John A. Quitman

John Quitman
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Mississippi's 5th district
In office
March 4, 1855 – July 17, 1858
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded byJohn McRae
10th and 16th Governor of Mississippi
In office
January 10, 1850 – February 3, 1851
Preceded byJoseph W. Matthews
Succeeded byJohn Guion
In office
December 3, 1835 – January 7, 1836
Acting
Preceded byHiram Runnels
Succeeded byCharles Lynch
Personal details
Born(1798-09-01)September 1, 1798
Rhinebeck, New York, U.S.
DiedJuly 17, 1858(1858-07-17) (aged 59)
Natchez, Mississippi, U.S.
Political partyWhig (before 1850)
Democratic (1850–1858)
SpouseEliza Turner
EducationHartwick College (BA)
Signature
Military service
AllegianceUnited States
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Years of service1846–1848
RankMajor General
UnitUnited States Volunteers
Commands2nd Brigade, 1st Volunteer Division
4th Volunteer Division
Military Governor of Mexico City
Battles/warsTexas Revolution
Mexican–American War
 • Battle of Monterrey
 • Siege of Vera Cruz
 • Battle of Cerro Gordo
 • Battle of Contreras
 • Battle of Churubusco
 • Battle of Chapultepec
 • Battle for Mexico City

John Anthony Quitman (September 1, 1798 – July 17, 1858)[1] was an American lawyer, politician, and soldier. As President of the Mississippi Senate, he served one month as Acting Governor of Mississippi (from December 3, 1835, to January 7, 1836) as a Whig. He was elected governor in 1849 as a Democrat, and served from January 10, 1850, until his resignation on February 3, 1851, shortly after his arrest for violating U.S. neutrality laws. He was strongly pro-slavery and a leading Fire-Eater.

According to Quitman's first biographer, John F. H. Claiborne, writing in 1860, "A more ambitious man never lived. ...He was greedy for military fame."[2] "For Quitman, military glory and political ambition had priority over management of his three plantations and numerous slaves."[3]

  1. ^ Aztec Club Biography of 1847
  2. ^ Sansing, David G. (2003). "John Anthony Quitman, Tenth and Sixteenth Governor of Mississippi: December 1835 to January 1836; 1850-1851". Mississippi History Now. Mississippi Historical Society. Archived from the original on 2019-04-06. Retrieved 2019-08-08.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Jennings was invoked but never defined (see the help page).