John Bennett Dawson

John Bennett Dawson (March 17, 1798 – June 26, 1845) was an American politician who served as a Democrat in the United States House of Representatives from the state of Louisiana.

John Bennett Dawson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Louisiana's 2nd district
In office
March 4, 1841 – March 3, 1843
Preceded byThomas Withers Chinn
Succeeded byAlcée Louis la Branche
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Louisiana's 3rd district
In office
March 4, 1843 – June 26, 1845
Preceded byJohn Moore
Succeeded byJohn Henry Harmanson
Member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
In office
1823-1824
Personal details
Born(1798-03-17)March 17, 1798
Nashville, Tennessee
DiedJune 26, 1845(1845-06-26) (aged 47)
St. Francisville, Louisiana
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Margaret Johnson
ProfessionPlanter

Early life

Born near Nashville, Tennessee on March 17, 1798, he went to Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. He moved to Louisiana and became a planter residing at Wyoming Plantation; he was also interested in the newspaper business. He married Margaret Johnson and together they had four children. His daughter Anna Ruffin Dawson married Robert C. Wickliffe who would serve as Lieutenant Governor and Governor of Louisiana in the 1850s.

Political career

From 1823-1824, Dawson was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives representing Feliciana Parish.[1]

He unsuccessfully ran for Louisiana Governor in 1834, He was defeated by Whig candidate Edward D. White.

In 1840, Dawson was elected as a Democrat representing the Second District in the 27th Congress. He was re-elected in 1842 and represented the Third District in the 28th Congress. He served from March 4, 1841, until his death on June 26, 1845. He defeated James M. Elam (Whig) in the election of 1843.

He served as major-general in the State militia, judge of the parish court in West Feliciana Parish, and U.S. postmaster at New Orleans from April 10, 1843, until December 19, 1843.

Dawson once “threatened to cut a colleague’s throat ‘from ear to ear.’

Death

Dawson died on June 26, 1845. His remains were interred in Grace Episcopal churchyard in St. Francisville, Louisiana.

In his memory, a cenotaph was erected at Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C..[2]

See also

References

  1. Louisiana House of Representatives, List of Members
  2. "John Bennett Dawson". Find-a-grave. Retrieved July 29, 2012.
Party political offices
Preceded by
W. S. Hamilton
Democratic nominee for Governor of Louisiana
1834
Succeeded by
Denis Prieur
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Thomas Withers Chinn
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Louisiana's 2nd congressional district

1841 1843
Succeeded by
Alcée Louis la Branche
Preceded by
John Moore
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Louisiana's 3rd congressional district

1843 1845
Succeeded by
John Henry Harmanson
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