Samuel B. Maxey
Encyclopedia
Samuel Bell Maxey was an American
soldier, lawyer, and politician from Paris
, Texas
, United States
. He was a Major General for the Confederacy
in the Civil War
and later represented Texas
in the U.S. Senate
.
, to Rice and Lucy (Bell) Maxey. His father was a lawyer, and in 1834 he moved the family to Albany, Kentucky
to take a position as the County Clerk for Clinton County
. In 1842 young Maxey got an appointmrent to the U.S. Military Academy
at West Point
.
Although he consistently ranked near the bottom of his class, Maxey did graduate in 1846 and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant. He was assigned to the Seventh Infantry Regiment which was engaged in the Mexican-American War, and joined them in Monterrey, Mexico
. Maxey was cited for his actions in the battles of Cerro Gordo
and Contreras
in the summer of 1847. He also participated in the battlers of Churubusco
and Molino del Rey
. He was promoted and placed in command of a police company in Mexico City
.
In June 1848 Maxey was transferred to Jefferson Barracks in Missouri
, and the following year he resigned from the army. He returned to Albany, read law with his father Rice Maxey and they began a joint practice when Samuel was admitted to the Bar
in 1851. He married Marilda Cass Denton on June 19, 1853. Then in October 1857 father and son moved their families to a small farm they purchased just south of Paris, Texas
. They resumed a joint law practice here as well.
in September to raise a regiment as its Colonel.
In December, Colonel Maxey led his 1,120 man Ninth Texas Regiment from Bonham
to join General Johnston
at Memphis, Tennessee
. However he was soon separated from his regiment and set to building bridges near Chattanooga
. In March 1862 Maxey was promoted to Brigadier General. The regiment was badly mauled at the Battle of Shiloh
, but he was not present. In fact he saw very little action during this period. He did see action at the Siege of Port Hudson
in 1863.
In December 1863, General Maxey was assigned as commander of the Indian Territory
. His early success in conducting raids and capturing supplies prevented a Union Army invasion of Texas and earned him a promotion to Major General. In 1865 he was ordered to Houston, Texas
, to take command of a Division. He turned over command of the Indian Territory to the Indian General Stand Watie
on February 21, 1865 and proceeded to Houston.
Maxey's new command was plagued by desertions and his inability to get supplies and equipment. Frustrated and discouraged, he was allowed to resign on May 22, 1865. He returned home to Paris, and formally surrendered in July to General E.R.S. Canby
. Although nominally a prisoner of war, he remained at home on parole.
pardoned him on July 20, 1867 after a personal appeal from Maxey's former West Point classmate Ulysses S. Grant
. He resumed the practice of law in Paris.
In 1872 he ran for the U.S. Congress
, but lost in the Democratic Party
Primary to William P. McLean
. In 1873, Governor Davis
offered Maxey an appointment to the Texas District Court, but he declined due to prior involvement as a lawyer with cases before the court.
In January 1875, the Texas Legislature elected him to the United States Senate
where he served two terms, from March 4, 1875 until March 4, 1887. He improved postal and rail service in Texas and arguied against increased tariffs. He took little interest in larger national or party affairs. The legislature named the more dynamic John H. Reagan
to replace him.
Maxey returned to the practice of law in Paris, this time with his wife's nephew Benjamin Denton and Henry William Lightfoot. The latter of the two later married Maxey's adopted daughter Dora Maxey. When his nephew, Sam Bell Maxey Long, joined the firm in 1892 he finally retired. He died in 1895 at Eureka Springs, Arkansas
, where he had gone for treatment of an intestinal problem. Samuel and Marilda are buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Paris. The townhouse that he built there in 1867 is now a state historical site on South Church Street and is open to visitors.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soldier, lawyer, and politician from Paris
Paris, Texas
Paris, Texas is a city located northeast of the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex in Lamar County, Texas, in the United States. It is situated in Northeast Texas at the western edge of the Piney Woods. Physiographically, these regions are part of the West Gulf Coastal Plain. In 1900, 9,358 people lived...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He was a Major General for the Confederacy
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
in 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...
and later represented Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in the U.S. Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
.
Early life
Samuel was born in Tompkinsville, KentuckyTompkinsville, Kentucky
Tompkinsville is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,660 at the 2000 census. The city was named after Vice President Daniel D...
, to Rice and Lucy (Bell) Maxey. His father was a lawyer, and in 1834 he moved the family to Albany, Kentucky
Albany, Kentucky
Albany is a city in Clinton County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,220 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Clinton County. It is located on U.S. Route 127 about six miles from the Tennessee border.-History:...
to take a position as the County Clerk for Clinton County
Clinton County, Kentucky
Clinton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1836. As of 2000, the population was 9,634. Its name is in honor of the seventh Governor of New York State, DeWitt Clinton. Its county seat is Albany, Kentucky, and it is a prohibition or dry county...
. In 1842 young Maxey got an appointmrent to the U.S. Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
at West Point
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
.
Although he consistently ranked near the bottom of his class, Maxey did graduate in 1846 and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant. He was assigned to the Seventh Infantry Regiment which was engaged in the Mexican-American War, and joined them in Monterrey, Mexico
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
. Maxey was cited for his actions in the battles of Cerro Gordo
Battle of Cerro Gordo
The Battle of Cerro Gordo, or Battle of Sierra Gordo, in the Mexican-American War saw Winfield Scott's United States troops flank and drive Santa Anna's larger Mexican army from a strong defensive position.-Battle:...
and Contreras
Battle of Contreras
The Battle of Contreras, also known as the Battle of Padierna, took place during August 19–20, 1847, in the final encounters of the Mexican-American War. In the Battle of Churubusco, fighting continued the following day.-Background:...
in the summer of 1847. He also participated in the battlers of Churubusco
Battle of Churubusco
The Battle of Churubusco took place on August 20, 1847, in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Contreras during the Mexican-American War. After defeating the Mexican army at Churubusco, the U.S. Army was only 5 miles away from Mexico City, the capital of the nation...
and Molino del Rey
Battle of Molino del Rey
The Battle of Molino del Rey was one of the bloodiest engagements of the Mexican-American War. It was fought in September 1847 between Mexican forces under General Antonio Léon against an American force under General Winfield Scott at a hill called El Molino del Rey near Mexico City.-Background:On...
. He was promoted and placed in command of a police company in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
.
In June 1848 Maxey was transferred to Jefferson Barracks in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, and the following year he resigned from the army. He returned to Albany, read law with his father Rice Maxey and they began a joint practice when Samuel was admitted to the Bar
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
in 1851. He married Marilda Cass Denton on June 19, 1853. Then in October 1857 father and son moved their families to a small farm they purchased just south of Paris, Texas
Paris, Texas
Paris, Texas is a city located northeast of the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex in Lamar County, Texas, in the United States. It is situated in Northeast Texas at the western edge of the Piney Woods. Physiographically, these regions are part of the West Gulf Coastal Plain. In 1900, 9,358 people lived...
. They resumed a joint law practice here as well.
Civil War
Samuel was elected the district attorney for Lamar County in 1858 and was a delegate to the state's Secession Convention in 1861. That same year he was elected to the state Senate, but never served, preferring military duty. His father, Rice Maxey, was elected to replace him. Samuel had been given authority by the Confederate governmentConfederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
in September to raise a regiment as its Colonel.
In December, Colonel Maxey led his 1,120 man Ninth Texas Regiment from Bonham
Bonham, Texas
Bonham is a city in Fannin County, Texas, United States. The population was 10,127 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Fannin County. James Bonham sought the aid of James Fannin at the Battle of the Alamo....
to join General Johnston
Albert Sidney Johnston
Albert Sidney Johnston served as a general in three different armies: the Texas Army, the United States Army, and the Confederate States Army...
at Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. However he was soon separated from his regiment and set to building bridges near Chattanooga
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
. In March 1862 Maxey was promoted to Brigadier General. The regiment was badly mauled at the Battle of Shiloh
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
, but he was not present. In fact he saw very little action during this period. He did see action at the Siege of Port Hudson
Siege of Port Hudson
The Siege of Port Hudson occurred from May 22 to July 9, 1863, when Union Army troops assaulted and then surrounded the Mississippi River town of Port Hudson, Louisiana, during the American Civil War....
in 1863.
