Thomas Lanier Clingman (July 27, 1812November 3, 1897), known as the "Prince of Politicians," was a
Democratic member of the
United States 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 ...
from 1843 to 1845 and from 1847 to 1858, and
U.S. senator from the state of
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
between 1858 and 1861. During 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 ...
he refused to resign his Senate seat and was one of ten senators
expelled from the Senate
in absentia
is Latin for absence. , a legal term, is Latin for "in the absence" or "while absent".
may also refer to:
* Award in absentia
* Declared death in absentia, or simply, death in absentia, legally declared death without a body
* Election in ab ...
. He then served as a general 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 ...
.
Early life
Clingman, was born in Huntsville, a small community in present-day
Yadkin County, North Carolina
Yadkin County is located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 37,214. Its county seat is Yadkinville. Yadkin County is included in the Winston-Salem, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also inc ...
. His parents were Jacob and Jane Poindexter Clingman and he was named for Dr. Thomas Lanier, his half uncle. He was educated by private tutors and in the public schools in
Iredell County, NC. Clingman graduated from the
University of North Carolina
The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...
in 1832, where he was a member of the Dialectic Senate of the
Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies
The Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies, commonly known as DiPhi or The Societies, are the original collegiate debating societies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and together comprise the oldest student organization at the Uni ...
. He then studied law and was admitted to the
bar in 1834 and began practice in Huntsville.
Political career
Clingman was elected to the North Carolina State house of commons in 1835. In 1836 he moved to
Asheville, North Carolina. He was a member of the North Carolina State senate in 1840. In 1843 Clingman ran as a
Whig and was elected to the
28th United States Congress, however he was defeated in his reelection bid in 1845.
[Inscoe, John C. and Gordon B. McKinney. ''The Heart of Confederate Appalachia: Western North Carolina in the Civil War''. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2020. . p. 32.] In 1845 he fought a duel with a fellow congressman
William Lowndes Yancey
William Lowndes Yancey (August 10, 1814July 27, 1863) was an American journalist, politician, orator, diplomat and an American leader of the Southern secession movement. A member of the group known as the Fire-Eaters, Yancey was one of the m ...
of
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County
, LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham
, area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...
. In Yancey's maiden speech on the House floor, he had impugned his opponent's integrity. Both duelists had missed. In 1847 he regained the seat and won reelection in 1849, 1851, 1853, 1855 and 1857. On May 7, 1858, he resigned after becoming a
United States 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 ...
as a
Democrat the previous day,
replacing the resigning
Asa Biggs
Asa Biggs (February 4, 1811 – March 6, 1878) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served as a member of both chambers of the United States Congress and as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for ...
. He was reelected but was expelled from the Senate for support of the
Confederacy.
Civil War
When he first entered the War, Clingman was the commander of the 25th North Carolina Infantry and took part in the
Peninsula Campaign. He later commanded a
brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.
B ...
of
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...
. Clingman's Brigade consisted of the 8th, 31st, 51st and 61st North Carolina Infantry. Clingman's Brigade fought at
Goldsboro,
Battery Wagner,
Drewry's Bluff,
Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S ...
,
Petersburg,
Globe Tavern,
Fort Fisher
Fort Fisher was a Confederate fort during the American Civil War. It protected the vital trading routes of the port at Wilmington, North Carolina, from 1861 until its capture by the Union in 1865. The fort was located on one of Cape Fear Rive ...
, and
Bentonville.
Post-war career
After the Civil War, Clingman explored and measured mountains in western North Carolina and
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 ...
. Tennessee's highest mountain, also partly in North Carolina, was named
Clingman's Dome
Clingmans Dome (or Clingman's Dome) is a mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina in the southeastern United States. Its name in Cherokee is Kuwahi or Kuwohi (ᎫᏩᎯ or ᎫᏬᎯ), meaning "mulberry place." At an el ...
in his honor. He died in
Morganton, North Carolina, and was buried in the
Riverside Cemetery in Asheville, North Carolina.
See also
*
List of American Civil War generals (Confederate)
Confederate generals
__NOTOC__
*#Confederate-Assigned to duty by E. Kirby Smith, Assigned to duty by E. Kirby Smith
*#Confederate-Incomplete appointments, Incomplete appointments
*#Confederate-State militia generals, State militia generals
Th ...
*
List of United States senators expelled or censured
References
Further reading
* Eicher, John H., and
David J. Eicher
David John Eicher (born August 7, 1961) is an American editor, writer, and popularizer of astronomy and space. He has been editor-in-chief of ''Astronomy'' magazine since 2002. He is author, coauthor, or editor of 23 books on science and American ...
, ''Civil War High Commands.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. .
* Sifakis, Stewart. ''Who Was Who in the Civil War.'' New York: Facts On File, 1988. .
*
Warner, Ezra J. ''Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. .
* Jeffrey, Thomas E., “Thomas Lanier Clingman: Fire Eater from the Carolina Mountains”
External links
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Clingman, Thomas
1812 births
1897 deaths
19th-century American politicians
American duellists
Confederate States Army brigadier generals
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina
Democratic Party United States senators from North Carolina
Expelled United States senators
North Carolina Whigs
People from Yadkin County, North Carolina
People of North Carolina in the American Civil War
Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives