John M. Clayton (Arkansas)

John M. Clayton (Arkansas)

:"This article is about the assassinated Arkansas Republican. For the U.S. Secretary of State and Senator from Delaware with the same name, see John M. Clayton."John Middleton Clayton (October 13, 1840 – January 29, 1889) was a Republican carpetbagger to Arkansas, originally from Pennsylvania. He is best remembered today from his mysterious assassination in 1889.The identity of his assassin remains an unsolved mystery to this day. He was also the younger brother of Powell Clayton.

Clayton and his twin brother, William, were born on a farm near Chester, Pennsylvania to John and Ann Glover Clayton, his father an orchard keeper and carpenter. His parents had ten children in all, although six died in infancy. Clayton had a normal childhood of any boy of the time and went on to marry a woman named Sarah Ann with whom he had six children. During the Civil War, he served in the Army of the Potomac where he engaged in several campaigns in the east. In 1867, he and his family moved to Arkansas where he managed a plantation owned by older brother, Powell Clayton, who would become the Governor of Arkansas the next year.

In 1871, Clayton was elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives representing Jefferson County, his brother, Powell, starting his term in the United States Senate the same year. In 1873, he served in the Arkansas Senate representing Jefferson, Bradley, Grant and Lincoln Counties, also serving as Speaker of the Senate "pro tempore" for part of his term. He served on the first board of trustees of Arkansas Industrial University, today the University of Arkansas, when it was chartered in 1871. Two years later, Clayton helped Pine Bluff, Arkansas secure the Branch Normal College, today the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. He became involved in the Brooks-Baxter War of 1874 which was fought over the disputed election for the governor's office between Joseph Brooks and Elisha Baxter. Clayton, a supporter of Brooks', raised troops in Jefferson County and marched them to Little Rock, Arkansas where they fought Baxter supporters. He remained loyal to Brooks to the end of the conflict when President Ulysses S. Grant declared Baxter the rightful governor.

Clayton remained involved in Arkansas politics in the years after Reconstruction. With the support of black Republican voters, he became sheriff of Jefferson County in 1876, being reelected to five successive, two year terms. In 1888, he ran to represent Arkansas's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives, going up against incumbent Democrat Clifton R. Breckinridge. The election became one of the most fraudulent in Arkansas' history. Clayton lost the election by a narrow margin of 846 out of over 34,000 votes cast. However, in one case in Conway County, four masked and armed white men stormed into a predominately black voting precinct and, at gunpoint, stole the ballot box that contained a large majority of votes for Clayton. Losing under such circumstances, Clayton decided to contest the election and went to Plumerville, Arkansas to start an investigation on the matter. On the evening of January 29, 1889, an unknown assailant shot through the window to the room he was staying in at a local boardinghouse and killed him instantly. He was later declared the winner of the election and Breckinridge was unseated and the seat declared vacant. His assassin was never found.

Clayton was interned in Bellwood Cemetery in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

References

* [http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=1620 John M. Clayton at the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture]

* Barnes, Kenneth C. "Who Killed John Clayton? Political Violence and the Emergence of the New South, 1861–1893". Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 1998.

External links

* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=20430328 John M. Clayton] at Find A Grave


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • John M. Clayton — John Clayton Pour les articles homonymes, voir John et Clayton. Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. John Clayton peut faire référence à : John Clayton (1685 1773), un botaniste… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • John Clayton — may refer to: John Clayton (divine) John Clayton (painter) John M. Clayton (1796 – 1856), U.S. Senator from Delaware and U.S. Secretary of State John M. Clayton (Arkansas) (1840 – 1889), Arkansas carpetbagger, assassinated 1889 John Clayton… …   Wikipedia

  • John Clayton — Pour les articles homonymes, voir John et Clayton. Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. John Clayton peut faire référence à : John Clayton (1685 1773), un botaniste américain, John… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Clayton — may refer to: Contents 1 Places 1.1 Canada 1.2 Australia 1.3 …   Wikipedia

  • John Ellis Martineau — John Martineau John Ellis Martineau (* 2. Dezember 1873 im Clay County, Missouri; † 6. Juni 1937 in Little Rock, Arkansas) war ein US amerikanischer Politiker und zwischen 1927 und 1928 Gouverneur …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Clayton McMichen — Clayton McMichen, um 1925 Clayton „Mac“ McMichen (* 26. Januar 1900 in Allatoona, Georgia; † 4. Januar 1970) war ein US amerikanischer Old Time und späterer Country Musiker. McMichen nahm während seiner Karriere unzählige Platten auf und gilt als …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • John Clayton (Botaniker) — John Clayton (* 1694 in Fulham, England; † 15. Dezember 1773 in Gloucester, Virginia), war ein britisch nordamerikanischer Botaniker. Sein offizielles botanisches Autorenkürzel lautet „J.Clayton“; früher war auch das Kürzel „Clayt.“ in… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • John Pope (Gouverneur) — John Pope John Pope (* um 1770 im Prince William County, Virginia; † 12. Juli 1845 in Springfield, Kentucky) war ein US amerikanischer Politiker, US Senator von Kentucky, Abgeordneter im US Repräsentantenhaus und Territorialgouverneur von… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Clayton Keith Yeutter — 23rd United States Secretary of Agriculture In office February 16, 1989 – March 1, 1991 President George H. W …   Wikipedia

  • John Martineau — John Ellis Martineau (* 2. Dezember 1873 im Clay County, Missouri; † 6. Juni 1937 in Little Rock, Arkansas) war ein US amerikanischer Politiker und zwischen 1927 und 1928 Gouverneur des …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”