In December 1863, General Maxey was assigned as commander of the Indian Territory
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...
. His early success in conducting raids and capturing supplies prevented a Union Army invasion of Texas and earned him a promotion to Major General. In 1865 he was ordered to Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, to take command of a Division. He turned over command of the Indian Territory to the Indian General Stand Watie
Stand Watie
Stand Watie , also known as Standhope Uwatie, Degataga , meaning “stand firm”), and Isaac S. Watie, was a leader of the Cherokee Nation and a brigadier general of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
on February 21, 1865 and proceeded to Houston.
Maxey's new command was plagued by desertions and his inability to get supplies and equipment. Frustrated and discouraged, he was allowed to resign on May 22, 1865. He returned home to Paris, and formally surrendered in July to General E.R.S. Canby
Edward Canby
Edward Richard Sprigg Canby was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War, Reconstruction era, and the Indian Wars...
. Although nominally a prisoner of war, he remained at home on parole.
Later political career
As a senior officer of the Confederacy, Maxey was not eligible to hold political office or even practice law. In October 1865 he began his appeal for a presidential pardon. He was finally successful when President JohnsonAndrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American...
pardoned him on July 20, 1867 after a personal appeal from Maxey's former West Point classmate Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
. He resumed the practice of law in Paris.
In 1872 he ran for the U.S. Congress
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...
, but lost in the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Primary to William P. McLean
William P. McLean
William Pinkney McLean was a United States Representative from Texas.Born in Copiah County, Mississippi, McLean moved with his mother to Marshall, Texas, in 1839....
. In 1873, Governor Davis
Edmund J. Davis
Edmund Jackson Davis was an American lawyer, soldier, and politician. He was a Southern Unionist and served as a Union general in the American Civil War, besides serving one term as the 14th Governor of Texas.-Early years:...
offered Maxey an appointment to the Texas District Court, but he declined due to prior involvement as a lawyer with cases before the court.
In January 1875, the Texas Legislature elected him to the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
where he served two terms, from March 4, 1875 until March 4, 1887. He improved postal and rail service in Texas and arguied against increased tariffs. He took little interest in larger national or party affairs. The legislature named the more dynamic John H. Reagan
John Henninger Reagan
John Henninger Reagan , was a leading 19th century American politician from the U.S. state of Texas. A Democrat, Reagan resigned from the U.S. House of Representatives when Texas seceded from the Union and joined the Confederate States of America. He served in the cabinet of Jefferson Davis as...
to replace him.
Maxey returned to the practice of law in Paris, this time with his wife's nephew Benjamin Denton and Henry William Lightfoot. The latter of the two later married Maxey's adopted daughter Dora Maxey. When his nephew, Sam Bell Maxey Long, joined the firm in 1892 he finally retired. He died in 1895 at Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Eureka Springs is a city in Carroll County, Arkansas, United States. Along with Berryville, it is one of the two county seats for the county. It is located in the Ozark Mountains of northwest Arkansas. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 2,350...
, where he had gone for treatment of an intestinal problem. Samuel and Marilda are buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Paris. The townhouse that he built there in 1867 is now a state historical site on South Church Street and is open to visitors.
Further reading
- Louise Horton: "Samuel Bell Maxey: A biography"; 1974, University of Texas Press, ISBN 0-292-77509-1.
- John Waugh: "Sam Bell Maxey and the Confederate Indians"; 1995 paperback, McWhiney Press, ISBN 1-886661-03-0.
External links
Retrieved on 2008-02-13- Entry for Samuel Bell Maxey from the Biographical Encyclopedia of Texas published 1880, hosted by the Portal to Texas History.
- Maxey House overview from the Texas Parks and Wildlife DepartmentTexas Parks and Wildlife DepartmentThe Texas Parks & Wildlife Department is a Texas state agency that oversees and protects wildlife and their habitats. In addition, the agency is responsible for managing the state's parks and historical areas...