Samuel B. Maxey

Samuel Bell Maxey
Samuel Bell Maxey
United States Senator; fromTexas
	In office; March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1887
Preceded by	James W. Flanagan
Succeeded by	John H. Reagan
Member of theTexas Senate; from the9thdistrict
	In office; 1861
Preceded by	Jesse H. Parsons
Succeeded by	Rice Maxey
Personal details
Born	March 30, 1825; Tompkinsville, Kentucky,U.S.
Died	August 16, 1895(aged 70); Eureka Springs, Arkansas,U.S.
Resting place	Evergreen Cemetery; Paris, Texas,U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	United States Military Academy(BS)
Military service
Allegiance	United States of America; Confederate States of America
Branch/service	United States Army; Confederate States Army
Years of service	1846–1849 (USA); 1861–1865 (CSA)
Rank	BrevetFirst Lieutenant(USA); Major General(CSA)
Battles/wars	Mexican–American War; American Civil War

Samuel Bell Maxey(March 30, 1825 – August 16, 1895) was an American soldier, lawyer, and politician fromParis,Texas.He was abrigadier generalin theConfederate States Armyduring theAmerican Civil Warand later representedTexasin theU.S. Senate.

Early life and education[edit]

Samuel was born inTompkinsville, Kentucky,on March 30, 1825.^[1]^[2]His parents were Rice and Lucy (Bell) Maxey. His father was a lawyer, and in 1834 he moved the family toAlbany, Kentucky,to take a position as the County Clerk forClinton County, Kentucky.In 1842 young Maxey got an appointment to theUnited States Military AcademyatWest Point, New York.

Although he consistently ranked near the bottom of his class, Maxey did graduate in 1846^[1]and was commissioned aBrevet second lieutenant.

Career[edit]

Maxey was assigned to the7th Infantry Regiment,which was engaged in theMexican–American War.Maxey joined the regiment inMonterrey,Mexico. Maxey was cited for gallantry and brevettedfirst lieutenantfor his actions in the battles ofCerro GordoandContrerasin the summer of 1847. He also participated in the battles ofChurubuscoandMolino del Rey.He received a brevet promotion and was placed in command of a police company inMexico City.

In June 1848 Maxey was transferred toJefferson BarracksinMissouri,and the following year he resigned from the army.^[3]He returned to Albany,read lawwith his fatherRice Maxeyand they began a joint practice when Samuel was admitted to theBarin 1851. He married Marilda Cass Denton on June 19, 1853. In October 1857, father and son moved their families to a small farm they purchased just south ofParis, Texas.They resumed a joint law practice here as well.^[1]

American Civil War[edit]

Samuel was elected the district attorney forLamar County, Texas,in 1858 and was a delegate to the state's Secession Convention in 1861. That same year he was elected to the state Senate, but never served, preferring military duty. His father, Rice Maxey, was elected to replace him. Samuel had been given authority by theConfederate governmentin September to raise a regiment as its colonel.

In December, Colonel Maxey led his 1,120-man Ninth Texas Regiment fromBonham, Texas,to joinGeneral JohnstonatMemphis, Tennessee.However he was soon separated from his regiment and set to building bridges nearChattanooga, Tennessee.On March 7, 1862, Maxey was promoted to brigadier general to rank from May 4.^[1]^[3]The regiment was badly mauled at theBattle of Shiloh,but he was not present. In fact he saw very little action during this period. He did see action at theSiege of Port Hudsonin 1863.^[1]

In December 1863, General Maxey was assigned as commander of theIndian Territory.^[1]^[3]His early success in conducting raids and capturing supplies prevented aUnion Armyinvasion of Texas. He was assigned to duty as amajor generalby GeneralEdmund Kirby Smith,but this appointment was never approved for this rank byConfederate President Jefferson Davisnor confirmed by theConfederate Senate.^[1]In 1865 he was ordered toHouston, Texas,to take command of a Division. He turned over command of the Indian Territory to Brigadier GeneralStand Watie,aCherokee,on February 21, 1865, and proceeded toHouston, Texas.

Maxey's new command was plagued by desertions and his inability to get supplies and equipment. Frustrated and discouraged, he was allowed to resign on May 22, 1865. He returned home to Paris, and formally surrendered in July to UnionMajor General Edward Canby(E.R.S. Canby). Although nominally a prisoner of war, he remained at home on parole.

Later political career[edit]

As a senior officer of the Confederacy, Maxey was not eligible to hold political office or even practice law. In October 1865 he began his appeal for a presidential pardon. He was finally successful whenPresident Andrew Johnsonpardoned him on July 20, 1867, after a personal appeal from Maxey's former West Point classmateUlysses S. Grant.He resumed the practice of law in Paris.

