John Baxter (judge)
| John Baxter | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Judge of the United States Circuit Court for the Sixth Circuit | |
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In office December 13, 1877 – April 2, 1886 |
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| Appointed by | Rutherford Hayes |
| Preceded by | Halmer Emmons |
| Succeeded by | Howell Jackson |
| Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives | |
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In office 1852–1854 |
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| Preceded by | James Dobbin |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Hill |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 5, 1819 Rutherford County, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | April 2, 1886 (aged 67) Hot Springs, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Resting place | Old Gray Cemetery |
| Political party |
Whig (Before 1854) Constitutional Union (1860–1864) Democratic (1864–1872) Liberal Republican (1872–1876) Republican (1876–1886) |
| Spouse(s) | Orra Alexander |
John Baxter (March 5, 1819 – April 2, 1886) was an American attorney and jurist who served as a judge on the United States Circuit Court from 1877 to 1886. Initially a Whig, he had previously served several terms in the North Carolina House of Commons, including one term as speaker, before moving to Knoxville, Tennessee, to practice law.
Baxter opposed secession on the eve of the Civil War, and was a delegate to the East Tennessee Convention, which sought to create a separate, Union-aligned state in East Tennessee. He subsequently took the Oath of Allegiance to the Confederacy, in part to provide legal defense for Unionists charged in Confederate courts. Those he defended during the course of the war included several members of the East Tennessee bridge-burning conspiracy and several participants of the Great Locomotive Chase. He ran unsuccessfully for the Confederate Congress in September 1861. By mid-1862, he had returned to his pro-Union stance.
Baxter supported Democratic presidential candidate George B. McClellan in 1864, but would eventually join the Republican Party. In 1870, he was a delegate to the state constitutional convention that created the current Tennessee State Constitution.
Baxter was born in Rutherford County, North Carolina, the son of William and Catherine (Lee) Baxter. His father, William, was described as a "thrifty and wealthy" farmer who had immigrated from Northern Ireland in 1789. Young John initially worked as a merchant in South Carolina, but found it unfulfilling, and turned to the study of law. He was admitted to the bar in 1841, initially practicing in Rutherford County before moving to Henderson County, North Carolina, in 1845.
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