Thomas Hardeman Jr. (January 12, 1825 – March 6, 1891) was an American politician, lawyer and soldier.

Early years

Hardeman was born in

Eatonton Eatonton is a city in and the county seat of Putnam County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 6,307. It was named after William Eaton, an officer and diplomat involved in the First Barbary War. The n ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

and graduated from Emory College in 1845. He studied and was admitted to the state bar in 1847. Rather than practicing law, he pursued interests in the warehouse and commission business.

Political and military service

After serving in the

Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republican Party (United States), Repu ...

in 1853, 1855, and 1857, Hardeman was elected in 1858 as an

Opposition Party In politics, the opposition comprises one or more political parties or other organized groups that are opposed to the government (or, in American English, the administration), party or group in political control of a city, region, state, coun ...

candidate to the

36th United States Congress The 36th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1859, ...

as a Representative of

Georgia's 3rd congressional district Georgia's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Georgia. The district is currently represented by Republican Brian Jack. The district's boundaries have been redrawn following the 2010 census, which grant ...

and served a partial term from March 4, 1859, until January 23, 1861, when he resigned to become a captain in the ''Floyd Rifles''. 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 ...

, Hardeman was major of the 2nd Georgia Battalion 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 ...

. Later, he became a colonel in the 45th Georgia Infantry, a regiment he organized. During the war, he served in the Georgia House of Representatives in 1863, 1864, and 1874. Hardeman served as the

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hung ...

from 1863 to 1865, and again in 1875–1877. After the war, Hardeman was a delegate to the

1872 Democratic National Convention The 1872 Democratic National Convention was a presidential nominating convention held at Ford's Grand Opera House on East Fayette Street, between North Howard and North Eutaw Streets, in Baltimore, Maryland on July 9 and 10, 1872. It resulted ...

. He was also president of the State convention and chairman of the Democratic State executive committee for four years. In 1882, Hardeman won the election again to the U.S. House of Representatives as an at-large

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

48th United States Congress The 48th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from March 4, 1883, ...

. He served one term from March 4, 1883, to March 3, 1885.

Death

Thomas Hardeman Jr. died in

Macon, Georgia Macon ( ), officially Macon–Bibb County, is a consolidated city-county in Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. Situated near the Atlantic Seaboard fall line, fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is southeast of Atlanta and near the ...

, on March 6, 1891, and was buried in that city's Rose Hill Cemetery. The Colonel Thomas Hardeman Jr. Chapter 2170 of the United Daughters of the Confederacy was named in his honor. Hardeman Avenue in downtown Macon, Georgia, was also named for him.

References

External links

* Retrieved on 2008-10-19
Letter from Thomas Hardeman, Macon, Georgia, to Robert Jemison, Jr., Tuscaloosa, Alabama, May 23, 1843
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hardeman, Thomas Jr. 1825 births 1891 deaths People from Eatonton, Georgia Opposition Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Georgia (U.S. state) Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Georgia (U.S. state) Democratic Party members of the Georgia House of Representatives Confederate States Army officers People of Georgia (U.S. state) in the American Civil War Georgia (U.S. state) lawyers Emory University alumni Speakers of the Georgia House of Representatives State political party chairs of Georgia (U.S. state) 19th-century American lawyers Members of the United States House of Representatives who owned slaves 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Georgia General Assembly

Early years

Political and military service

Death

See also

References

External links