Legrand W. Perce
Encyclopedia
Legrand Winfield Perce (June 19, 1836 - March 16, 1911) was a U.S. Representative
from Mississippi
.
Born in Buffalo, New York
, Perce completed preparatory studies.
He attended Genesee College
, Lima, New York
, and was graduated from the Albany Law School
in 1857.
He was admitted to the bar the same year and commenced practice in Buffalo, New York
. In 1859 he travelled to St. Louis, Missouri intending to live there, but he decided that, due to his anti-slavery views, he could never live in a slave state and instead settled in Chicago, Illinois. At the outbreak of the Civil War
, he volunteered his services to Governor Yates of Illinois and served for 4 months on General Prentiss
' staff in Cairo, Illinois, with the rank of captain.
In August 1861 he accepted an offer to join the Sixth Regiment, Michigan Volunteer Infantry and was commissioned a second lieutenant.
He was promoted to the rank of captain in June 1862.
He was appointed captain in the United States Volunteers in August 1863 and was brevetted lieutenant colonel and colonel in 1865.
He settled in Natchez, Mississippi
.
He was appointed register in bankruptcy in June 1867.
Upon readmission of the State of Mississippi to representation, Perce was elected as a Republican
to the Forty-first Congress.
He was reelected to the Forty-second Congress and served from February 23, 1870, to March 3, 1873.
He served as chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor (Forty-second Congress).
He was not a candidate for reelection in 1872.
He engaged in the practice of law and also in the real estate business at Chicago
, Illinois
, where he died March 16, 1911.
He was interred in Rosehill Cemetery
.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
.
Born in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, Perce completed preparatory studies.
He attended Genesee College
Genesee Wesleyan Seminary
The Genesee Wesleyan Seminary was the name of two institutions located on the same site in Lima, New York.The Genesee Wesleyan Seminary was founded in 1831 by the Genesee Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The plan for its establishment dates to 1829 when the Conference...
, Lima, New York
Lima, New York
Lima, New York refers to two locations south of the City of Rochester, New York in Livingston County, New York:*Lima , New York*Lima , New YorkNote that the names of both places are pronounced like the bean, not like the capital of Peru....
, and was graduated from the Albany Law School
Albany Law School
Albany Law School is an ABA accredited law school based in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1851 by Amos Dean , Amasa Parker, Ira Harris and others....
in 1857.
He was admitted to the bar the same year and commenced practice in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. In 1859 he travelled to St. Louis, Missouri intending to live there, but he decided that, due to his anti-slavery views, he could never live in a slave state and instead settled in Chicago, Illinois. At the outbreak of the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, he volunteered his services to Governor Yates of Illinois and served for 4 months on General Prentiss
Benjamin Prentiss
Benjamin Mayberry Prentiss was an American soldier and politician. He fought in the Mexican-American War and on the Union side of the American Civil War, rising to the rank of major general....
' staff in Cairo, Illinois, with the rank of captain.
In August 1861 he accepted an offer to join the Sixth Regiment, Michigan Volunteer Infantry and was commissioned a second lieutenant.
He was promoted to the rank of captain in June 1862.
He was appointed captain in the United States Volunteers in August 1863 and was brevetted lieutenant colonel and colonel in 1865.
He settled in Natchez, Mississippi
Natchez, Mississippi
Natchez is the county seat of Adams County, Mississippi, United States. With a total population of 18,464 , it is the largest community and the only incorporated municipality within Adams County...
.
He was appointed register in bankruptcy in June 1867.
Upon readmission of the State of Mississippi to representation, Perce was elected as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to the Forty-first Congress.
He was reelected to the Forty-second Congress and served from February 23, 1870, to March 3, 1873.
He served as chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor (Forty-second Congress).
He was not a candidate for reelection in 1872.
He engaged in the practice of law and also in the real estate business at Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, where he died March 16, 1911.
He was interred in Rosehill Cemetery
Rosehill Cemetery, Chicago
Rosehill Cemetery is a Victorian era cemetery on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois, USA, and at , is the largest cemetery in the City of Chicago. The name "Rosehill" resulted from a City Clerk's error – the area was previously called "Roe's Hill", named for nearby farmer Hiram Roe...
.