Felix Grundy McConnell (April 1, 1809 – September 10, 1846) was 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

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 ...

. Born in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

, McConnell moved with his parents to

Fayetteville, Tennessee Fayetteville is the county seat and the largest city in Lincoln County, Tennessee, United States. The city's population was 7,095 at the 2020 census. History Fayetteville is the largest city in Lincoln County. The city was established in 1809 ...

, in 1811. He received a limited education and became a saddler. He moved to

Talladega, Alabama Talladega (, also ) is the county seat of Talladega County, Alabama, United States. It was incorporated in 1835. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 15,861. Talladega is approximately east of one of the state's la ...

, in 1834. He studied law. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1836 and commenced practice in

. He served as member of the State house of representatives in 1838. He served in the State senate 1839-1843. McConnell was elected 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 ...

to the Twenty-eighth and Twenty-ninth Congresses and served from March 4, 1843 until his death. During his tenure in Congress, he introduced a resolution proposing the United States annex

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. McConnell gained a reputation for his rambunctious behavior and heavy drinking. He was involved in a number of public incidents both at home and in Washington. One of these was his noisy interruption of a concert by renowned violinist

Ole Bull Ole Bornemann Bull (; 5 February 181017 August 1880) was a Norwegian virtuoso violinist and composer. According to Robert Schumann, he was on a level with Niccolò Paganini for the speed and clarity of his playing. Biography Background Bull was ...

In the midst of one of his most exquisite performances, while every breath was suspended, and every ear attentive to catch the sounds of his magical instrument, the silence was suddenly broken and the harmony harshly interrupted by the well-known voice of General Felix Grundy McConnell, a Representative from the Talladega district of Alabama, shouting, "None of your high-falutin, but give us Hail Columbia, and bear hard on the treble!" "Turn him out," was shouted from every part of the house, and the police force in attendance undertook to remove him from the hall. "Mac," as he was called, was not only one of the handsomest men in Congress, but one of the most athletic, and it was a difficult task for the policemen to overpower him, although they used their clubs. After he was carried from the hall, some of his Congressional friends interfered, and secured his release.Poore, Ben. Perley, ''Perley's Reminiscences of Sixty Years in the National Metropolis'', Vol.1, p.300 (1886)

On September 10, 1846, in Washington, D.C., McConnell killed himself, stabbing himself in the throat and on his body, believed to have been committed in a state of mental hallucination due to

delirium tremens Delirium tremens (DTs; ) is a rapid onset of confusion usually caused by withdrawal from alcohol. When it occurs, it is often three days into the withdrawal symptoms and lasts for two to three days. Physical effects may include shaking, sh ...

.Long, Kim. "''The Almanac of Political Corruption, Scandals & Dirty Politics'', (2008).
. He was interred in the

Congressional Cemetery The Congressional Cemetery, officially Washington Parish Burial Ground, is a historic and active cemetery located at 1801 E Street in Washington, D.C., in the Hill East neighborhood on the west bank of the Anacostia River. It is the only American ...

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{{DEFAULTSORT:McConnell, Felix Grundy 1809 births 1846 deaths People from Talladega, Alabama Democratic Party members of the Alabama House of Representatives Burials at the Congressional Cemetery Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Alabama Democratic Party Alabama state senators American politicians who died by suicide Suicides by sharp instrument in the United States Suicides in Washington, D.C. Politicians from Nashville, Tennessee People from Fayetteville, Tennessee 1840s suicides 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Alabama Legislature

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