James H. Berry
Order14th
OfficeGovernor of Arkansas
Term startJanuary 13, 1883
Term endJanuary 17, 1885
PredecessorThomas James Churchill
SuccessorSimon Pollard Hughes, Jr.
Jr/sr 2Senator
State 2Arkansas
Term start 2March 20, 1885
Term end 2March 3, 1907
Predecessor 2Augustus H. Garland
Successor 2Jeff Davis
Office 3Speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives
Term 31873
Predecessor 3Charles W. Tankersley
Successor 3A. A. Pennington
Office 4Member of the Arkansas House of Representatives
Term 41866–1874
Birth nameJames Henderson Berry
Birth dateMay 15, 1841
Birth placeJackson County, Alabama, U.S.
Death dateJanuary 30, 1913 (aged 71)
Death placeBentonville, Arkansas, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
ProfessionLawyer
AllegianceConfederate States
BranchConfederate States Army
Service years1861–1863
RankSecond Lieutenant
UnitCompany E, 16th Arkansas Infantry
Battles

American Civil War

James Henderson Berry (May 15, 1841 – January 30, 1913) was a United States Senator and served as the 14th governor of Arkansas. He also served as Speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives.

Early life

James Henderson Berry was born in Jackson County, Alabama, to Isabella Jane (née Orr) and James McFerrin Berry. The family moved to Arkansas in 1848. Berry attended Berryville Academy in Berryville, Arkansas, for one year. The academy was named after his family.[1] Berry studied law and in 1866 was admitted to the Arkansas bar.

American Civil War

At the outbreak of the American Civil War, Berry joined the Confederate States Army and was commissioned as a second lieutenant with Company E, 16th Arkansas Infantry. Berry lost his right leg during the Battle of Corinth in northern Mississippi. After recuperating from his wound, he worked as a school teacher and started a private law practice.

Political career

Berry was elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives in 1866. He was reelected in 1872 and in 1874. In his last term he was selected to be Speaker of the House after holding the position during the Brooks–Baxter War in place of Charles W. Tankersley.[2] Berry was the chairman of the Democratic State Convention in 1876. In 1878 he became a judge for the Fourth Circuit Court and served in that post until 1882 when he was elected Governor of Arkansas. The Berry administration focused on reducing the state debt and creating a state mental hospital. Berry did not run for reelection. In March 1885, Berry was selected by the legislature to fill the unexpired term of Senator Augustus H. Garland.[3] Berry remained in the U.S. Senate for the next 22 years.

Later life

In 1910, Berry accepted a position with the Arkansas History Commission to mark the graves of all Arkansas Confederate soldiers who had died in northern prisons.[4] Berry died in Bentonville, Arkansas, and is buried at the Knights of Pythias Cemetery (present-day Bentonville Cemetery), Bentonville, Arkansas.[5]

Personal life

In 1865, Berry married E.Q. "Lizzie" Quaile. They had six children.

References

  1. ^ "History of Berryville". CarrollCountyAR.com. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  2. ^ Herndon, Dallas Tabor (January 22, 2024). "Centennial History of Arkansas"
  3. ^ "S. Doc. 58-1 - Fifty-eighth Congress. (Extraordinary session -- beginning November 9, 1903.) Official Congressional Directory for the use of the United States Congress. Compiled under the direction of the Joint Committee on Printing by A.J. Halford. Special edition. Corrections made to November 5, 1903". GovInfo.gov. U.S. Government Printing Office. 9 November 1903. p. 4. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  4. ^ "Arkansas Governor James Henderson Berry". National Governors Association. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
  5. ^ "Former Senator J. H. Berry Dead". Arkansas Gazette. 1913-01-31. p. 1. Retrieved 2020-04-07. – via Newspapers.com.