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James Gordon (Mississippi politician)

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James Gordon
United States Senator
from Mississippi
In office
December 23, 1909 – February 22, 1910
Appointed byEdmond Noel
Preceded byAnselm J. McLaurin
Succeeded byLeRoy Percy
Personal details
Born(1833-12-06)December 6, 1833
Cotton Gin Port, Mississippi
DiedNovember 28, 1912(1912-11-28) (aged 78)
Okolona, Mississippi
Political partyDemocratic

James Gordon (December 6, 1833 – November 28, 1912) was an American planter, writer, former Confederate officer and politician from Okolona, Mississippi. He was a United States senator for eight weeks, from December 27, 1909, to February 22, 1910.

During the Civil War he served in the Confederate Army, first as a captain in the Chickasaw Guards, attached to the Jeff. Davis Legion, and then as Lieutenant Colonel of the 2nd Mississippi Cavalry Regiment,[1] and later served in the Mississippi House of Representatives. Following the death of Senator Anselm J. McLaurin, Gordon was appointed by Governor Edmond Noel on December 27, to fill the vacancy until the state legislature could elect a new U.S. Senator.

The day after his appointment by Governor Noel to the United States Senate, Gordon was identified by the Memphis Press-Scimitar as a former fugitive who had been sought as a suspect in the conspiracy to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln. Gordon was listed in 1865 by the United States government as a fugitive, and a reward of $10,000 had been offered for his capture, dead or alive. Later that year, he was ruled out of the suspects.[2] Gordon had admitted that he had met with John Wilkes Booth in Montreal in March 1865, and had discussed plans to kidnap Lincoln, but denied any discussion of an assassination.[3]

Gordon served as an appointed U.S. Senator, until February 22, 1910, when he was succeeded by LeRoy Percy, who had been elected by the legislature.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Tutor, Forrest T. (2008). Gordons of Lochinvar. pp. 22–46.
  2. ^ "New Senator Once Fugitive", New York Times, December 29, 1909, p1
  3. ^ William A. Tidwell, Come Retribution: The Confederate Secret Service and the Assassination of Lincoln (University Press of Mississippi, 1988), pp405-410
[edit]

United States Congress. "GORDON, James (id: G000312)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

U.S. Senate
Preceded by Class 2 U.S. Senator from Mississippi
December 27, 1909 – February 23, 1910
Succeeded by