Muscoe Russell Hunter Garnett (July 25, 1821 – February 14, 1864), was a nineteenth-century politician and lawyer from

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

Early life

Garnett was born on his family's " Elmwood" estate located near

Loretto, Virginia Loretto is an unincorporated community in Essex County, in the U.S. state of Virginia. Brooke's Bank, Elmwood, Port Micou, Vauter's Church, and Wheatland are listed on the National Register of Historic Places The National Register o ...

. He was the son of James Mercer Garnett and Maria (née Hunter) Garnett, and born into the

First Families of Virginia The First Families of Virginia, or FFV, are a group of early settler families who became a socially and politically dominant group in the British Colony of Virginia and later the Commonwealth of Virginia. They descend from European colonists who ...

. His grandfather James M. Garnett and aunts raised him after his father died in 1824. He received a private education suitable to his class. His uncle was a congressman Robert Garnett

Robert Mercer Taliaferro Hunter Robert Mercer Taliaferro Hunter (April 21, 1809 – July 18, 1887) was an American lawyer, politician and planter. He was a U.S. representative (1837–1843, 1845–1847), speaker of the House (1839–1841), and U.S. senator (184 ...

. He attended the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...

, where he received his law degree in 1842. Garnett was admitted to the Virginia bar in 1842, and set up practice, as his father had done, in Loretto.

Career

He was a delegate to the Virginia Constitutional Convention in 1850 and 1851 where he opposed expansion of the electorate, fearing internal improvements that would benefit western counties. In 1850, he wrote a pamphlet ''The Union, Past and Future; how it works and how to save it. By a Citizen of Virginia'', which discussed the relationship of slavery to the national government. Prior to his election to

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

, he was a Virginia delegate to both the 1852 and 1856

Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 18 ...

s, a member of the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two houses of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

(from 1853 to 1856), and a member of the

Board of Visitors In the United States, a board often governs institutions of higher education, including private universities, state universities, and community colleges. In each US state, such boards may govern either the state university system, individual co ...

of the University of Virginia (from 1855 to 1859). In 1856, Garnett 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 ...

from Virginia's 1st Congressional District to the 34th Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Thomas H. Bayly. He was subsequently reelected to both the 35th and 36th Congresses, serving from December 1, 1856, to March 3, 1861, only leaving at the outbreak of the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

. With his sympathies lying with the South, he became a delegate to first the

Virginia secession convention The Virginia Secession Convention of 1861 was called in the state capital of Richmond to determine whether Virginia would secede from the United States, govern the state during a state of emergency, and write a new Constitution for Virginia, whi ...

and then to the State constitutional convention in 1861. From 1862 to 1864, he was a Virginian member of 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 ...

. During that same time, his uncle Robert Hunter was the CSA Secretary of State and then a CSA Senator.

Personal life

He was married on July 26, 1860, to Mary Picton Stevens (1840–1903), a daughter of

Edwin Augustus Stevens Edwin Augustus Stevens (July 28, 1795 – August 7, 1868) was an American engineer, inventor, and entrepreneur who left a bequest that was used to establish the Stevens Institute of Technology. Life Stevens was born at Castle Point, Hobo ...

. They had two children before his early death: * James Mercer Garnett, who was born July 7, 1861. * Mary Barton Picton Garnett, who was born May 28, 1863. While attending the Confederate Congress in early 1864, Muscoe caught

typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often th ...

, and subsequently died at his family's "Elmwood" estate on February 14, 1864, where he was buried in the family cemetery. After his death, his widow married

Edward Parke Custis Lewis Edward Parke Custis Lewis (February 7, 1837 – September 3, 1892) was a Confederate Army colonel, lawyer, legislator, and diplomat who served as United States Minister to Portugal from 1885 to 1889. Early life Lewis was born at Audley, h ...

, a diplomat, who was a great-great nephew of

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

. " Elmwood" was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1970.

Elections

*1856; Garnett was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in a special election with 51.58% of the vote, defeating American Robert Saunders. *1857; Garnett was re-elected with 57.08% of the vote, defeating American John Critcher. *1859; Garnett was re-elected unopposed.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Garnett, Muscoe Russell Hunter 1821 births 1864 deaths Democratic Party members of the Virginia House of Delegates Virginia lawyers University of Virginia School of Law alumni Virginia Secession Delegates of 1861 Members of the Confederate House of Representatives from Virginia People from Essex County, Virginia Deaths from typhoid fever in the United States Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia Infectious disease deaths in Virginia 19th-century American lawyers Garnett family (Virginia) 19th-century members of the Virginia General Assembly 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives