John H. Reagan
John Henninger Reagan (October 8, 1818 – March 6, 1905) was an American politician from Texas. A Democrat, Reagan resigned from the U.S. House of Representatives when Texas declared secession from the United States and joined the Confederate States of America. He served in the cabinet of Jefferson Davis as Postmaster General.
John H. Reagan | |
|---|---|
| United States Senator from Texas | |
| In office March 4, 1887 – June 10, 1891 | |
| Preceded by | Samuel Maxey |
| Succeeded by | Horace Chilton |
| Confederate States Secretary of the Treasury | |
| Acting April 27, 1865 – May 10, 1865 | |
| President | Jefferson Davis |
| Preceded by | George Trenholm |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Confederate States Postmaster General | |
| In office March 6, 1861 – May 10, 1865 | |
| President | Jefferson Davis |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas | |
| In office March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1887 | |
| Preceded by | William Herndon |
| Succeeded by | William Martin |
| Constituency | 1st district (1875–83) 2nd district (1883–87) |
| In office March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1861 | |
| Preceded by | Lemuel Evans |
| Succeeded by | George Whitmore |
| Constituency | 1st district |
| Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the Nacogdoches district | |
| In office December 13, 1847 – November 5, 1849 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 8, 1818 Gatlinburg, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | March 6, 1905 (aged 86) Palestine, Texas, U.S. |
| Resting place | Palestine City Cemetery Palestine, Texas |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Edwina Moss Nelms |
After the Confederate defeat and his release from prison after the war, Reagan called for cooperation by the southern states with the U.S. government, an unpopular position among most conservative whites. He was elected to Congress in 1874 and was elected in 1886 by the state legislature as a Democrat from Texas to the U.S. Senate, where he served one term from 1887 to 1891. He resigned from the seat when appointed by the governor as chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission. He was among the founders of the Texas State Historical Association.