George E. Spencer
| George E. Spencer | |
|---|---|
 |
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United States Senator from Alabama |
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In office July 13, 1868 – March 4, 1879 |
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| Preceded by | Benjamin Fitzpatrick |
| Succeeded by | George S. Houston |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
November 1, 1836 Champion, New York |
| Died | February 19, 1893 (aged 56) Washington, D.C. |
| Citizenship | United States of America |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) |
Bella Zilfa Spencer May Nunez Spencer |
| Profession |
Attorney politician rancher/miner |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch |
United States Army Union Army |
| Rank |
 Colonel Bvt. Brigadier General
|
| Commands | 1st Alabama Cavalry Regiment |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Bella Zilfa Spencer
Attorney politician
George Eliphaz Spencer (November 1, 1836 – February 19, 1893) was an American politician and a U.S. senator from the state of Alabama; who also served as an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Born in Champion, New York, Spencer was the son of Gordon Percival and Deborah Mallory Spencer. He educated at Montreal College in Canada. After relocating to Iowa he engaged in the study of law. During the Pike's Peak Gold Rush he briefly relocated to Colorado where in November 1859 he founded the town of Breckenridge. He married English author Bella Zilfa in 1862.
During the American Civil War, Spencer enlisted as a captain on October 16, 1862. While serving on the staff of Brig. Gen. Grenville M. Dodge, he requested a transfer to the 1st Alabama Cavalry Regiment, a volunteer regiment made up of Southern Unionists, which did not have a permanent commander. Receiving a promotion to colonel, he led the regiment from September 11, 1863 until his resignation on July 5, 1865.
After the war, Spencer returned to Alabama to practice law. His wife died of typhoid fever in 1867. For a time he served as register in bankruptcy for the fourth district of Alabama.
Elected as a Republican to the United States Senate upon readmission of Alabama to the Union, Spencer served from July 13, 1868, to March 4, 1879. He was appointed a commissioner of the Union Pacific Railroad with help from his previous leader, Major General Dodge. In 1877, he married prominent actress "May" Nunez, the niece and namesake of one-armed Confederate General William Wing Loring. The couple then spent two years on a ranch in Nevada tending to mining interests before settling in Washington, DC, about 1880.
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