John Henninger Reagan
United States Senator from Texas
In office March 4, 1887 – June 10, 1891
Preceded by	Samuel B. Maxey
Succeeded by	Horace Chilton
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 2nd district
In office March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1887
Preceded by	David B. Culberson
Succeeded by	William H. Martin
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 1st district
In office March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1883
Preceded by	William S. Herndon
Succeeded by	Charles Stewart
3rd Confederate States Secretary of the Treasury
In office April 27, 1865 – May 10, 1865
Preceded by	George A. Trenholm
Succeeded by	Office abolished
1st Confederate States Postmaster General
In office March 6, 1861 – May 10, 1865
Preceded by	Office instituted
Succeeded by	Office abolished
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 1st district
In office March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1861
Preceded by	Lemuel D. Evans
Succeeded by	George W. Whitmore(1)
Born	October 8, 1818(1818-10-08) Sevier County, Tennessee
Died	March 6, 1905 (aged 86) Anderson County, Texas
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Edwina Moss Nelms Reagan
Profession	Politician, Lawyer, Surveyor

John Henninger Reagan (October 8, 1818 – March 6, 1905), was a leading 19th century American politician from the U.S. state of Texas. A Democrat, Reagan left the U.S. House of Representatives when his state seceded from the Union to join the Confederate States of America. During the American Civil War, he served in the cabinet of Jefferson Davis as Postmaster General. After the Confederate defeat, he called for cooperation with the federal government and became unpopular, but returned to public office when his predictions of harsh treatment for resistance were proved correct. He is of relation to former US President Ronald Reagan. The United States Senate is the upper house of the U.S. Congress, smaller than the United States House of Representatives. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... is the 63rd day of the year (64th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 161st day of the year (162nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1891 (MDCCCXCI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Samuel Bell Maxey (March 30, 1825– August 16, 1895) was an American soldier, lawyer, and politician from Paris, Texas. ... Horace Chilton (December 29, 1853 - January 12, 1932) was a printer, lawyer, and United States Senator from Texas. ... The House of Representatives is the larger of two houses that make up the U.S. Congress, the other being the United States Senate. ... is the 63rd day of the year (64th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Rep. ... The House of Representatives is the larger of two houses that make up the U.S. Congress, the other being the United States Senate. ... is the 63rd day of the year (64th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1875 (MDCCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Six Confederate notes The Confederate States of America dollar was first issued into circulation in April, 1861, when the Confederacy was only two months old, and on the eve of the outbreak of the Civil War. ... is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... This article belongs in one or more categories. ... Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God, Our Vindicator) Anthem (none official) God Save the South (unofficial) The Bonnie Blue Flag (unofficial) Dixie (unofficial) Capital Montgomery, Alabama (until May 29, 1861) Richmond, Virginia (May 29, 1861–April 2, 1865) Danville, Virginia (from April 3, 1865) Language(s) English (de facto) Government... A Postmaster General is the national politician in charge of the postal system of a country. ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1861 (MDCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... The House of Representatives is the larger of two houses that make up the U.S. Congress, the other being the United States Senate. ... is the 63rd day of the year (64th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1861 (MDCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 281st day of the year (282nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1818 (MDCCCXVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Sevier County (pronounced severe) is a U.S. county of the state of Tennessee, United States. ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ... Anderson County is a county located in the state of Texas. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... For the fish called lawyer, see Burbot. ... Look up Surveyor in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... is the 281st day of the year (282nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1818 (MDCCCXVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ... American history redirects here. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      Politics of the United States takes place in a framework of a presidential... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ... Type Bicameral Speaker of the House of Representatives House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Steny Hoyer, (D) since January 4, 2007 House Minority Leader John Boehner, (R) since January 4, 2007 Members 435 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party... For other uses, see Secession (disambiguation). ... In this map:  Union states prohibiting slavery  Union territories  Border states on the Union side which allowed slavery  Kansas, which entered and fought with the Union as a free state after the Bleeding Kansas crisis  The Confederacy  Confederate claimed and sometimes held territories During the American Civil War, the Union... Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God, Our Vindicator) Anthem (none official) God Save the South (unofficial) The Bonnie Blue Flag (unofficial) Dixie (unofficial) Capital Montgomery, Alabama (until May 29, 1861) Richmond, Virginia (May 29, 1861–April 2, 1865) Danville, Virginia (from April 3, 1865) Language(s) English (de facto) Government... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... For other uses, see Jefferson Davis (disambiguation). ... A Postmaster General is the national politician in charge of the postal system of a country. ... Reagan redirects here. ...

