David Grant Colson

David Grant Colson
A man with black hair wearing a black jacket and vest, patterned bowtie and white shirt and pocket square
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Kentucky's 11th district
In office
March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1899
Preceded by Silas Adams
Succeeded by Vincent Boreing
Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives
In office
1887
1888
Personal details
Born (1861-04-01)April 1, 1861
Middlesboro, Kentucky
Died September 27, 1904(1904-09-27) (aged 43)
Middlesboro, Kentucky
Resting place Colson Cemetery
Political party Republican
Alma mater University of Kentucky
Profession Lawyer
Military service
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch Kentucky volunteers
Rank Colonel
Battles/wars Spanish–American War

David Grant Colson (April 1, 1861 – September 27, 1904) was an American politician from the State of Kentucky who served as a U.S. Representative from Kentucky's 11th congressional district.[1] He previously served in the Kentucky House of Representatives and as the mayor of Middlesboro.[2]

Biography

Colson was in Yellow Creek (now Middlesboro, Kentucky), Knox (now Bell) County, Kentucky.[2] He was the seventh of eleven children.[1] Colson attended the common schools and the academies at Tazewell and Mossy Creek, Tennessee.

He studied law at the University of Kentucky at Lexington in 1879 and 1880. He was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Pineville.[2]

Political career

Colson served as member of the State house of representatives in 1887 and 1888, representing Bell, Harlan, Perry, and Leslie Counties and again in 1902. He was the Republican nominee for State Treasurer in 1889.[1] He served as mayor of Middlesboro 1893-1895.[2]

Colson was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-fourth and Fifty-fifth Congresses (March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1899). He served as chairman of the Committee on Expenditures on Public Buildings (Fifty-fifth Congress).[2] While in Congress, Colson was known as a supporter of the McKinley administration, but often voted with Democrats on regional issues.[1]

While a member of Congress, Colson was a member of the "Free Cuba" group. In 1898, Colson left his position in Congress to join as a colonel of the Fourth Kentucky Volunteer Infantry during the Spanish–American War. After his commission, he did not run for reelection.[1]

In 1899, Colson was shot in the arm by fellow officer, Lieutenant Ethelbert Dudley Scott, whom Colson previously brought court-martial charges upon.[1] On January 16, 1900, Colson got in a pistol fight with Scott in Frankfort, Kentucky, killing three men, Scott, Charles Julian, and Luther Demaree. Colson was acquitted of the charges that April.[1]

Colson died at his farm outside of Middlesboro, Kentucky on September 27, 1904.[1] He was interred in Colson Cemetery.

See also

  • Colson–Scott Tragedy

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Stephens, Thomas E. (2000). "Congressman David Grant Colson and the Tragedy of the Fourth Kentucky Volunteer Infantry" (PDF).
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "COLSON, David Grant, (1861-1904)".
  • United States Congress. "David Grant Colson (id: C000649)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress website http://bioguide.congress.gov.

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Silas Adams		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Kentucky's 11th congressional district
1895 – 1899 (obsolete district)		 Succeeded by
Vincent Boreing
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.