Henry C. Myers (Mississippi politician)

Henry C. Myers (October 17, 1847 - August 19, 1917) was a Democratic Mississippi politician and the 26th Secretary of State of Mississippi, serving from 1878 to 1886.

Henry C. Myers
26th Secretary of State of Mississippi
In office
November 15, 1878 – January 14, 1886
GovernorJohn M. Stone
Robert Lowry
Preceded byD. P. Porter
Succeeded byGeorge M. Govan
Personal details
Born(1847-10-17)October 17, 1847
Wadesboro, North Carolina
DiedAugust 19, 1917(1917-08-19) (aged 69)
Memphis, Tennessee
Political partyDemocrat
SpouseMinnie Walter (m. 1873-1911, her death)
Children1

Early life

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Henry C. Myers was born on October 17, 1847, in Wadesboro, North Carolina.[1] He was the son of Absalom and Adeline (Boggan) Myers.[1] He had 6 older brothers and 2 older half-brothers from his father's first marriage.[1][2] Their names were, from oldest to youngest, George, Calvin, Absalom, Albert, Patrick, Martin, and William.[2] When Henry was eight years old, he moved with his family to northern Mississippi.[1] During the Civil War, all of his brothers and half-brothers fought for the Confederacy.[1] In 1863, the 15-year-old Myers joined the (also Confederate) 2nd Missouri Regiment.[1] He was paroled in May 1865.[1] He then edited and published a newspaper called The South in Holly Springs.[2] During Reconstruction, he was a member of the Ku Klux Klan.[1]

Political career

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Myers held multiple political offices in Marshall County, Mississippi.[1] On November 15, 1878, he was appointed Secretary of State of Mississippi as a Democrat to permanently fill in the vacancy left by the death of Kinloch Falconer[1][3][4] (between Falconer's death and Myers' appointment, D. P. Porter was temporarily appointed).[3] Myers was then elected to the position in November 1881, for the 1882-1886 term. On January 14, 1886, Myers was succeeded in the office by George M. Govan.[1][3]

Later life

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A few years after leaving office, Myers moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where he entered the banking and insurance businesses.[1][5] He was stricken with paralysis in December 1916 and died in Memphis on August 19, 1917.[1][5][6]

Personal life

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Myers married Minnie Walter, the daughter of Colonel H. W. Walter, in 1873.[1][2] They had one child together, a daughter who married John B. Edgar.[1][2] Minnie died in 1911.[1][7]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Confederate Veteran. 1917. p. 516.
  2. ^ a b c d e Mathes, James Harvey (1897). The Old Guard in Gray. Press of S. C. Toof & Company. pp. 167–168.
  3. ^ a b c Mississippi (1900). Department Reports. p. 179.
  4. ^ The New York Evening Express Almanac: Hand-book of Politics, Statesman's Manual, and Statistical Register, for Bankers, Merchants and Agriculturists. New York Evening Express. 1879. p. 96.
  5. ^ a b "Jackson Daily News from Jackson, Mississippi on August 20, 1917 · Page 2". Newspapers.com. 20 August 1917. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
  6. ^ "Obituary for HENRY C. MYERS (Aged 69)". Knoxville Sentinel. 1917-08-20. p. 10. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
  7. ^ "Nashville Banner from Nashville, Tennessee on July 15, 1911 · 2". Newspapers.com. 15 July 1911. Retrieved 2021-05-01.