Smith Spangler Turner (November 21, 1842 – April 8, 1898) 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

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 ...

Biography

Turner was born in

Warren County, Virginia Warren County is a U.S. county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The 2020 United States census places Warren County within the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area with a population of 40,727. Th ...

. He was a cadet at the

Virginia Military Institute The Virginia Military Institute (VMI) is a public senior military college in Lexington, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1839 as America's first state military college and is the oldest public senior military college in the U.S. In k ...

Lexington, Virginia Lexington is an Independent city (United States)#Virginia, independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, Virg ...

, when 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 ...

commenced, and was subsequently given an honorary diploma. He enlisted in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

in 1861. He served with General

Stonewall Jackson Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general and military officer who served during the American Civil War. He played a prominent role in nearly all military engagements in the eastern the ...

as drill officer. He was an officer of

George Pickett George Edward Pickett (January 16,Military records cited by Eicher, p. 428, and Warner, p. 239, list January 28. The memorial that marks his gravesite in Hollywood Cemetery lists his birthday as January 25. Thclaims to have accessed the baptis ...

's division during the remainder of the war. He taught mathematics in a female seminary in

Winchester, Virginia Winchester is the northwesternmost Administrative divisions of Virginia#Independent cities, independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It is the county seat of Frederick County, Virginia, Frederi ...

from 1865 to 1867. He studied law. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1869 and commenced practice in

Front Royal, Virginia Front Royal is the only incorporated town in Warren County, Virginia, United States. The population was estimated at 15,400 as of 2023. It is the county seat of Warren County. History The entire Shenandoah Valley including the area to beco ...

. He served as 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 1869 to 1872. He served as prosecuting attorney for

from 1874 to 1879. He served as member of the State board of visitors of the Virginia Military Institute for eight years. Turner 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 Fifty-third Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Charles T. O'Ferrall. He was reelected to the Fifty-fourth Congress and served from January 30, 1894, to March 3, 1897. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1896. He died in

, April 8, 1898. He was interred in Prospect Hill Cemetery.

1894 election

Turner was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in a special election unopposed. He was later re-elected in the general election with 52.12% of the vote, defeating Republican Robert J. Walker, Populist Jacob S. Hopkins, and Independent G.T. Barbee.

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Turner, Smith Spangler 1842 births 1898 deaths Confederate States Army officers Virginia lawyers People from Front Royal, Virginia Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century Virginia politicians 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Virginia General Assembly