Jordan E. Cravens

Jordan Edgar Cravens
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Arkansas's 3rd district
In office
March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1883
Preceded by William W. Wilshire
Succeeded by John H. Rogers
Personal details
Born November 7, 1830 (1830-11-07)
Fredericktown, Missouri
Died April 8, 1914 (1914-04-09) (aged 83)
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Political party

Independent Democrat

Democratic
Spouse(s) Emma Batson Cravens
Military service
Allegiance  Confederate States of America
Service/branch  Confederate States Army
Rank Colonel
Unit 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment (Trans-Mississippi)
Battles/wars Civil War

Jordan Edgar Cravens (November 7, 1830 – April 8, 1914) was an American politician and a U.S. Representative from Arkansas, cousin of William Ben Cravens.

Biography

Born in Fredericktown, Missouri, Cravens was the son of Nehemiah and Sophia Thompson Cravens. He moved with his father to Arkansas the following year, and attended the common schools. He was graduated from the Cane Hill Academy at Boonsboro (now Canehill), Washington County, Arkansas, in 1850. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1854. He commenced practice in Clarksville, Arkansas, and served as member of the State house of representatives in 1860.[1] He married Emma Batson and they had five children, Jeane, Jane, Felix, Sallie, and Samuella.[2] Emma Batson's father was Felix Ives Batson an Arkansas Supreme Court judge who during the American Civil War, represented the First Congressional District of northwest Arkansas in the First Confederate Congress and the Second Confederate Congress House of Representatives.[3]

Career

Cravens entered the Confederate States Army in 1861 as a private in Company C, 17th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Lemoyne's). When that regiment underwent consolidation in May 1862, Cravens was elected Colonel of the new unit: the 21st Arkansas Infantry Regiment. The 21st Arkansas was surrendered, at Vicksburg, Mississippi, on July 4, 1863. After being declared exchanged, on September 12, 1863, Cravens' unit was consolidated with the 14th Powers' Arkansas, 15th (Northwest) Arkansas, and the 16th Arkansas, to form a new unit: the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment (Trans-Mississippi) Department. He was named colonel of the new organization.

At the close of hostilities of the Civil War, Cravens returned to Clarksville where he served as prosecuting attorney of Johnson County in 1865 and 1866 and then as member of the State senate from 1866 until 1868. Cravens was elected as an Independent Democrat to the Forty-fifth Congress and then reelected as a Democrat to the Forty-sixth and Forty-seventh Congresses serving from March 4, 1877 until March 3, 1883.[4] He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1882 to the Forty-eighth Congress. He then resumed the practice of law in Clarksville, Arkansas and served as judge of the circuit court from 1890 until 1894.

Death

Cravens died in Fort Smith, Arkansas on April 8, 1914, (age 83 years, 152 days) and is interred at Oakland Cemetery, Clarksville, Arkansas.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Jordan E. Cravens". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  2. ↑ "Jordan E. Cravens". Children of Nehemiah Cravens & Sophia Thompson. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  3. ↑ Langford, Ella Molley (1921). Johnson County, Arkansas: the First Hundred Years. Clarksville, AR: Clarksville Historical Society. p. 173.
  4. ↑ "Jordan E. Cravens". Govtrack US Congress. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  5. ↑ "Jordan E. Cravens". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
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 This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress website http://bioguide.congress.gov.

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Thomas Boles		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Arkansas's 3rd congressional district
1877–1883 		Succeeded by
Thomas M. Gunter
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