduled there on September 21 and to arrest the state's junior
Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
, John C. Breckinridge.Rawley, p. 39 A delay allowed Breckinridge to escape before the arrest was made, and he enlisted in the
Confederate 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 ...
shortly thereafter. Bramlette resigned his military commission on July 13, 1862 at
Decherd, Tennessee Decherd is a city in Franklin County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,246 at the 2000 census and 2,361 at the 2010 census. History Peter Decherd came to the area in 1831 from Franklin County, Virginia and set up a plantation. In t ...
. He returned to Louisville to accept President Abraham Lincoln's offer to become United States District Attorney for Kentucky.''Encyclopedia of Kentucky'' During his tenure in this position, he vigorously enforced Kentucky's wartime laws against Confederates and Confederate sympathizers.


Governor of Kentucky

Union Democrats chose Joshua Fry Bell as their candidate for governor of Kentucky in 1863, but Bell was skeptical of Kentucky's future with the Union and withdrew his name from consideration. The party's central committee chose Bramlette to replace Bell, and Bramlette declined a commission as a brigadier general in the Union Army to make the race. During the election, Union forces intimidated and jailed supporters of Bramlette's opponent, former governor
Charles A. Wickliffe Charles Anderson Wickliffe (June 8, 1788 – October 31, 1869) was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky. He also served as Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives, the 14th Governor of Kentucky, and was appointed Postmaster General by P ...
. As a result, Bramlette carried the election by a margin of nearly 4-to-1. During his term, he turned down an offered seat in the
U.S. House of Representatives 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 ...
as well as a nomination to become the Democratic candidate for Vice-President in 1864.


Civil War

In December 1863, Bramlette addressed the General Assembly, declaring that the state had fulfilled its quota of soldiers for the Union army.Webb, p. 94 January 4 of the following year, he proclaimed that rebel sympathizers would be held responsible for all guerrilla raids in the state, and specified stiff fines and imprisonment for anyone found to be aiding the guerrillas. Although Bramlette assumed the governorship as a staunch supporter of the Union cause, within a year he issued a proclamation that he would "bloodily baptize the state into the Confederacy". The reasons for Bramlette's reversal were many. He took issue with General Stephen Burbridge's decision to enlist for
United States Colored Troops The United States Colored Troops (USCT) were regiments in the United States Army composed primarily of African-American (colored) soldiers, although members of other minority groups also served within the units. They were first recruited during ...
blacks from Kentucky for military service, asking that this measure only be taken if Kentucky failed to meet her quota. With the goal of enlistment of Kentucky blacks into the Union Army, Lincoln authorized a special census in 1863 which showed 1,650 freemen and 40,000 enslaved males of military age. Presented with this figure, by March 1864, Bramlette reluctantly agreed to Black enlistment since white enlistment failed to meet quota. He stipulated that owners must consent and receive $300. By April, enslaved men, despite the stipulation of owner consent and motivated by the prospect for their emancipation, fled to enlist. This led to a wave of violence towards those seeking enlistment. Given this onslaught, by June 1864 owners’ consent was no longer required, as ordered by Union Army Adj. Gen. Lorenzo Thomas. The situation worsened when on July 5, 1864, President Lincoln suspended the writ of '' habeas corpus'' for citizens of the Commonwealth.Harrison, p. 113 Burbridge continually menaced Kentucky's citizens, interfering with the presidential election of 1864, and banishing
Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
Richard T. Jacob Richard Taylor Jacob (March 13, 1825 – September 13, 1903) was an American attorney and politician, elected as 17th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky (1863–64). Although a slaveholder, he was loyal to the Union during the American Civil War, ...
from the state. When the General Assembly re-convened in January 1865, Bramlette continued to voice his opposition to the Union's tactics. Nevertheless, he urged passage of the Thirteenth Amendment, maintaining that the institution of slavery was "irrevocably doomed".Webb, p. 95


Reconstruction era

Despite his disagreements with the Lincoln administration, Bramlette proclaimed a day of fasting and prayer upon receiving news of Lincoln's assassination. The General Assembly petitioned new president
Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...
to call an end to martial law in the state. The tension between the state and federal governments remained, however. Bramlette announced that every "white male citizen" twenty-one years of age who had resided in the Commonwealth for at least two years would be eligible to vote. Spurred on by the Democratic governor's actions, Kentucky gave control of both houses of the General Assembly and five of its nine congressional seats to Democrats. President Johnson received the message, ending martial law and restoring ''habeas corpus'' in Kentucky. When the General Assembly convened in December 1865, Bramlette sought to restore harmony in the state by issuing pardons to most ex-Confederates. He and the majority of the General Assembly opposed passage of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments, and Bramlette protested the establishment of the
Freedmen's Bureau The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, usually referred to as simply the Freedmen's Bureau, was an agency of early Reconstruction, assisting freedmen in the South. It was established on March 3, 1865, and operated briefly as a ...
in the Commonwealth. Bramlette was very proud of those of his accomplishments not related to the Civil War, including the reduction of the state's debt and the establishment of the Agricultural and Mechanical College (later, the University of Kentucky). He supported the construction of turnpikes financed by government bonds, the development of natural resources, and encouraged immigration to obtain adequate labor to support reconstruction efforts.


Later life and death

Following his term as governor, Bramlette conducted a failed campaign to become a
U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...
. He married Mary E. Graham Adams in 1874, two years after the death of his first wife. He returned to his law practice in Louisville, and became a patron of many charitable organizations. Bramlette died in Louisville on January 12, 1875 following a brief illness.Webb, p. 96 He is buried at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville.


See also

* Kentucky in the Civil War


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * *


Further reading

*


External links

*
Biography from Lawyers and Lawmakers of Kentucky
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bramlette, Thomas E. 1817 births 1875 deaths Burials at Cave Hill Cemetery Governors of Kentucky Kentucky Commonwealth's Attorneys Kentucky Democrats Kentucky lawyers Kentucky state court judges Kentucky Whigs 19th-century American politicians Members of the Kentucky House of Representatives People from Clinton County, Kentucky Politicians from Louisville, Kentucky People of Kentucky in the American Civil War Southern Unionists in the American Civil War Union Army colonels Union (American Civil War) state governors United States Attorneys for the District of Kentucky Democratic Party governors of Kentucky 19th-century American judges 19th-century American lawyers