Josiah Patterson (April 14, 1837 – February 10, 1904) was a Confederate soldier, political figure, and a member of the United States House of Representatives for the 10th District of Tennessee.

Biography

Patterson was born in Morgan County, Alabama. He attended local schools and the Somerville Academy in Somerville, Alabama. He then studied law, and in 1859 was admitted to the bar. He began his practice in Morgan County. He married Josephine Rice on December 22, 1859 in Morgan County, Alabama. They had three children, Malcolm Rice, Mary Louisa, and Ann Eliza.

Career

In September 1861, early in the American Civil War, Patterson enlisted in the

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

. The following year, he was commissioned a first lieutenant in the 1st Alabama Cavalry Regiment. Patterson was promoted through the ranks until he became a colonel and was assigned command of the 5th Alabama Cavalry Regiment. He served in Gen.

Philip Dale Roddey Philip Dale Roddey (April 2, 1826 – July 20, 1897) was a brigadier general in the army of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. Biography Roddey was born in Moulton, Lawrence County, Alabama, to Philip and Sar ...

's brigade for the remainder of the war, mostly in North Alabama. Surrendering with his regiment at the war's end in May 1865, Patterson returned home and resumed his law practice. In January 1867, Patterson relocated to

Florence, Alabama Florence is a city in, and the county seat of, Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States, in the state's northwestern corner. It is situated along the Tennessee River and is home to the University of North Alabama, the oldest college in the st ...

, and five years later moved to Memphis, Tennessee. He 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 ...

from 1883 to 1885. Patterson was elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-second, Fifty-third, and Fifty-fourth Congresses. He served from March 4, 1891 to March 3, 1897. Patterson was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election to the Fifty-fifth Congress as a Gold Democrat. He continued his law practice in Memphis until he died.

Death

On February 10, 1904, Patterson died in Memphis. He is interred at Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis. Patterson's son,

Malcolm Rice Patterson Malcolm Rice Patterson (June 7, 1861 – March 8, 1935) was an American politician and jurist. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1901 to 1906, and as the 30th governor of Tennessee from 1907 to 1911. He later served as a circui ...

(June 7, 1861 – March 8, 1935), served as governor of Tennessee from 1907 to 1911. His granddaughter, Virginia Foster Durr (August 6, 1903 – February 24, 1999), was a friend of Rosa Parks and active in the Civil Rights Movement.

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Patterson, Josiah 1837 births 1904 deaths People from Morgan County, Alabama Democratic Party members of the Tennessee House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee 19th-century American politicians People of Alabama in the American Civil War