Honorable Alexander W. Monroe | |
|---|---|
 Alexander W. Monroe as Speaker of the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1875 | |
| Speaker of the West Virginia House of Delegates | |
| In office 1875–1877 | |
| Preceded by | William M. Miller |
| Succeeded by | Eustace Gibson |
| Member of the West Virginia House of Delegates from the Hampshire County district | |
| In office 1875–1877 | |
| Preceded by | George Deaver, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Asa Hiett |
| In office 1879–1883 | |
| Preceded by | Asa Hiett |
| Succeeded by | Henry Bell Gilkeson |
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the Hampshire County district | |
| In office 1850–1851 Serving with William P. Stump | |
| Preceded by | Robert Massey Powell William P. Stump |
| Succeeded by | James Allen Thomas B. White |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 29, 1817 Hampshire County, Virginia (now West Virginia), United States |
| Died | March 16, 1905 (aged 87) Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States |
| Resting place | Indian Mound Cemetery, Romney, West Virginia |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Spouse(s) | Sarah A. French (first) Margaret Ellen Pugh (second) |
| Relations | Robert Monroe (father) Elizabeth Monroe (mother) |
| Children | James W. Monroe Robert Pugh Monroe Sallie Elizabeth Monroe Haines Ellen G. Monroe Tharp Annie H. Monroe |
| Residence(s) | Barnes Mill, West Virginia Romney, West Virginia |
| Profession | schoolteacher, farmer, lawyer, surveyor, military officer, politician, newspaper editor, and newspaper publisher |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Confederate States of America |
| Branch/service |  Confederate States Army |
| Years of service | 1861–1865 (CSA) |
| Rank |  Colonel (114th Regiment, Virginia Militia) Major (18th Virginia Cavalry) |
| Commands |  114th Regiment, Virginia Militia 18th Virginia Cavalry |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Alexander W. Monroe (December 29, 1817 – March 16, 1905) was a prominent American lawyer, politician, and military officer in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia. Monroe served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates (1850–1851 and 1862–1865) and West Virginia House of Delegates (1875–1877 and 1879–1883) representing Hampshire County. He was the Speaker of the West Virginia House of Delegates during the 1875–1877 legislative session. Monroe also represented Hampshire County in the West Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1872.
Monroe was born in Hampshire County, Virginia (present-day West Virginia) in 1817. At the age of 18, he and his siblings were orphaned and he became a schoolteacher to provide for the education of his brothers and sisters. He later became a county surveyor, and studied jurisprudence. Monroe was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates (1850–1851), during which time he participated in the 1851 reform of the Constitution of Virginia. He was admitted to the Virginia bar in 1858 and in 1861, he purchased the Virginia Argus and Hampshire Advertiser newspaper, which he operated until the onset of the American Civil War.
In 1861, Monroe commanded the 114th Regiment of the Virginia militia with the rank of colonel; he was the oldest person in that commissioned rank within the state's militia. The 114th Regiment took part in several skirmishes in Hampshire County. Following the regiment's disbandment, Monroe volunteered and raised a battalion of cavalry within the 18th Virginia Volunteer Cavalry Regiment of the regular Confederate States Army. He later commanded the rear guard during the withdrawal of Confederate forces under the command of General Robert E. Lee from the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863, successfully protecting the 27-mile (43 km)-long wagon train. Monroe served in the Virginia House of Delegates throughout the Civil War.
Monroe returned to the practice of law and in 1872 was a participant in the West Virginia Constitutional Convention. From 1875 to 1877, he was a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates and was twice elected speaker. He was the first delegate to represent Hampshire County in both the Virginia General Assembly and the West Virginia Legislature. Monroe was twice appointed as a director of the West Virginia Hospital for the Insane. He again served in the West Virginia House of Delegates from 1879 to 1883. Monroe retired to his farm on the Little Cacapon River and died in 1905.