James P. T. Carter
James P. T. Carter | |
---|---|
2nd Secretary of Richard Cunningham McCormick | |
Succeeded by | Coles Bashford |
Personal details | |
Born | Sonora, Mexico | July 30, 1822
Political party | Whig/Democratic |
Spouse(s) |
Margaretta M. Dunn
(m. 1851–1854)Margaret Letcher (m. 1856) |
Military service | |
Allegiance | 2nd Tennessee Infantry Regiment 24th Brigade, Army of the Ohio |
Battles/wars | American Civil War |
James Patton Taylor Carter (July 30, 1822 – September 28/29, 1869) was a
Biography
Carter was born the youngest child of Alfred Moore and Evalina B. (Perry) Carter on July 30, 1822 in or near the town of
Civil War period
Politically, Carter and his family were
In August 1861, Carter became a
Western U.S. period
Following the war, Carter decided to move west in a hope the change would help restore both his health and his wealth.[8] He petitioned President Johnson to be appointed Governor of Montana Territory in January 1866.[6] Then, as was the custom of the day, arranged for letters of recommendation to be sent to both the president and Secretary of State William H. Seward. The congressional delegates of both Kentucky and Tennessee provided support for his appointment.[8] He did not receive the requested appointment, but was offered a position as Secretary of Arizona Territory. Carter accepted the offer and was commissioned on April 10, 1866.[6]
Carter departed with his wife and son for Panama in June 1866. After crossing the isthmus, they took a ship to California and arrived in Prescott, Arizona Territory on September 3.[9] He was suffering from "Panama Fever" upon his arrival at the territorial capital, but appeared to quickly recover.[6] The 3rd Arizona Territorial Legislature convened a month after his arrival and the new secretary was responsible for swearing in the members of the House of Representatives.[10] Following the session, the legislators thanked Carter for the "gentlemanly deportment" and "faithful manner" the Secretary demonstrated during the session.[6]
Governor
Carter visited San Francisco before proceeding to Tucson. There he met his wife, who had been traveling back east.[13] Upon his arrival in the new capital in April 1868, he was recovering from injuries sustained after being thrown from a buggy as well as "rheumatic pains".[12] During the election for territorial delegate, Carter called for a "good Democrat" to win the position, but instead saw Governor McCormick win the office.[13] Shortly after the results became known, Carter wrote to President Johnson asking for promotion to governor.[14] President Johnson failed to take action on the request. Carter was left as acting governor when McCormick left the territory on December 13, 1868.[15]
The Acting Governor soon found himself with a major problem. Under territorial law at the time, the legislature was empowered to apportion itself. In practice the apportionment had been delegated to the governor.[16] In January 1869, Judge Henry T. Backus issued a ruling that this arrangement was unconstitutional.[17] As a result, the legality of the territorial government was thrown into question, and some residents refused to pay their taxes. Carter called for the United States Congress, in its supervisory capacity, to pass legislation correcting the issue. While the needed legislation was passed, it did not come until after Carter left office.[17] In the meantime, the Acting Governor failed to call for a meeting of the territorial legislature in 1869.[18] This oversight may have been partially due to Carter experiencing another bout of health problems.[19] He did commute the death sentence of Delore Moore who had been convicted of killing her husband.[18]
Ulysses S. Grant replaced Andrew Johnson as President of the United States on March 4, 1869. With his friend no longer in office, Carter, who had a reputation for supporting Johnson's policies while denouncing the Republican party, expected to be quickly replaced.[19] Coles Bashford was appointed to become the new Territorial Secretary on April 14, 1869.[20]
Carter remained in the territory after leaving office.[19] He had developed business interests in Tucson and owned a two-third's interest in a flour mill in Altar, Sonora.[18] He had also been awarded a government contract for 150,000 pounds (68,000 kg) of flour for use by the U.S. Army in March 1869.[21] He left Tucson for Mexico in July 1869.[21] The purpose of the trip was a combination of health reasons and to look after his business enterprises in Mexico.[18] Carter died September 28/29, 1869 at Rancho San Francisco between Caborca and Puerto Libertad, Sonora.[21][22][23]
References
- ^ Goff 1967, p. 372.
- ^ a b c Hunt 2014, p. 202.
- ^ a b c d Goff 1967, p. 373.
- ^ a b c Goff 1988, p. 20.
- ^ Heritage Books 2007, p. 155.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Goff 1988, p. 21.
- ^ a b Goff 1967, p. 374.
- ^ a b Goff 1967, p. 375.
- ^ Goff 1967, p. 376.
- ^ a b Goff 1967, p. 377.
- ^ Goff 1967, p. 378.
- ^ a b Goff 1988, p. 22.
- ^ a b c Goff 1967, p. 379.
- ^ Goff 1967, pp. 379–380.
- ^ Goff 1988, pp. 22–23.
- ^ Goff 1967, pp. 380–381.
- ^ a b Goff 1967, p. 380.
- ^ a b c d Goff 1988, p. 23.
- ^ a b c Goff 1967, p. 381.
- ^ Goff 1988, p. 26.
- ^ a b c Goff 1967, p. 382.
- The Weekly Arizona Miner. Prescott, Arizona Territory. October 16, 1869. p. 2.
- The Weekly Arizona Miner. Tucson, Arizona Territory. October 9, 1869. p. 3.
- Goff, John S. (Winter 1967). "Colonel James P. T. Carter of Carter County". Tennessee Historical Quarterly. 26 (4). Tennessee Historical Society: 372–82. JSTOR 42622970.
- —— (1988). Arizona Territorial Officials Volume IV: The Secretaries, United States Attorneys, Marshals, Surveyors General, and Superintendents of Indian Affairs, 1863-1912. Cave Creek, Arizona: Black Mountain Press. OCLC 20054492.
- Biographical Annals of Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Vol. 1. Westminster, MD: Heritage Books. 2007 [©1998]. ISBN 9780788437380.
- Hunt, Roger D. (2014). Colonels in Blue : Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee : a Civil War Biographical Dictionary. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-7318-2.