Albert S. Marks
| Albert Smith Marks | |
|---|---|
Portrait of Marks by Washington B. Cooper
|
|
| 21st Governor of Tennessee | |
|
In office February 16, 1879 – January 17, 1881 |
|
| Preceded by | James D. Porter |
| Succeeded by | Alvin Hawkins |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
October 16, 1836 Owensboro, Kentucky |
| Died | November 4, 1891 (aged 55) Nashville, Tennessee |
| Resting place | Winchester City Cemetery Winchester, Tennessee |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Novella Davis (m. 1863) |
| Profession | Attorney |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 Confederate States of America
|
| Service/branch | Confederate States Army |
| Years of service | 1861–1865 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Commands | 17th Tennessee Infantry |
| Battles/wars |
American Civil War • Camp Wildcat (1861) • Mill Springs (1862) • Munfordville (1862) • Stones River (1862) |
Albert Smith Marks (October 16, 1836 – November 4, 1891) was an American attorney, soldier and politician. He was Governor of Tennessee from 1879 to 1881. Prior to that, he had served as a state chancery court judge. Marks fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War, and part of his leg was amputated as a result of a wound suffered at the Battle of Stones River in 1862.
Marks was born in Owensboro, Kentucky, one of seven children of Elisha Marks and Elizabeth (Lashbrook) Marks. His parents were pious Methodists, and initially wanted Albert to become a minister. He attended school in Owensboro until the age of 14, when his father died, and he focused on helping his mother maintain the family farm. Although he had little formal education afterward, he was an avid reader, and poured through multiple books on history and ancient literature.
When he was 19, Marks moved to Winchester, Tennessee, to work in the law firm of his mother's cousin, Arthur S. Colyar. He read law with Colyar, and was admitted to the bar in 1858. The firm then practiced under the name Colyar, Marks and Frizzell. After Frizzell withdrew in 1861, the firm continued as Colyar and Marks.
Although he was a Southern Democrat, Marks was an opponent of secession. In early 1861, he ran as the pro-Union candidate for his district's representative to the state's proposed convention on secession, and canvassed with his opponent, future governor Peter Turney. When war broke out, Marks nevertheless joined the Confederate Army. He was elected captain of Company E, 17th Tennessee Infantry, which was initially under the command of Felix K. Zollicoffer, and saw action at the battles of Camp Wildcat (October 1861) and Mill Springs (January 1862) in Kentucky. After Zollicoffer's death in the latter engagement, the 17th was reassigned to General Bushrod Johnson's forces. In May 1862, Marks was promoted to major.
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