Wharton J. Green
Encyclopedia
Wharton Jackson Green was a U.S. Congressman
from North Carolina
and an officer in the Confederate States Army
during the American Civil War
.
, Green was instructed by private tutors. He attended Georgetown College
, Lovejoy’s Academy in Raleigh, North Carolina
, and the United States Military Academy
, West Point, New York
but dropped out. He then studied law at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville and at Cumberland University
, Lebanon, Tennessee
. He was admitted to the bar in 1854 and commenced practice in Washington, D.C.
before engaging in agricultural pursuits in Warren County, North Carolina
, in 1859.
During the Civil War, Green enlisted in the Confederate service in 1861 and rose through the ranks to lieutenant colonel
of the Second North Carolina Battalion. Afterward, he served on Brigadier General Junius Daniel
’s staff. Green was wounded and taken prisoner at the Battle of Gettysburg
in July 1863. He spent the rest of the war in the Johnson's Island
prisoner-of-war camp.
After the war, he settled at “Tokay Vineyard,” near Fayetteville, North Carolina
, and became interested in viticulture
. He was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention
s in 1868, 1872, 1876, and 1888. Green was the first president of the Society of Confederate Soldiers and Sailors in North Carolina.
Entering politics, he was elected as a Democrat to the Forty-eighth and Forty-ninth Congresses (March 4, 1883-March 3, 1887). He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1886 and retired from public service. He then devoted his time to the cultivation of his vineyard and to literary pursuits. He wrote his autobiography, Recollections and Reflections: An auto of Half a Century and More, in 1906.
Wharton Green died at “Tokay,” near Fayetteville on August 6, 1910. He was buried in the town's Cross Creek Cemetery
.
He was the son of Texas Revolution
general Thomas Jefferson Green
, the grandson of U.S. Senator Jesse Wharton
, and the cousin of Confederate general Matt Whitaker Ransom.
One of Green's daughters, Sarah, married wealthy industrialist Pembroke Jones of Wilmington, NC, in 1884. With the help of their close friend, art collector and railroad president Henry Walters, they created a lifestyle some claim made them models for the saying, "Keeping up with the Joneses." They maintained luxurious residences in Newport and New York City. The garden estate Sarah Green Jones created in Wilmington still exists and is known as Airlie Gardens.
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 North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
and an officer in the Confederate States Army
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...
during the American 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...
.
Biography
Born in St. Marks, FloridaSt. Marks, Florida
St. Marks is a city in Wakulla County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Tallahassee, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 272 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 299 .-Geography:...
, Green was instructed by private tutors. He attended Georgetown College
Georgetown College (Georgetown University)
Georgetown College, infrequently Georgetown College of Arts and Sciences, is the oldest school within Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. The College is the largest undergraduate school at Georgetown, and until the founding of the Medical School in 1850, was the only higher education division...
, Lovejoy’s Academy in Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, and the United States 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...
, West Point, New York
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...
but dropped out. He then studied law at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville and at Cumberland University
Cumberland University
Cumberland University is a private university in Lebanon, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1842, though the current campus buildings were constructed between 1892 and 1896.-History:...
, Lebanon, Tennessee
Lebanon, Tennessee
Lebanon is a city in Wilson County, Tennessee, in the United States. The population was 20,235 at the 2000 census. It serves as the county seat of Wilson County. Lebanon is located in middle Tennessee, approximately 25 miles east of downtown Nashville. Local residents have also called it...
. He was admitted to the bar in 1854 and commenced practice in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
before engaging in agricultural pursuits in Warren County, North Carolina
Warren County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 19,972 people, 7,708 households, and 5,449 families residing in the county. The population density was 47 people per square mile . There were 10,548 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile...
, in 1859.
During the Civil War, Green enlisted in the Confederate service in 1861 and rose through the ranks to lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
of the Second North Carolina Battalion. Afterward, he served on Brigadier General Junius Daniel
Junius Daniel
Junius Daniel was a planter and career military officer, serving in the United States Army, then in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, as a brigadier general. His troops were instrumental in the Confederates' success at the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg...
’s staff. Green was wounded and taken prisoner at the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
in July 1863. He spent the rest of the war in the Johnson's Island
Johnson's Island
Johnson's Island is a island in Sandusky Bay, located on the coast of Lake Erie, 3 miles from the city of Sandusky, Ohio. It was the site of a prisoner-of-war camp for Confederate officers captured during the American Civil War. Johnson's Island was the only Union prison exclusively for Southern...
prisoner-of-war camp.
After the war, he settled at “Tokay Vineyard,” near Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Cumberland County, and is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a U.S. Army post located northwest of the city....
, and became interested in viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
. He was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...
s in 1868, 1872, 1876, and 1888. Green was the first president of the Society of Confederate Soldiers and Sailors in North Carolina.
Entering politics, he was elected as a Democrat to the Forty-eighth and Forty-ninth Congresses (March 4, 1883-March 3, 1887). He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1886 and retired from public service. He then devoted his time to the cultivation of his vineyard and to literary pursuits. He wrote his autobiography, Recollections and Reflections: An auto of Half a Century and More, in 1906.
Wharton Green died at “Tokay,” near Fayetteville on August 6, 1910. He was buried in the town's Cross Creek Cemetery
Cross Creek Cemetery
Cross Creek Cemetery is a cemetery located in Fayetteville, North Carolina, near a creek of that name that "meanders for more than a mile from downtown Fayetteville to the Cape Fear River." It was established in 1785, and is organized into five numbered sections and managed by a cemetery office...
.
He was the son of Texas Revolution
Texas Revolution
The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was an armed conflict between Mexico and settlers in the Texas portion of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. The war lasted from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836...
general Thomas Jefferson Green
Thomas Jefferson Green
Thomas Jefferson Green was an American politician who served in the legislatures of three different U.S. states and also of Texas, which was not yet a state....
, the grandson of U.S. Senator Jesse Wharton
Jesse Wharton
Jesse Wharton was an attorney who briefly represented Tennessee in each house of Congress.-Biography:Wharton was born in Albemarle County, Virginia and studied law and was admitted to the Virginia bar. Moving to Tennessee, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives from that...
, and the cousin of Confederate general Matt Whitaker Ransom.
One of Green's daughters, Sarah, married wealthy industrialist Pembroke Jones of Wilmington, NC, in 1884. With the help of their close friend, art collector and railroad president Henry Walters, they created a lifestyle some claim made them models for the saying, "Keeping up with the Joneses." They maintained luxurious residences in Newport and New York City. The garden estate Sarah Green Jones created in Wilmington still exists and is known as Airlie Gardens.
External links
- Recollections and Reflections: An Auto of Half a Century and More. [Raleigh, N.C.]: Edwards and Broughton Printing Company, 1906.