John Pendleton

For other people named John Pendleton, seeJohn Pendleton (disambiguation).

"The Lone Star" redirects here. For other uses, seeLone Star (disambiguation).

John Pendleton
Member of theVirginia House of Delegates from the Culpeper district
In office December 5, 1831 – December 1, 1833 Serving withEdmond Broadus,Philip Thornton
Preceded by	Jonathan C. Gibson, Sr.
Succeeded by	John S. Barbour
Member of theVirginia House of Delegates from the Rappahannnock district
In office December 5, 1836 – December 1, 1839
Preceded by	Joseph Nicklin
Succeeded by	William Walden
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromVirginia's9thdistrict
In office March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1849
Preceded by	Samuel Chilton
Succeeded by	Jeremiah Morton
Personal details
Born	(1813-03-29)March 29, 1813 Culpeper, Virginia,US
Died	November 19, 1868(1868-11-19)(aged 66) Culpeper, Virginia,US
Political party	Whig
Spouse	Lucy Ann Williams
Profession	politician, lawyer, diplomat, farmer

John Strother Pendleton(March 1, 1802 – November 19, 1868), nicknamed"The Lone Star",was a nineteenth-century congressman, diplomat, lawyer and farmer fromVirginia.

Early and family life

Born nearCulpeper, Virginia,Pendleton studied with private tutors and at Cloverdale Academy,then read law. He married Lucy Ann Williams, the daughter of James and Elizabeth Bruce Williams, on December 2, 1824, at "Soldiers Rest" inOrange County, Virginia.During the 1820s, he resided at theSlaughter-Hill House,listed on theNational Register of Historic Placesin 1989.The two had nobiologicalchildren, but adopted Lucy's brother Philip's son, George Morton Williams, when he was three years old.

Career

After admission to the Virginia bar in 1824, Pendleton began his legal practice inCulpeper County, Virginia.Culpeper's voters elected Pendleton as their representative to theVirginia House of Delegatesfrom 1831 to 1833, and not long afterRappahannock County, Virginiawas created from part of Culpeper County, Rappahannock County voters selected him to represent them from 1836 to 1839.

PresidentJohn Tyler,a fellow Whig from Virginia, appointed PendletonChargé d'Affaires to Chilein 1841, and he served until 1844 when he was elected aWhigto theUnited States House of Representatives.He was re-elected once, and served from 1845 to 1849. In the House, Pendleton obtained the nickname "The Lone Star" because he was the only Whig fromVirginia.

Pendleton returned to his diplomatic career, as PresidentMillard Fillmoreappointed himChargé d'Affaires to the Argentine Confederationin 1851. He served until 1854 and in 1852 also served asMinister to BrazilwithRobert C. Schenckto negotiate atreatyof commerce withParaguayandUruguay.

Pendleton returned to the United States and engaged in farming, but his estate was devastated by theAmerican Civil War,particularly theBattle of Cedar Mountain,such that he appeared before General Banks for permission to leave the county.However, by March 1863, he was able to extend hospitality to Confederate officers at his estate, "Redwood", after a St. Patrick's Day Party, although several would die in battles the following days including at Kelly's Ford.

Death

Pendleton survived the war and died on November 19, 1868, nearCulpeper, Virginia.

References

This article incorporatespublic domain materialfrom theBiographical Directory of the United States Congress