William Pitt Kellogg

William Pitt Kellogg
United States Senator from Louisiana
In office July 9, 1868 – November 1, 1872
Preceded by	John Slidell
Succeeded by	James B. Eustis
In office March 4, 1877 – March 4, 1883
Preceded by	Joseph R. West
Succeeded by	Randall L. Gibson
Personal details
Born	December 8, 1830(1830-12-08) Orwell, Vermont
Died	August 10, 1918(1918-08-10) (aged 87) Washington, D.C.
Political party	Republican

William Pitt Kellogg
26th Governor of Louisiana
In office 1873–1877
Preceded by	P. B. S. Pinchback
Succeeded by	Stephen B. Packard Francis T. Nicholls

William Pitt Kellogg (December 8, 1830 – August 10, 1918) was an American politician and a governor of Louisiana from 1873-1877 during Reconstruction. He was one of the most important politicians in Louisiana during and immediately after Reconstruction. He was notable for being reelected after most other Republican officials had been defeated when white Democrats regained control of state politics. Kellogg is also notable as one of few senators to be elected to the House of Representatives immediately after leaving the Senate. He was the state's last Republican governor until David C. Treen in 1980.

Early life and education

Kellogg was born in Orwell in Addison County in western Vermont near the New York boundary, where he spent his childhood. After completing his education in the common schools, he moved to Peoria, Illinois, at the age of eighteen and taught school for several years.

Career

Kellogg became a lawyer, likely "reading the law" and studying with practicing lawyers, as was typical for many then. He moved to Canton, Illinois and started a practice. There he joined the Republican Party and eventually came to know Abraham Lincoln, a fellow lawyer. When Lincoln became President in 1861, he appointed Kellogg as chief justice of the Supreme Court of the Nebraska Territory. Kellogg moved to Nebraska and started in the position.

With the outbreak of the American Civil War, he soon resigned, returned to Illinois and joined the Seventh Illinois Cavalry. By 1862, he had risen to the rank of colonel and played an important role at a small battle near Sikeston, Missouri. Later in the war, Kellogg resigned because of ill health.

In 1865, at the end of the civil war, days before his assassination, Lincoln appointed Kellogg as the federal collector of customs of the port of New Orleans. This launched Kellogg's notable 20-year political career in Louisiana. He remained collector of New Orleans until 1868, when he was appointed to the United States Senate. That year "reconstructed" Louisiana was readmitted to the federal Union.

In 1872 Kellogg ran on the Republican ticket and was elected governor. He resigned from the Senate to take office. In the election of 1872 John McEnery, a Democrat, ran against Kellogg. The Sitting Governor Henry Clay Warmoth, although a Republican, opposed the Republican Party faction that was loyal to President Ulysses S. Grant, who was supporting Kellogg. Warmoth supported McEnery.

The results of the election were disputed by the Democrats. The politics of the state was in turmoil for months, as both candidates held inauguration celebrations, certified their local candidate slates and tried to gather political power. Political tensions broke out in violence, including the Colfax Massacre in April 1873. As Governor, Warmoth controlled the State Returning Board, the institution which administered elections. With the election challenged, Warmoth's board named McEnery the winner. A rival board claimed Kellogg to be the victor.

Warmoth was impeached for allegedly stealing the election. A black Republican, P. B. S. Pinchback, became Governor for 35 days until Grant seated Kellogg as Governor with Federal protection. McEnery's faction established a "rump legislature" in New Orleans to oppose Kellogg's actions. McEnery urged his supporters to take up arms against Kellogg's fraudulent government. In 1874 the anti-Republican White League sent 5,000 paramilitary men into New Orleans, where in the Battle of Liberty Place, they defeated the 3500-man Metropolitan Police and state militia. They took over the state government offices for a few days but retreated before the arrival of federal troops sent as reinforcements. President Grant had finally sent US troops in response to Kellogg's request for help.

Kellogg's lieutenant governor was Caesar Carpetier Antoine, an African-American native of New Orleans. He had been a state senator from Shreveport before running as lieutenant governor. Despite the intense backlash against the Republican Party among white Democrats in the South, Kellogg was elected to the United States Senate in 1876. He served in the Senate until 1883. He did not seek reelection, for his party was too weak in the South to be competitive. He was the chairman of the Senate Committee on Railroads from 1881 to 1883.

Kellogg was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1882 and served one term from 1883 to 1885. He continued to live in Washington, D.C., but retired from political life. He died in Washington and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

Kellogg was one of the most important politicians in Louisiana during and immediately after Reconstruction. He was able to maintain power for much longer than most Republican elected officials who had come to the area from the North. He is also notable as one of few senators to be elected to the House of Representatives immediately after leaving the Senate.

The late Claude Pepper, a 20th-century Florida Democrat, was similarly elected to the House after having served in the Senate. But, he did not begin his long House tenure until 12 years after the end of his Senate service.

External links

• Louisiana Governor (1873-1877 : Kellogg), Louisiana Governor, 1873-1877 (W.P. Kellogg), William Pitt Kellogg, Louisiana, Governor 1873-1877 : Kellogg (1873). Annual Message of His Excellency Governor Wm. Pitt Kellogg, to the General .... Printed at the Republican office. http://books.google.com/books?id=2hMCAAAAYAAJ&printsec=titlepage.  – Google Books full online browsing copy
• State of Louisiana - Biography
• Cemetery Memorial by La-Cemeteries

United States Senate
Preceded by vacant1	United States Senator (Class 3) from Louisiana 1868–1872 Served alongside: John S. Harris, Joseph R. West	Succeeded by vacant2
Preceded by Joseph R. West	United States Senator (Class 2) from Louisiana 1877–1883 Served alongside: James B. Eustis, Benjamin F. Jonas	Succeeded by Randall L. Gibson
Political offices
Preceded by P. B. S. Pinchback	Governor of Louisiana 1873–1877	Succeeded by Stephen B. Packard Francis T. Nicholls
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Chester Bidwell Darrall	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana's 3rd congressional district 1883  – 1885	Succeeded by Edward James Gay
Notes and references
1. Because Louisiana seceded from the Union in 1861, seat was vacant from 1861-1868 when John Slidell withdrew from the Senate. 2. Seat contested until 1876 when James B. Eustis was elected.