John Witcher

John S. Witcher

John Seashoal Witcher (July 15, 1839 – July 8, 1906) was a Union Army lieutenant colonel and brevet colonel during the American Civil War.[1] He was a nineteenth-century politician and clerk from Virginia and West Virginia. He served as lieutenant colonel and brevet colonel of the 3rd West Virginia Volunteer Cavalry.[1] On March 18, 1867, President Andrew Johnson nominated Witcher for appointment to the grade of brevet brigadier general, to rank from March 13, 1865, and the United States Senate confirmed the appointment on March 28, 1867.[2]

Biography

Born in Cabell County, Virginia (now West Virginia), Witcher attended the public schools as a child. He was elected clerk of the circuit court of Cabell County in 1861 before enlisting in the Union Army as a first lieutenant in the 3rd West Virginia Volunteer Cavalry Regiment on December 13, 1862.[1] He was promoted to captain on September 8, 1863, major on May 23, 1864 and lieutenant colonel on May 6, 1865 before being honorably mustered out on June 30, 1865.[1]

On March 18, 1867, President Andrew Johnson nominated Witcher for appointment to the grade of brevet brigadier general, to rank from March 13, 1865, and the United States Senate confirmed the appointment on March 28, 1867.[2]

Witcher was a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865, was Secretary of State of West Virginia from 1867 to 1869 and was elected a Republican to the United States House of Representatives in 1868, serving from 1869 to 1871. After being unsuccessful for reelection in 1870, he was appointed collector of internal revenue for the third district of West Virginia by President Ulysses S. Grant, serving from 1871 to 1876. Witcher served as United States pension agent in Washington, D.C. from 1878 to 1880 and was major and paymaster of the United States Army from 1880 until his retirement in 1899.[1] He was advanced to lieutenant colonel on the retired list on April 23, 1904.[1]

He moved to Salt Lake City, Utah in 1891 where he died on July 8, 1906.[1] He is interred in Arlington National Cemetery.[1][3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher, Civil War High Commands. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. ISBN 978-0-8047-3641-1. p. 577.
  2. 1 2 Eicher, 2001, p. 767.
  3. ↑ Arlington National Cemetery find-a-grave. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  • United States Congress. "John Witcher (id: W000656)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on 2008-10-18
  • "John Witcher". Find a Grave. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
Political offices
Preceded by
Granville D. Hall		 Secretary of State of West Virginia
1867 – 1869		 Succeeded by
James M. Pipes
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Daniel Polsley		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from West Virginia's 3rd congressional district
March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1871		 Succeeded by
Frank Hereford



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