Early life

Reagan was born in Sevier County, Tennessee, to Timothy Richard and Elizabeth Lusk Reagan. (Some sources say he was born in the county seat, Sevierville.) He left Tennessee at nineteen and like many from Tennessee traveled in Texas. There he worked as a surveyor from 1839 to 1843, and afterward was a farmer in Kaufman County until 1851. He studied law on his own and was licensed to practice law in 1846, opening an office in Buffalo. Sevier County (pronounced severe) is a U.S. county of the state of Tennessee, United States. ... This article is about the U.S. state of Tennessee. ... Sevierville (pronounced ) is a city in and the county seatGR6 of Sevier County , Tennessee, United States of America. ... This article is about the U.S. state of Tennessee. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... WHERES HECKMAN? Kaufman County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. ... Buffalo is a city located in Leon County, Texas. ...

The same year he obtained his license, he was elected a probate judge in Henderson County and in 1847 he went to the state legislature but was defeated for a second term in 1849. He returned to his law practice and was elected a district judge in Palestine, serving from 1852 to 1857. His labors in defeating the American Party (Know-Nothings) in Texas led to his election to Congress in 1857 from Texas's First District. Probate Court is a court found in some juridictions which is primarily concerned with the proper distribution of the assets of a decedent. ... Henderson County is a county located in the state of Texas. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries Politics Portal      In the United States of America, a state legislature is a generic term referring to the... For other uses, see Palestine (disambiguation). ... A political party by the name of the American Party has existed several times in the United States: The ante-bellum American Party grew out of the Know-Nothing movement and was based on Nativism. ... The Know-Nothing movement was a nativist American political movement of the 1850s. ... The current boundaries of Texas District 1. ...

In Congress, he was a moderate and a supporter of the Union, but resigned from Congress on January 15, 1861 and returned to his home state when it became clear that Texas would secede. There he participated in the secession convention that met at Austin on the last day of January. The convention voted for Texas to leave the union and for Reagan to represent the state in the Provisional Confederate Congress, but within the month he was in the Cabinet instead. “Moderates” redirects here. ... is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1861 (MDCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Travis County. ... The Provisional Confederate Congress was the body which drafted the Confederate Constitution, elected Jefferson Davis President of the Confederacy, and designed the first Confederate flag. ...

Civil War

The original Confederate Cabinet. L-R: Judah P. Benjamin, Stephen Mallory, Christopher Memminger, Alexander Stephens, LeRoy Pope Walker, Jefferson Davis, John H. Reagan and Robert Toombs.

President Jefferson Davis named him to head the new Confederate States of America Post-office Department and he accepted. Reagan was an able administrator, presiding over the only cabinet department that functioned well during the war. Despite the hostilities of the Civil War, the United States Post Office Department continued operations in the Confederacy until June 1, 1861, whereupon the new Confederate service assumed its functions. Reagan's masterstroke in establishing his department was sending an agent to Washington, D.C., with letters asking the heads of the United States Post Office Department's various bureaus to come work for him. Nearly all did so, bringing copies of their records, contracts, account books, etc. "Reagan in effect had stolen the U.S. Post Office," historian William C. Davis wrote. When President Davis asked his cabinet for the status of their departments, Reagan reported he had his up and running in only six weeks. Davis was amazed. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (910x595, 195 KB) http://hdl. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (910x595, 195 KB) http://hdl. ... Motto Deo Vindice (Latin: Under God, Our Vindicator) Anthem (none official) God Save the South (unofficial) The Bonnie Blue Flag (unofficial) Dixie (unofficial) Capital Montgomery, Alabama (until May 29, 1861) Richmond, Virginia (May 29, 1861–April 2, 1865) Danville, Virginia (from April 3, 1865) Language(s) English (de facto) Government... Judah Philip Benjamin (August 6, 1811 – May 6, 1884) was an American politician and lawyer. ... Stephen Russell Mallory (c. ... Christopher Gustavus Memminger (January 9, 1803–March 7, 1888) was a prominent Confederate political leader. ... This is an article about the Confederate Vice President. ... Image:Walder, Leroy Pope 1. ... For other uses, see Jefferson Davis (disambiguation). ... Postbellum photograph of Robert A. Toombs. ... For other uses, see Jefferson Davis (disambiguation). ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... The Post Office Department was the former name of the United States Postal Service when it was a Cabinet department. ... is the 152nd day of the year (153rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1861 (MDCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... ... The Post Office Department was the former name of the United States Postal Service when it was a Cabinet department. ...

Reagan cut expenses by eliminating costly and little-used routes and forcing the railroads that carried the mail to reduce their rates. Despite the problems the war caused, his department managed to turn a profit, "the only post office department in American history to pay its own way" wrote William C. Davis. Reagan was the only member of the cabinet to oppose Robert E. Lee's offensive into Pennsylvania in June-July 1863. He instead supported a proposal to detach the First Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia to reinforce Joseph E. Johnston in Mississippi so that he could break the Siege of Vicksburg. Historian Shelby Foote noted that, as the only Cabinet member from west of the Mississippi, Reagan was acutely sensitive to the consequences of Vicksburg's capture. For other uses, see Robert E. Lee (disambiguation). ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America Commanders George G. Meade Robert E. Lee Strength 93,921[1] 71,699[2] Casualties 23,055 (3,155 killed, 14,531 wounded, 5,369 captured/missing)[1] 23,231 (4,708 killed, 12,693 wounded, 5,830 captured/missing... The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War in the eastern theater. ... Joseph E. Johnston Joseph Eggleston Johnston (February 3, 1807 – March 21, 1891) was a career U.S. Army officer and one of the most senior generals in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. ... Battle of Vicksburg Conflict American Civil War Date May 18 - July 4, 1863 Place Warren County, Mississippi Result Union victory The Battle of Vicksburg was an American Civil War siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, on a well-fortified west-facing cliff on the Mississippi River. ... Shelby Dade Foote, Jr. ...

John Henninger Reagan

When Davis fled Richmond on April 2, 1865, before the Army of the Potomac under George G. Meade, Reagan accompanied the president on his flight to the Carolinas. On April 27, Davis made him Secretary of the Treasury after George A. Trenholm's resignation and he served in that capacity until he, Davis, and Texas Governor Francis R. Lubbock were captured near Irwinville, Georgia on May 10. Nickname: Motto: Sic dic Itur Ad Astra (Thus do we reach the stars) Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia Coordinates: , Country State County Independent City Government  - Mayor L. Douglas Wilder (I) Area  - City 62. ... is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... Generals Burnside, Hancock, Couch, Ferro, Patrick, Wilcox, Cochrane, Buford and others. ... George Gordon Meade (December 31, 1815 - November 6, 1872) was an American military officer during the American Civil War. ... is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... In politics, Governor of Texas is the title given to the chief executive of the state of Texas. ... Francis Richard Lubbock (October 16, 1815–June 22, 1905) was a governor of Texas during the American Civil War. ... is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Reagan was imprisoned with Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens at Fort Warren in Boston. On August 11, he wrote an open letter to his fellow Texans urging cooperation with the Union, renunciation of the secession convention, the abolition of slavery, and letting freed slaves vote. He warned of military rule that would enforce these policies if Texans did not voluntarily adopt them. For this, he was denounced by Texans. He was released from prison later that year and returned home to Palestine in December. This is an article about the Confederate Vice President. ... Fort Warren defended the harbor at Boston, Massachusetts, for over 100 years. ... Boston redirects here. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... An open letter is a letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience, or a letter intended for an individual, but that is nonetheless widely distributed intentionally. ...

Reagan in his elder years.

Return to public life

To those who felt that the Reconstruction was unduly harsh, his prescience was hailed—he became known as the "Old Roman," a Texas Cincinnatus. He was part of the successful effort to remove the Republican Edmund J. Davis from the governorship in 1874, after he attempted to illegally remain in office. That year he returned to the Congressional seat he held before the war, serving from March 4, 1875 to March 3, 1887. In 1875, he served in the convention that wrote a new state constitution for Texas. In Congress, he advocated federal regulation of railroads and helped create the Interstate Commerce Commission. He also served as the first chairman of the Committee on Post Offices and Post Roads. [1] Though he had been elected to the Senate in 1887 (serving March 4, 1887 to June 10, 1891), he resigned to become chairman of the Railroad Commission of Texas at the behest of his friend, Governor James Stephen "Jim" Hogg, chairing it until 1903. With one hand he returns the fasces, symbol of power as appointed dictator of Rome. ... Edmund Jackson Davis (October 2, 1827– February 7, 1883) was an American lawyer and politician from Texas. ... In politics, Governor of Texas is the title given to the chief executive of the state of Texas. ... is the 63rd day of the year (64th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1875 (MDCCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Interstate Commerce Commission (or ICC) was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, which was signed into law by President Grover Cleveland. ... is the 63rd day of the year (64th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... is the 161st day of the year (162nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1891 (MDCCCXCI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Railroad Commission of Texas is the state agency that regulates the oil and gas industry, gas utilities, pipeline and rail safety, safety in the liquefied petroleum gas industry, and surface coal and uranium mining. ... James Stephen Jim Hogg (March 24, 1851-March 3, 1906) Born near Rusk, Texas, Hogg was a Texas lawyer and statesman, and the first native to become Governor of Texas. ...

Conscious of the importance of history, he was a founder of the Texas State Historical Association and attended reunions of Confederate veterans in his state. He wrote his Memoirs, With Special Reference to Secession and the Civil War, published in 1905, and died at his home in Palestine in Anderson County later that year, the last surviving member of the government of the Confederacy. The Texas State Historical Association or abbreviated TSHA, is a non-profit educational organization, dedicated to documenting the rich and unique history of Texas. ...

Historian Ben H. Procter included Reagan in his list of the "four greatest Texans of the 19th century," along with Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, and James Stephen Hogg. Ben H. Procter is an author, and was the Cecil and Ida Green Emeritus Chair in the History Department at Texas Christian University. ... Samuel Houston (March 2, 1793–July 26, 1863) was a 19th century American statesman, politician and soldier. ... Stephen F. Austin Stephen Fuller Austin (November 3, 1793 – December 27, 1836), known as the Father of Texas, led the second and ultimately successful colonization of the region by the United States. ... James Stephen Jim Hogg (March 24, 1851-March 3, 1906 was a Texas lawyer and statesman, and the first native to become Governor of Texas. ...

See also

• Postage stamps and postal history of the Confederate States

5c Jefferson Davis stamp This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of the Confederate States of America. ...

Sources and further reading

• Peter A. Branner. The Organization of the Confederate Postoffice Department at Montgomery. Montgomery, Alabama: The Author, 1960.
• August Dietz. Confederate States Post-office Department. Richmond, Virginia: Dietz Press, 1962.
• August Dietz. The Postal Service of the Confederate States of America. Richmond, Virginia: Dietz Printing, 1929.
• John Henninger Reagan. Memoirs, With Special Reference to Secession and the Civil War. New York: Neale, 1905. (Reprinted subsequently)
• Ben H. Procter. Not Without Honor. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1962.
• Theron Wirenga, editor. Official Documents of the Post-office Department of the Confederate States of America. Holland, Michigan: The Editor, 1979. Two volumes.

• John Henninger Reagan at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

Ben H. Procter is an author, and was the Cecil and Ida Green Emeritus Chair in the History Department at Texas Christian University. ... The Biographical Directory of the United States Congress is a biographical dictionary of all members of both houses of the United States Congress, past and present. ...

External links

• John Henninger Reagan at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• John Henninger Reagan from the Handbook of Texas Online
• John Henninger Reagan at Find A Grave

v • d • e United States Senators from Texas
Class 1: Rusk • Henderson • Ward • Wigfall • Flanagan • Maxey • Reagan • Chilton • Mills • Culberson • Mayfield • Connally • Daniel • Blakley • Yarborough • Bentsen • Krueger • Hutchison Class 2: S. Houston • Hemphill • Hamilton • Coke • Chilton • Bailey • Johnston • Sheppard • A. Houston • O'Daniel • Johnson • Blakley • Tower • Gramm • Cornyn