Malcolm Daniel Graham (July 6, 1827 – October 6, 1878) was a

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

politician. Born in Alabama and a lawyer by profession, he moved to Texas in 1854 and was a state senator there at the start of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. He represented Texas at the

First Confederate Congress The 1st Confederate States Congress, consisting of the Confederate States Senate and the Confederate States House of Representatives, convened between February 18, 1862, and February 17, 1864. This assembly took place during the first two years ...

and served in the

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), 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), fi ...

, being captured by the Union Army and imprisoned on

Johnson's Island Johnson's Island is a island in Sandusky Bay, located on the coast of Lake Erie, from the city of Sandusky, Ohio. It was the site of a prisoner-of-war camp for Confederate officers captured during the American Civil War. Initially, ...

. After the war, he moved back to Alabama as he was not allowed to practice law in Texas, and died in Montgomery.

Life

Malcolm Daniel Graham, who can also be found listed as Malcolm Duncan, was born on July 6, 1827, in Autauga County,

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 ...

, the son of John G. Graham, a native of North Carolina. After graduating from Transylvania University with a degree in law, he practiced as a lawyer in Wetumpka. He was elected to be clerk of the

Alabama House of Representatives The Alabama House of Representatives is the lower house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature (United States), state legislature of state of Alabama. The House is composed of 105 members representing an equal number of districts, with ...

in 1853 before moving to

Henderson, Texas Henderson is a city and the county seat of Rusk County, Texas, United States. Its population was 13,271 at the 2020 census. Henderson is named for James Pinckney Henderson, the first governor of Texas. The city has functioned as a major crossr ...

, in 1854. He served in the

Texas State Senate The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature, with the Texas House of Representatives functioning as the lower house. Together, they form the state legislature of the state of Texas. The Senate is made up of 31 members, where eac ...

for one term from between 1857 and 1859, as

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

from 1858 to 1860, and as a presidential elector for

John C. Breckinridge John Cabell Breckinridge (January 16, 1821 – May 17, 1875) was an American politician who served as the 14th vice president of the United States, with President James Buchanan, from 1857 to 1861. Assuming office at the age of 36, Breckinrid ...

in 1860. At the start of the

, he was a delegate to the Texas Secession Convention and was signer of the Ordinance of Secession. He represented the state in the

from 1862 to 1864, was appointed judge advocate by

Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the only President of the Confederate States of America, president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the Unite ...

and was a colonel in the

. He was captured in 1864 by the Union Army and imprisoned on

until the end of the conflict. After the war, as he was not allowed to practice law in Texas without a pardon, he moved back to Alabama and settled in Montgomery. He resumed his law practice, also serving as the president of the executive committee of the

Conservative Democrat In American politics, a conservative Democrat is a member of the Democratic Party with more conservative views than most Democrats. Traditionally, conservative Democrats have been elected to office from the Southern states, rural areas, and t ...

Party. He was married to Amelia Cunningham Ready, with whom he had two sons. He died on October 6, 1878, and is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Montgomery, Alabama.

References

1827 births 1878 deaths Texas state senators Members of the Confederate House of Representatives from Texas Texas attorneys general Confederate States Army officers 19th-century members of the Texas Legislature {{Texas-politician-stub