John Gregg (Texas politician)
This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (May 2022) |
John Gregg | |
---|---|
Deputy from Texas to the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States | |
In office February 4, 1861 – February 17, 1862 | |
Preceded by | New constituency |
Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
Personal details | |
Born | Lawrence County, Alabama, U.S. | September 28, 1828
Died | October 7, 1864 Henrico County, Virginia | (aged 36)
Resting place | Odd Fellows Cemetery, Aberdeen, Mississippi, U.S. |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Confederate States |
Branch/service | Confederate States Army |
Years of service | 1861–1864 |
Rank | Brigadier general |
Commands | Texas Brigade |
Battles/wars | |
John Gregg (September 28, 1828 – October 7, 1864) was an American politician who served as a deputy from Texas to the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1862. He served as a brigade commander officer of the Confederate States Army and was killed in action during the Siege of Petersburg.
Early life and career
John Gregg was born in Lawrence County, Alabama, to Nathan Gregg and Sarah Pearsall Camp. He graduated from LaGrange College (now the University of North Alabama) in 1847, where he was subsequently employed as a professor of mathematics. He later studied law in Tuscumbia, Alabama.
Gregg relocated to Freestone County, Texas, in 1852, and settled in the town of Fairfield, Texas. In May 1854, John was initiated into the Masons at Fairfield Masonic Lodge 103 A.F. & A.M.[1] He was elected as a district judge and served in that position from 1855 until 1860. In 1858, Gregg married Mary Francis "Mollie" Garth from Alabama, daughter of Jesse Winston Garth, a Unionist who was willing to give up his hundreds of slaves if it meant saving the Union. John and Mary appear in the 1860 US census in Fairfield, Freestone County, Texas.[2] Gregg was one of the founders of the Freestone County Pioneer, the first newspaper in Freestone County. He used his paper and political clout to call for a secession convention following the election of Abraham Lincoln as President in 1860.
Gregg served as a delegate to the Texas Secession Convention in
American Civil War
Gregg served in the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States on February 15, 1861, from which he resigned in August 1861 to enter the Confederate Army. He returned to Texas and formed the 7th Texas Infantry, becoming its
Gregg was exchanged on August 15, 1862, and was promoted to
His command, now styled Gregg's Brigade, was attached to
Gregg's Brigade formed part of the Reserve Corps of the Army of Tennessee briefly that September. During the Battle of Chickamauga, he was assigned to Bushrod Johnson's division, Third Corps in the Army of Tennessee on September 19. Gregg was severely wounded on September 20, when he was hit in the neck.[4] After recovering from his wounds, Gregg was given command of the famous Hood's Texas Brigade in Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.
Gregg and his brigade participated in the
Death
On October 7, 1864, Gregg was struck in the neck for a second time and killed along the Charles City Road, near Richmond, Virginia.[4] He was shot while leading a counterattack at the Battle of Darbytown and New Market Roads. Gregg was interred at the Odd Fellows Cemetery in Aberdeen, Mississippi;[4] his widow, Mary Garth Gregg, traveled through the lines to retrieve his body.
Legacy
Gregg County, Texas (established 1873), is named after him.
See also
References
- ^ Two Stars in the Southern Sky - General John Gregg C.S.A. and Mollie by Davis Blake Carter - 2001 - pg. 26
- ^ 1860 US Census - Freestone County, Texas - for town of Fairfield
- ^ Two Stars in the Southern Sky - General John Gregg C.S.A. and Mollie by Davis Blake Carter - 2001 - pg. 99
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8047-3641-1.
Further reading
- ISBN 978-0-8071-0823-9.
- Sifakis, Stewart. Who Was Who in the Civil War. New York: Facts On File, 1988. ISBN 978-0-8160-1055-4.
External links
- Mary Gregg, Wife Of Confederate General John Gregg
- John Gregg at Find a Grave
- John Gregg at The Political Graveyard