James H. Berry
James Henderson Berry | |
---|---|
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14th Governor of Arkansas | |
In office January 13, 1883 – January 17, 1885 | |
Preceded by | Thomas James Churchill |
Succeeded by | Simon Pollard Hughes, Jr. |
United States Senator from Arkansas | |
In office March 20, 1885 – March 4, 1907 | |
Preceded by | Augustus H. Garland |
Succeeded by | Jeff Davis |
Personal details | |
Born | May 15, 1841 Jackson County, Alabama |
Died | January 30, 1913 Bentonville, Arkansas | (aged 71)
Political party | Democratic |
Military service | |
Branch/service | Confederate States Army |
Unit | 16th Arkansas Infantry |
Battles/wars | American Civil War |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/09-02-06-BentonvilleConfed-monument.jpg/220px-09-02-06-BentonvilleConfed-monument.jpg)
James Henderson Berry (May 15, 1841 – January 30, 1913) was a United States Senator and served as the 14th Governor of the State of Arkansas.
Biography
Berry was born in Jackson County, Alabama to Isabella Jane (née Orr) and James McFerrin Berry. The family moved to Arkansas in 1848. Berry attended Berryville Academy in Berryville, Arkansas for one year. The Academy was named after his family.[1]
Berry studied law and in 1866 was admitted to the Arkansas bar.
In 1865, Berry married E.Q. "Lizzie" Quaile. They had six children: daughters Nellie Frank, Berl, Jennie, and Bessie; and sons Elliott and Frederick Hugh.[2]
Career
At the outbreak of the American Civil War, Berry joined the Confederate Army and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant with the 16th Arkansas Infantry Regiment. Berry lost his right leg during the Second Battle of Corinth in northern Mississippi.[3] After recuperating from his wound he worked as a school teacher and started a private law practice.
Berry was elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives in 1866. He was reelected in 1872 and in 1874. In his last term he was selected to be Speaker of the House. Berry was the chairman of the Democratic State Convention in 1876. In 1878 he became a judge for the Fourth Circuit Court and served in that post until 1882 when he was elected Governor of Arkansas.
The Berry administration focused on reducing the state debt and creating a State Mental Hospital. Berry did not run for reelection.
In March 1885, Berry was selected by the legislature to fill the unexpired term of Senator Augustus Hill Garland. Berry remained in the U.S. Senate for the next 22 years. In 1910, he accepted a position with the Arkansas History Commission to mark the graves of all Arkansas Confederate soldiers who had died in northern prisons.[4]
Death
James H. Berry died in Bentonville, Arkansas. Berry is buried at the Knights of Pythias Cemetery (now known as the Bentonville Cemetery), Bentonville, Arkansas.
See also
References
- ^ "History of Berryville". CarrollCountyAR.com. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
- ^ Person Sheet: Senator James Henderson Berry, RootsWeb at Ancestry.com
- ^ "James Henderson Berry". Find A Grave. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
- ^ "Arkansas Governor James Henderson Berry". National Governors Association. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
External links
- United States Congress. "James H. Berry (id: B000418)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture entry: James Henderson Berry
- 1905 Full Portrait
- National Governors Association
- 1841 births
- 1913 deaths
- People from Jackson County, Alabama
- American people of English descent
- Arkansas Democrats
- Governors of Arkansas
- Members of the Arkansas House of Representatives
- United States Senators from Arkansas
- Arkansas lawyers
- Confederate States Army officers
- American amputees
- American politicians with physical disabilities
- Democratic Party United States Senators
- Democratic Party state governors of the United States
- People from Bentonville, Arkansas
- People from Berryville, Arkansas