Barbour Lewis (January 5, 1818 – July 15, 1893) was an American politician and a 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 ...

for

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 ...

's 9th congressional district.

Early life

Lewis was born in Alburgh, Vermont on January 5, 1818. He attended the common schools and graduated from

Illinois College Illinois College is a private liberal arts college in Jacksonville, Illinois. It is affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the Presbyterian Church (USA). It was the second college founded in Illinois but the first to grant a degree (in ...

Jacksonville Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

in 1846. While there, he was a founder of Sigma Pi Literary Society. He taught school in Mobile,

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 ...

, graduated from the law department of

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

Career

Lewis was admitted to the bar, and began practicing law. In 1860, Lewis was a delegate to the

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the Republican Party in the United States. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal o ...

. He enlisted in the Union Army on August 1, 1861, and served as

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

of Company G, First Missouri Volunteers. He was appointed by the military authorities as judge of the civil commission court at

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...

in 1863. He was discharged from the service on November 15, 1864. He was president of the commissioners of

Shelby County, Tennessee Shelby County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 929,744. It is the largest of the state's List of counties in Tennessee, 95 counties, both in terms of ...

from 1867 to 1869. Lewis was elected as a Republican to the 43rd Congress, and he served from March 4, 1873, to March 3, 1875. He was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election in 1874 to the 44th Congress. He resumed the practice of law in Memphis and moved to

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

in 1878. He was appointed to the

United States General Land Office The General Land Office (GLO) was an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the United States government responsible for Public domain (land), public domain lands in the United States. It was created in 1812 ...

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

, and he resigned in 1879. After Lewis moved to Whitman County,

Territory of Washington A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, belonging or connected to a particular country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually a geographic area which has not been granted the powers of self-government, ...

, he engaged in agricultural pursuits and stock raising.

Death

Lewis died in

Colfax, Washington Colfax is a city in and the county seat of Whitman County, Washington, Whitman County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. The population was 2,782 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, making Colfax the second largest city in ...

, on July 15, 1893 (age 75 years, 191 days). He is interred at Colfax Cemetery.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Barbour 1818 births 1893 deaths American judges Harvard Law School alumni Illinois College alumni Politicians from Memphis, Tennessee People from Alburgh, Vermont People from Colfax, Washington Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee 19th-century American judges Sigma Pi (literary society) founders 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives