Early life
Thomas E. Bramlette was born on January 3, 1817, at Elliott's Cross Roads in Cumberland County, Kentucky, Cumberland (now Clinton County, Kentucky, Clinton) 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 and several terms in the Kentucky House of Representatives. Bramlette studied law, was admitted to the Bar association, bar 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 Kentucky General Assembly, General Assembly. 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 in 1852. He was the Whig Party (United States), Whig nominee for his district's seat in the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives in 1853, but was defeated by Democratic Party (United States), Democrat James Chrisman. 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 (United States), 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 American Civil War, Civil War, he raised and commanded the 3rd Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, 3rd Kentucky Infantry. On September 19, the 3rd Kentucky marched on Lexington, Kentucky, Lexington to forestall a peace conference scheduled there on September 21 and to arrest the state's junior United States Senate, Senator, John C. Breckinridge.Rawley, p. 39 A delay allowed Breckinridge to escape before the arrest was made, and he enlisted in the Confederate States Army, Confederate Army shortly thereafter. Bramlette resigned his military commission on July 13, 1862 at Decherd, Tennessee. He returned to Louisville to accept President of the United States, 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 Confederate States of America, 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. 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 United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives as well as a nomination to become the Democratic candidate for Vice-President of the United States, 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 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 1864 United States presidential election, presidential election of 1864, and banishing Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, Lieutenant Governor Richard T. Jacob 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 to the United States Constitution, Thirteenth Amendment, maintaining that the institution of slavery was "irrevocably doomed".Webb, p. 95Reconstruction 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 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 clemency, pardons to most ex-Confederates. He and the majority of the General Assembly opposed passage of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, Fifteenth amendments, and Bramlette protested the establishment of the Freedmen's Bureau 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 Toll road, 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 United States Senate, U.S. Senator. 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 WarReferences
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