In 1872 he ran for theU.S. Congress,but lost in theDemocratic PartyPrimary toWilliam P. McLean.In 1873,Governor Edmund J. Davisoffered Maxey an appointment to the Texas District Court, but he declined due to prior involvement as a lawyer with cases before the court.^[1]

In January 1875, the Texas Legislature elected him to theUnited States Senatewhere he served two terms, from March 4, 1875, until March 3, 1887. He improved postal and rail service in Texas and argued against increased tariffs.^{[citation needed]}He took little interest in larger national or party affairs.^{[citation needed]}The legislature named the more dynamicJohn H. Reaganto replace him.^{[citation needed]}

Maxey returned to the practice of law in Paris, this time with his wife's nephewBenjamin DentonandHenry William Lightfoot.The latter of the two later married Maxey's adopted daughterDora Maxey.When his nephew,Sam Bell Maxey Long,joined the firm in 1892 he finally retired. He died on August 16, 1895, atEureka Springs, Arkansas,^[1]where he had gone for treatment of an intestinal problem. Samuel and Marilda are buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Paris. The townhouse that he built there in 1867 is now a state historical site on South Church Street and is open to visitors.

Legacy[edit]

Camp Maxeywas a World War II infantry-training camp and associated facilities. It was occupied from July 1942 to early 1946 in Lamar County, Texas. The facility near Paris, Texas was namedCamp Maxeyin honor of Confederate Brigadier General Samuel Bell Maxey.

Notes[edit]

^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱWarner, Ezra J.Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders.Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959.ISBN 978-0-8071-0823-9.p. 216.
^Eicher, John H., andDavid J. Eicher,Civil War High Commands.Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001.ISBN 978-0-8047-3641-1.p. 368.
^^a ^b ^cSifakis, Stewart.Who Was Who in the Civil War.New York: Facts On File, 1988.ISBN 978-0-8160-1055-4.p. 438.

References[edit]

Eicher, John H., andDavid J. Eicher,Civil War High Commands.Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001.ISBN 978-0-8047-3641-1.
Sifakis, Stewart.Who Was Who in the Civil War.New York: Facts On File, 1988.ISBN 978-0-8160-1055-4.
Warner, Ezra J.Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders.Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959.ISBN 978-0-8071-0823-9.

External links[edit]

United States Congress."Samuel B. Maxey (id: M000265)".Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.Retrieved on 2008-02-13
Samuel Bell Maxeyfrom theHandbook of TexasOnline
Entry for Samuel Bell Maxeyfrom theBiographical Encyclopedia of Texaspublished 1880, hosted by thePortal to Texas History.
Maxey House overviewfrom theTexas Parks and Wildlife Department

Texas Senate
Preceded by Jesse H. Parsons	Texas State Senator fromDistrict 9(Paris) 1861	Succeeded by Rice Maxey
U.S. Senate
Preceded by James W. Flanagan	U.S. senator (Class 1) from Texas 1875—1887 Served alongside:Morgan C. Hamilton,Richard Coke	Succeeded by John H. Reagan

[Warner-1] ^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱWarner, Ezra J.Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders.Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959.ISBN 978-0-8071-0823-9.p. 216.

[Eicher368-2] Eicher, John H., andDavid J. Eicher,Civil War High Commands.Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001.ISBN 978-0-8047-3641-1.p. 368.

[Sifakis438-3] Sifakis, Stewart.Who Was Who in the Civil War.New York: Facts On File, 1988.ISBN 978-0-8160-1055-4.p. 438.

[1]

[2]

[3]

v t 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 Cruz
Class 2	S. Houston Hemphill Hamilton Coke Chilton Bailey Johnston Sheppard A. Houston O'Daniel Johnson Blakley Tower Gramm Cornyn

v t e Chairmen of theUnited States Senate Committee on Post Office and Civil Service
Post Office and Post Roads (1816–1947)	Wilson Stokes Lanman Johnson Bibb Grundy Robinson Henderson Merrick Niles Rusk Yulee Gwin Collamer Dixon Ramsey Hamlin Ferry Maxey Ferry Hill Conger Sawyer Vilas Wolcott Mason Penrose Bourne Bankhead Townsend Sterling Moses Phipps Oddie McKellar Chávez
Civil Service and Retrenchment (1873–1921)	Wright Clayton Blaine Teller Butler Hawley Chace Wolcott Call Jarvis Pritchard Baker Perkins Cummins Pomerene McKellar Sterling
Civil Service (1921–1947)	Sterling Stanfield Couzens Dale Bulow Downey
Post Office and Civil Service (1947–1977)	Langer Johnston Carlson Johnston Monroney McGee

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