Thomas Lanier Clingman
| Thomas Lanier Clingman | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
July 27, 1812 Huntsville, North Carolina |
| Died | November 3, 1897 (aged 85) Morganton, North Carolina |
| Place of burial | Riverside Cemetery, Asheville, North Carolina |
| Allegiance |
 Confederate States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 Confederate States Army Infantry
|
| Years of service | 1861-1865 |
| Rank |
 Brigadier General
|
| Battles/wars | |
| Other work |
U.S. senator U.S. congressman |
Thomas Lanier Clingman (July 27, 1812 – November 3, 1897), known as the "Prince of Politicians," was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 1843 to 1845 and from 1847 to 1858, and U.S. senator from the state of North Carolina between 1858 and 1861. During the Civil War he refused to resign his Senate seat and was one of ten senators expelled from the Senate in absentia. He then served as a general in the Confederate States Army.
Clingman, was born in Huntsville, a small community in present-day Yadkin County, North Carolina. His parents were Jacob and Jane Poindexter Clingman and he was named for Dr. Thomas Lanier, his half uncle. He was educated by private tutors and in the public schools in Iredell County, NC. Clingman graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1832, where he was a member of the Dialectic Senate of the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies. He then studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1834 and began practice in Huntsville.
Clingman was elected to the North Carolina State house of commons in 1835. In 1836 he moved to Asheville, North Carolina. He was a member of the North Carolina State senate in 1840. In 1843 Clingman ran as a Whig and was elected to the 28th United States Congress, however he was defeated in his reelection bid in 1845. In 1845 he fought a duel with a fellow congressman William Lowndes Yancey of Alabama. In Yancey's maiden speech on the House floor, he had impugned his opponent's integrity. Both duelists had missed. In 1847 he regained the seat and won reelection in 1849, 1851, 1853, 1855 and 1857. On May 7, 1858, he resigned after becoming a United States Senator as a Democrat the previous day, replacing the resigning Asa Biggs. He was reelected but was expelled from the Senate for support of the Confederacy.
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