David Grant Colson (April 1, 1861 – September 27, 1904) was an American politician from the State of

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

who served as a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the 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 Article One of th ...

from Kentucky's 11th congressional district. He previously served in the

Kentucky House of Representatives The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form a ...

and as the mayor of Middlesboro.

Biography

Colson was born in Yellow Creek (now

Middlesboro, Kentucky Middlesboro ()Rennick, Robert. ''Kentucky Place Names'', University Press of Kentucky (Lexington), 1987p. 196 Accessed 26 August 2013. is a list of Kentucky cities, home rule-class city in Bell County, Kentucky, United States. The population was ...

), Knox (now

Bell A bell /ˈbɛl/ () is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be m ...

) County, Kentucky. He was the seventh of eleven children. Colson attended the common schools and the academies at Tazewell and Mossy Creek, Tennessee. He studied law at the

University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical ...

at Lexington in 1879 and 1880. He was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Pineville.

Political career

Colson, a Republican, served as a state representative in 1887 and 1888, representing Bell, Harlan, Perry, and Leslie Counties, and again in 1902. He was the Republican nominee for State Treasurer in 1889. He served as mayor of Middlesboro in 1893–1895. Colson was elected a

US Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the 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 Article One of th ...

in 1894 and re-elected in 1896, serving in the Fifty-fourth and Fifty-fifth Congresses (March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1899). He served as chairman of the Committee on Expenditures on Public Buildings in the Fifty-fifth Congress. During his second term in Congress, Colson was known as a supporter of President McKinley's administration, but often voted with Democrats on regional issues. While a Representative, Colson was a member of the "Free

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

" group. In 1898, during the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

, Colson left his position in Congress to become

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

of the Fourth Kentucky Volunteer Infantry. After his military service, he did not run for re-election. In 1899, Colson was shot in the arm by a fellow officer, Lieutenant Ethelbert Dudley Scott. Colson had previously brought court-martial charges against Scott. On January 16, 1900, Colson got in a pistol fight with Scott in a hotel lobby in

Frankfort, Kentucky Frankfort is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is a list of Kentucky cities, home rule-class city and the county seat, seat of Franklin County, Kentucky, Franklin County in the Upland Sou ...

. Three men were killed: Scott and two bystanders, Charles Julian and Luther Demaree. Colson was acquitted of the charges that April. Colson died at his farm outside of

on September 27, 1904. He was interred in Colson Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Colson, David Grant 1861 births 1904 deaths American military personnel of the Spanish–American War Kentucky lawyers Mayors of places in Kentucky Republican Party members of the Kentucky House of Representatives People from Bell County, Kentucky United States Department of the Interior officials University of Kentucky alumni Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky 19th-century members of the Kentucky General Assembly 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives