Washington Curran Whitthorne
WHITTHORNE, W. C. (Washington Curran), 19 Apr 1825 � 21 Sept 1891. (Son of Wm. J. & Eliza J. Wisener Whitthore; married Jane Campbell in 1848; ten children; lieut. Colonel in Confederacy (C.S.A.); U.S. Congressman;) Block P.
WHITTHORNE, W.C. (Washington Curran), 19 Apr 1825 - 21 Sep 1891. (Born in Marshall Co., Tn., died in Columbia, Tn. at the age of 66. When he was young he stayed at the family home of James K. Polk. Polk asked Whitthorne's father to send him to Columbia and he would make him a lawyer. He attended Campbell Academy in Lebanon, Tn. and East Tenn. College now the University of Tenn where he graduated in 1843. He entered private practice in 1848 in Columbia. He married Matilda Jane Campbell on 4 Jul 1848 a cousin of Polk. She honored him by giving him 10 children. Elected to serve in the Tenn. State Senate from 1855 to 1848 and elected Speaker of the Tenn. House of Representatives from 1859 to 1861.
In 1861 he became Adjutant General of Tennessee for the Confederacy and served through the end of the Civil War. He also served on the staff of generals Robert Anderson, Marcus Joseph Wright, Samuel P. Carter and William J. Hardee.
In 1870 his full civil rights were restored to him after President Andrew Johnson had him pardoned. He won the election for the United States House of Representatives serving six consecutive terms. When Senator Howell E. Jackson resigned, Whitthore was appointed to the US Senate by governor of Tenn. William B. Bate. After serving in the House of Representative Whitthorne returned to Columbia and died there in September of 1891. Whitthore Middle School is named in his honor.
(Photo from Wikipedia) Compiled and sent by Mary Bob McClain Richardson 16 Oct 2009.
