Alfred Cate
| Alfred M. Cate | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Tennessee Senate from the 8th district | |
|
In office April 3, 1865 – October 4, 1869 |
|
| Preceded by | John A. Minnis |
| Succeeded by | Abel A. Pearson |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
December 20, 1822 Jefferson County, Tennessee, United States |
| Died | September 13, 1871 (aged 48) Ooltewah, Tennessee |
| Resting place | Wells Family Cemetery Ooltewah, Tennessee |
| Political party | Radical Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Louisa Walker (m. 1843) |
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1862–1865 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | Company G, 6th Tennessee Infantry |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Alfred Madison Cate (December 12, 1822 – September 13, 1871) was an American politician, soldier and farmer who served two terms in the Tennessee Senate from 1865 to 1869. A Radical Republican, he generally supported the policies of Governor William G. Brownlow, including ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. He served as chairman of the Republican State Central Committee in the late 1860s.
Cate remained loyal to the Union during the Civil War. He was a delegate to the pro-Union East Tennessee Convention in 1861, and was a key organizer of the East Tennessee bridge burnings later that year. He fought for the Union Army during the war, eventually rising to the rank of captain.
Cate was born in Jefferson County, Tennessee, the son of Elijah Cate, a farmer, and Nellie (Davis) Cate. When he was still very young, his parents moved to McMinn County, where they established a large plantation in the Mouse Creek Valley near Niota. By 1850, Alfred had married and moved to Ooltewah, Tennessee, in Hamilton County, where he engaged in farming.
During the secession crisis of late 1860 and early 1861, Cate remained loyal to the Union. His family was very divided over the issue, however. His father and two younger brothers supported secession, while three other brothers— William T. Cate, George O. Cate, and Thomas L. Cate— supported the Union. Alfred and his brother, George, were members of the Hamilton County delegation at the first session of the East Tennessee Convention in Knoxville in May 1861. This convention denounced secession, and would subsequently petition the Tennessee state government to allow East Tennessee to form a separate, Union-aligned state.
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