Thomas Lanier Clingman (July 27, 1812November 3, 1897), known as the "Prince of Politicians," was a
Democratic member of the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
from 1843 to 1845 and from 1847 to 1858, and
U.S. senator
The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...
from the state of
North Carolina
North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
between 1858 and 1861. During the
Civil War
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
, he refused to resign his Senate seat and was one of the many southern senators subsequently
expelled from the Senate
in absentia
''In Absentia'' is the seventh studio album by British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree, first released on 24 September 2002. The album marked several changes for the band, with it being the first with new drummer Gavin Harrison and the f ...
. He then served as a general in the
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...
.
Early life
Clingman, was born in Huntsville, a small community in present-day
Yadkin County, North Carolina
Yadkin County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 37,214 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Its county seat is Yadkinville, North Carolina, Yadkinville. Yadkin County i ...
. His parents were Jacob and Jane Poindexter Clingman and he was named for Dr. Thomas Lanier, his half uncle. He was educated by private tutors and in the public schools in
Iredell County, NC. Clingman graduated from the
University of North Carolina
The University of North Carolina is the Public university, public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referre ...
in 1832, where he was a member of the Dialectic Senate of the
Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies
The Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies, Inc. commonly known as DiPhi or The Societies, are the original collegiate debating societies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Dialectic Society was formed in 1795. The Philanthrop ...
. He then studied law and was admitted to the
bar
Bar or BAR may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages
* Candy bar
** Chocolate bar
* Protein bar
Science and technology
* Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment
* Bar (tropical cyclone), a laye ...
in 1834 and began practice in Huntsville.
Political career

Clingman was elected to the
North Carolina State House of Commons in 1835. In 1836 he moved to
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville ( ) is a city in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. Located at the confluence of the French Broad River, French Broad and Swannanoa River, Swannanoa rivers, it is the county seat of Buncombe County. It is the most populou ...
. He was a member of the
North Carolina State Senate
The North Carolina Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, which along with the North Carolina House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the state legislature of North Carolina. The Senate ...
in 1840. In 1843 Clingman ran as a
Whig and was elected to the
28th United States Congress
The 28th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from March 4, 184 ...
, however he was defeated in his reelection bid in 1845.
[Inscoe, John C. and Gordon B. McKinney. ''The Heart of Confederate Appalachia: Western North Carolina in the Civil War''. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2020. . p. 32.] In 1845 he fought a duel with a fellow congressman
William Lowndes Yancey
William Lowndes Yancey (August 10, 1814July 27, 1863) was an American politician in the Antebellum South. As an influential "Fire-Eater", he defended slavery and urged Southerners to secede from the Union in response to Northern antislavery ...
of
Alabama
Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
. In Yancey's maiden speech on the House floor, he had impugned his opponent's integrity. Both duelists had missed. In 1847 he regained the seat and won reelection in 1849, 1851, 1853, 1855 and 1857. On May 7, 1858, he resigned after becoming a
United States senator
The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress.
Party affiliation
Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...
as a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY)
**Democratic Part ...
the previous day,
replacing the resigning
Asa Biggs
Asa Biggs (February 4, 1811 – March 6, 1878) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served as a member of both chambers of the United States Congress and as a United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United ...
. He was reelected but was expelled from the Senate for support of the
Confederacy.
Civil War
When he first entered the War, Clingman was the commander of the 25th North Carolina Infantry and took part in the
Peninsula Campaign
The Peninsula campaign (also known as the Peninsular campaign) of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March to July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The oper ...
. He later commanded a
brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...
of
infantry
Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...
. Clingman's Brigade consisted of the 8th, 31st, 51st and 61st North Carolina Infantry. Clingman's Brigade fought at
Goldsborough,
Battery Wagner,
Drewry's Bluff
Drewry's Bluff is located in northeastern Chesterfield County, Virginia, in the United States. It was the site of Confederate Fort Darling during the American Civil War. It was named for a local landowner, Confederate Captain Augustus H. Drewry ...
,
Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Army, Union Lieuten ...
,
Petersburg,
Globe Tavern,
Fort Fisher
Fort Fisher was a Confederate fort during the American Civil War. It protected the vital trading routes of the port at Wilmington, North Carolina, from 1861 until its capture by the Union in 1865. The fort was located on one of Cape Fear Riv ...
, and
Bentonville.
Post-war career
After the Civil War, Clingman explored and measured mountains in western North Carolina and
Tennessee
Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
.
Kuwohi
Kuwohi (, also known as Clingmans Dome, its former official name) is a mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina in the Southeastern United States.
At an topographical summit, elevation of , it is the highest mountai ...
, Tennessee's highest mountain, also partly in North Carolina, was renamed Clingman's Dome in his honor in 1859 as Kuwohi was one of the mountains he had accurately measured, being said to be the first person to do so. The mountain's name was changed back to Kuwohi in 2024. He died in
Morganton, North Carolina
Morganton is a city in and county seat of Burke County, North Carolina, United States. It is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the Catawba River.
The population was 17,474 at the 2020 census. Morganton is approximately ...
, and was buried in the
Riverside Cemetery in Asheville, North Carolina.
See also
*
List of American Civil War generals (Confederate)
Confederate generals
__NOTOC__
* Assigned to duty by E. Kirby Smith
* Incomplete appointments
* State militia generals
The Confederate and United States processes for appointment, nomination and confirmation of general officers were essential ...
*
List of United States senators expelled or censured
The United States Constitution gives the Senate the power to expel any member by a two-thirds vote. This is distinct from the power over impeachment trials and convictions that the Senate has over executive and judicial federal officials: th ...
References
Further reading
* Eicher, John H., and
David J. Eicher
David John Eicher (born August 7, 1961) is an American editor, writer, and popularizer of astronomy and space. He has been editor-in-chief of ''Astronomy'' magazine since 2002. He is author, coauthor, or editor of 23 books on science and American ...
, ''Civil War High Commands.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. .
* Sifakis, Stewart. ''Who Was Who in the Civil War.'' New York: Facts On File, 1988. .
*
Warner, Ezra J. ''Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders.'' Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. .
* Jeffrey, Thomas E., “Thomas Lanier Clingman: Fire Eater from the Carolina Mountains”
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Clingman, Thomas L.
1812 births
1897 deaths
American duellists
Burials at Riverside Cemetery (Asheville, North Carolina)
Confederate States Army brigadier generals
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina
Democratic Party United States senators from North Carolina
Expelled United States senators
North Carolina Whigs
People from Yadkin County, North Carolina
People of North Carolina in the American Civil War
Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives
19th-century United States senators
19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives