Romulus Zachariah Linney (December 26, 1841 – April 15, 1910) was an American politician who was a Republican

U.S. Congressman The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...

between 1895 and 1901.

Life and career

Linney was born in

Rutherford County, North Carolina Rutherford County is a county in the southwestern area of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 64,444. Its county seat is Rutherfordton. Rutherford County comprises the Forest City, NC Micropolitan S ...

, the son of Martha (''

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth ...

'' Baxter) and William Coplin Linney. He attended common schools, York's Collegiate Institute, and Doctor Millen's School in

Taylorsville, North Carolina Taylorsville is a town in Alexander County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,098 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Alexander County. Taylorsville is part of the Hickory– Lenoir– Morganton Metropolitan Sta ...

. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

, he served in the Confederate

Army of Northern Virginia The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was also the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most o ...

as a private in Company A of the 7th North Carolina Infantry. He was seriously wounded at the

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Chancellorsville is known as Lee's "perfect battle" because h ...

. After the war, he engaged in agricultural pursuits and studied law. Admitted to the bar in 1868, he opened a practice in Taylorsville. He was elected to the

North Carolina Senate The North Carolina Senate is the upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, which along with the North Carolina House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the state legislature of North Carolina. The term of office for ...

in 1870, 1873, and 1882 and then to the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washi ...

in 1894, serving three terms in the 44th, 45th, and 46th Congresses (March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1901). While in the North Carolina Senate, Linney was a major proponent of the construction of the

Alexander Railroad The Alexander Railroad Company is a Class III shortline railroad operating in North Carolina. The railroad has of track that runs northwest from Statesville to Taylorsville, North Carolina. History The Alexander Railroad began operations in ...

, then known as the Statesville & Western Railroad."Alexander Railroad Company History", http://www.tarheelpress.com/junebug/history.html (visited Dec. 2009) Linney died in Taylorsville in 1910 and is buried in the Taylorsville Cemetery. He is the great-grandfather of playwright Romulus Linney and great-great-grandfather of actress

Laura Linney Laura Leggett Linney (born February 5, 1964) is an American actress. Having studied acting at Juilliard School (1986-1990), she became known for her complex and multilayered performances on stage and screen. She has received various accolades, ...

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Linney, Romulus Z. 1841 births 1910 deaths People from Rutherford County, North Carolina Republican Party North Carolina state senators Confederate States Army soldiers North Carolina lawyers Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina 19th-century American politicians People from Taylorsville, North Carolina Linney family 19th-century American lawyers