William Brickly Stokes (September 9, 1814 – March 14, 1897) was an American politician and a 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
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 ...
. He also served as
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...
of the
5th Regiment Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry
The 5th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. This regiment was originally recruited as the 1st Middle Tennessee Cavalry.
Service
The 5th Tennessee Cavalry was organized at ...
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 ...
Temperance Hall, Tennessee
Temperance Hall is an unincorporated community in northern DeKalb County, Tennessee, United States. It is located approximately west-southwest of Center Hill Dam. It was established in 1798 by Stephen Robinson Sr., one of the first four settler ...
Tennessee Senate
The Tennessee Senate is the upper house of the U.S. state of Tennessee's state legislature, which is known formally as the Tennessee General Assembly.
The Tennessee Senate has the power to pass resolutions concerning essentially any issue rega ...
in 1855 and 1856. Stokes owned between seven and ten enslaved people in Tennessee.
Stokes was elected as a member of the
Opposition Party
Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. This article uses the term ''government'' as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning ''t ...
to the
Thirty-sixth Congress
The 36th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1859, ...
by
Tennessee's 4th congressional district
The 4th congressional district of Tennessee is a congressional district in southern Tennessee. It has been represented by Republican Scott DesJarlais since January 2011.
Current boundaries
The district lies mostly in the southern part of Middle ...
, serving from March 4, 1859 to March 4, 1861. He entered the
Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...
on May 15, 1862 as a major of the Tennessee Volunteers. He served as colonel of the 5th Regiment Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry until he resigned on March 10, 1865.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, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. . p. 413 He briefly served in temporary brigade command in the Army of the Ohio between June 17, 1863 and August 6, 1863. On December 24, 1866,
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
brigadier general
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
to rank from March 13, 1865.Eicher, 2001, p. 758 The U.S. Senate confirmed the award on February 21, 1867. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1867, and commenced practice in
Alexandria, Tennessee
Alexandria is a town in DeKalb County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 966 at the 2010 census.
History
Alexandria was founded in 1820 by Dr. Daniel Alexander, and named for him. A post office has been in operation there since 1838.
G ...
in
DeKalb County, Tennessee
DeKalb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,080. Its county seat is Smithville. The county was created by the General Assembly of Tennessee on December 2, 1837, and was named f ...
.
Upon the readmission of Tennessee to representation, he was elected as an
Unconditional Unionist
The Unconditional Union Party was a loosely organized political entity during the American Civil War and the early days of Reconstruction. First established in 1861 in Missouri, where secession talk was strong, the party fully supported the preserv ...
to the
Thirty-ninth Congress
The 39th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1865 ...
by
Tennessee's 3rd congressional district
The 3rd congressional district of Tennessee is a congressional district in East Tennessee. It has been represented by Republican Chuck Fleischmann since January 2011.
Current boundaries
The district comprises two halves, joined together through ...
. He was re-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 and Forty-first Congresses. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from July 24, 1866 to March 4, 1871. He was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election in 1870 to the Forty-second Congress. He also was the supervisor of internal revenue for Tennessee. He resumed the practice of law and died in
Alexandria, Tennessee
Alexandria is a town in DeKalb County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 966 at the 2010 census.
History
Alexandria was founded in 1820 by Dr. Daniel Alexander, and named for him. A post office has been in operation there since 1838.
G ...
on March 14, 1897. He was
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 ...
in East View Cemetery at Alexandria.
Notes
See also
*
List of American Civil War brevet Generals (Union)
__NOTOC__
This is a list of American Civil War brevet generals that served the Union Army. This list of brevet major generals or brevet brigadier generals currently contains a section which gives the names of officers who held lower actual or ...
References
* 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, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. .
Retrieved on 2008-08-16'