Edward Saunders Cheatham
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Edward Saunders Cheatham (July 31, 1818 – December 21, 1878) was an American politician and businessman.


Early life

Edward Saunders Cheatham was born on July 31, 1818, in
Robertson County, Tennessee Robertson County is a county located on the central northern border of Tennessee in the United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 72,803. Its seat of government is Springfield. The county was named for James Ro ...
. His father,
Richard Cheatham Richard Cheatham (February 20, 1799 – September 9, 1845) was an American politician in Middle Tennessee. He was elected as a Whig in 1836 from Tennessee's 11th congressional district to the United States House of Representatives, serving one ...
, served as
United States Representative 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 Tennessee from 1837 to 1839, after eight years of previous service as a state legislator. His mother was Susan Saunders. They had the Mansfield Cheatham House built in
Springfield, Tennessee Springfield is the county seat of Robertson County, Tennessee, United States. It is located in Middle Tennessee near the northern border of the state. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 18,782. History US 431 and US 4 ...
, where they lived for many years with their family. Two of Edward's three brothers also went into politics. His brother, Dr. William Archer Cheatham, became the third husband of
Adelicia Acklen Adelicia Hayes Franklin Acklen Cheatham (March 15, 1817 – May 4, 1887) was an American planter and slave trader. She became the wealthiest woman in Tennessee and a Planter class, plantation owner in her own right after the 1846 death of her ...
(1817–1887), who owned the Belmont Mansion in Nashville. His brother,
Richard Boone Cheatham Richard Boone Cheatham (December 8, 1824 – May 7, 1877) was an American politician based in Nashville, Tennessee. He was serving as the mayor of Nashville, Tennessee, during the opening years of the Civil War. After the war he served as alderma ...
, served as alderman and as Mayor of Nashville from 1860 to 1862. His third brother, Boyd M. Cheatham, also served in the
Tennessee House of Representatives The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee. Constitutional requirements According to the state constitution of 1870, this body is to consis ...
.The Political Graveyard: Cheatham-Foster family of Tennessee
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Career

Cheatham owned a grocery in Nashville and a sawmill in Greenbrier. He served as the president of the Edgefield and Kentucky Railroad as well as of the
Louisville and Nashville Railroad The Louisville and Nashville Railroad , commonly called the L&N, was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States. Chartered by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1850, the road grew into one of ...
in the antebellum era. Cheatham joined the Whig Party. He served as a member of the
Tennessee House of Representatives The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee. Constitutional requirements According to the state constitution of 1870, this body is to consis ...
from 1853 to 1855. He then served as a member of the
Tennessee Senate The Tennessee Senate is the upper house of the U.S. state of Tennessee , Tennessee's state legislature, which is known formally as the Tennessee General Assembly. The Tennessee Senate has the power to pass resolutions concerning essentially any ...
from 1855 to 1857, and again from 1861 to 1863. He also served as Speaker of the Tennessee Senate. Cheatham supported the
Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or Dixieland, was an List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies, unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United State ...
.


Personal life, death and legacy

Cheatham was married three times. He first married Ellen Foster, the daughter of US Senator Ephraim H. Foster. They had a son, Robert, and two daughters. After her death, he married Julia Cockrill, the daughter of Mark R. Cockrill, a planter known as the "Wool King of the World". She also died young. Cheatham married Lottie Wall; they had a son and two daughters together. Cheatham resided at the family home, the Mansfield Cheatham House, which his father had built for his own family earlier in his life in
Springfield, Tennessee Springfield is the county seat of Robertson County, Tennessee, United States. It is located in Middle Tennessee near the northern border of the state. As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 18,782. History US 431 and US 4 ...
. Cheatham died on December 21, 1878, in
DeSoto County, Mississippi DeSoto County is a county - located on the northwestern border of the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 185,314, making it the third-most populous county in Mississippi. Its county seat is Hernando. DeSoto C ...
, near
Horn Lake Horn Lake is a city in DeSoto County, Mississippi, DeSoto County, Mississippi, United States. It is located south of Memphis, Tennessee. The population was 26,736 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipaliti ...
. He was buried in the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Nashville.
Cheatham County, Tennessee Cheatham County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 41,072. Its county seat is Ashland City. Cheatham County is located in Middle Tennessee, and is part of the Nashville-Davidsonâ ...
, was named in his honor.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheatham, Edward Saunders 1818 births 1878 deaths People from Robertson County, Tennessee Members of the Tennessee House of Representatives Tennessee state senators Businesspeople from Tennessee Tennessee Whigs Louisville and Nashville Railroad people Cheatham family 19th-century American businesspeople 19th-century members of the Tennessee General Assembly