Otho Robards Singleton (October 14, 1814 – January 11, 1889) 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

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

and a member of the

Confederate States Congress The Confederate States Congress was both the provisional and permanent legislative assembly/legislature of the Confederate States of America that existed from February 1861 to April/June 1865, during the American Civil War. Its actions were, ...

during 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 ...

Biography

Born near

Nicholasville, Kentucky Nicholasville is a home rule city in and the county seat of Jessamine County, Kentucky, Jessamine County, Kentucky. The population was 31,490 during the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, making Nicholasville the 10th-largest settlemen ...

, he was the son of Lewis Singleton, a

hemp Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a plant in the botanical class of ''Cannabis sativa'' cultivars grown specifically for industrial and consumable use. It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest ...

manufacturer who owned a factory near Keene, Kentucky. Lewis's father, and Otho's grandfather, was Louis Singleton, a Jessamine County sheriff and Kentucky state senator. Singleton attended the common schools. He graduated from St. Joseph's College,

Bardstown, Kentucky Bardstown is a list of Kentucky cities, home rule-class city in Nelson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 13,567 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the list of counties in Kentucky, county seat of Nelson Count ...

, and from the law department of the University of Lexington. He was admitted to the bar in 1838 and commenced practice in

Canton, Mississippi The city of Canton is the county seat of Madison County, Mississippi, United States, and is situated in the northern part of the Jackson, Mississippi metropolitan area, metropolitan area surrounding the state capital, Jackson, Mississippi, Jackso ...

. He served as member of the State house of representatives in 1846 and 1847. He served in the State senate 1848–1854.

Congress

Singleton 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 Thirty-third Congress (March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection. Singleton was elected to the Thirty-fifth and Thirty-sixth Congresses and served from March 4, 1857, until January 12, 1861, when he withdrew.

Confederate Congress

He served as a representative from Mississippi in 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

Second Confederate Congress The 2nd Confederate States Congress, consisting of the Confederate States Senate and the Confederate States House of Representatives, met from May 2, 1864, to March 18, 1865, during the last year of Jefferson Davis's presidency, at the Virginia ...

from 1861 to 1865.

Return to U.S. Congress

Singleton was elected as a Democrat to the Forty-fourth and to the five succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1887). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1886.

Death and burial

He died in Washington, D.C., January 11, 1889. He was interred in Canton Cemetery, Canton, Mississippi.

Personal life

Singleton married; his wife predeceased him. His son, Dr. Richard H. Singleton (born May 9, 1844) was a prominent doctor in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

, and a member of the Indiana, Kentucky, and Mississippi medical societies. His daughter, Kate, married Junius M. Smith and lived in North Carolina.

References

1814 births 1889 deaths Members of the Confederate House of Representatives from Mississippi People from Jessamine County, Kentucky Democratic Party members of the Mississippi House of Representatives Democratic Party Mississippi state senators Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Mississippi 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Mississippi Legislature {{Mississippi-politician-stub