John Selden Roane

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = John S. Roane

| image = Gubernatorial portrait of 4th Governor of Arkansas John Selden Roane.jpg

| order = 4th

| office = Governor of Arkansas

| term_start = April 19, 1849

| term_end = November 15, 1852

| predecessor = Richard Byrd (acting)

| successor = Elias Conway

| order1 = 6th

| office1 = Speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives

| term_start1 = November 4, 1844

| term_end1 = November 2, 1846

| predecessor1 = W. S. Oldham

| successor1 = Albert Rust

| office2 = Member of the
Arkansas House of Representatives
from Crawford County

| alongside2 = {{unbulleted list|A. G. Mayers|William J. Duval}}

| term_start2 = November 4, 1844

| term_end2 = November 2, 1846

| predecessor2 = {{unbulleted list|A. G. Mayers|William Reeves}}

| successor2 = {{unbulleted list|G. J. Clark|D. C. Brice|T. E. Wilson}}

| office3 = Member of the
Arkansas House of Representatives
from Jefferson County

| term_start3 = November 7, 1842

| term_end3 = November 4, 1844

| predecessor3 = Martin W. Dorriss

| successor3 = Martin W. Dorriss

| birth_name = John Selden Roane

| birth_date = {{birth date|1817|01|08}}

| birth_place = Wilson County, Tennessee, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|1867|4|7|1817|1|8}}

| death_place = Jefferson County, Arkansas, U.S.

| restingplace = Oakland Cemetery,
Little Rock

| restingplacecoordinates = {{coord|34|43|41.3|N|92|15|29.5|W|region:US-AR_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| party = Democratic

| spouse = {{marriage|Mary Kim Smith|February 1, 1855|April 7, 1867}}

| relations = Archibald Roane (uncle)

| alma_mater = Cumberland College

| allegiance = {{unbulleted list|United States|Confederate States}}

| branch = {{unbulleted list|United States Volunteers|Confederate States Army}}

| branch_label = Branch

| serviceyears = {{unbulleted list|1846–1847 (U.S.)|1862–1865 (C.S.)}}

| rank = {{unbulleted list|Colonel (U.S.)|Brigadier–General (C.S.)}}

| commands = {{unbulleted list|Company F, Arkansas Mounted Infantry Regiment (1846)|Arkansas Mounted Infantry Regiment (1847)|Roane's Brigade (1862)|1st Arkansas Infantry Brigade (1864–65)}}

| battles = {{tree list}}

| battles_label = Battles

}}

John Selden Roane (January 8, 1817{{spaced ndash}}April 7, 1867) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the fourth Governor of Arkansas from 1849 to 1852. Prior to this he commanded the Arkansas Mounted Infantry Regiment following the death of Colonel Archibald Yell at the Battle of Buena Vista. Roane also served as a senior officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded infantry in the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War.

Early life and career

John Selden Roane was born in Wilson County, Tennessee, and educated at Cumberland College, which at the time was located in Princeton, Kentucky. He migrated to the new state of Arkansas in 1837, studied law, and was admitted to the bar. He was Prosecuting Attorney for the 2nd Judicial District of Arkansas from 1840 to 1842, a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1842 to 1844, and the fourth Governor of Arkansas from 1849 to 1852.

Mexican War

At the outbreak of the Mexican War, Roane was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the Arkansas Mounted Infantry Regiment, succeeding to command when Colonel Archibald Yell was mortally wounded repelling the charge of the Mexican lancers at the Battle of Buena Vista. Roane was officially appointed Colonel on February 28, 1847. He was known to be jealous of the honor of his state and once challenged Albert Pike to a duel over what he perceived as derogatory statements made about the regiment's actions in the war. The duel was fought, but neither combatant was injured.

American Civil War

On March 20, 1862, Roane was appointed to the grade of brigadier-general in the Confederate States Army. After most Confederate troops were moved from Arkansas across the Mississippi River, he was placed in charge of the defense of Arkansas. At this time Arkansas was nearly defenseless; and Roane, with the newly appointed commander of the Trans-Mississippi District (also known as Department Number Two), Major-General Thomas Hindman, cobbled together a reasonable defensive force. Roane took part in numerous battles within the Trans-Mississippi Theater, including the battles of Whitney's Lane and Prairie Grove.

Personal life

On February 1, 1855, Roane married Mary Kim Smith (1833–1907) of Dallas, Arkansas.

Later life

Roane died in Jefferson County, Arkansas, and is buried at Oakland Cemetery, Little Rock.

==See also==

References

{{cite book |date=1995 |editor1-last=Donovan |editor1-first=Timothy P. |editor2-last=Gatewood |editor2-first=Willard B. Jr. |editor3-last=Whayne |editor3-first=Jeannie M. |title=The Governors of Arkansas: Essays in Political Biography |edition=2nd |location=Fayetteville, AR |publisher=University of Arkansas Press |isbn=1-55728-331-1}}
{{citation| last1 = Eicher | first1 = John H. | last2 = Eicher | first2 = David J. | author-link2 = David J. Eicher | publication-date= 2001 |title= Civil War High Commands | date = June 2002 | publisher = Stanford University Press | location = Stanford, CA | isbn = 978-0-8047-3641-1 }}
{{citation | last = Sifakis | first = Stewart | publication-date = 1988 | title = Who Was Who in the Civil War | year = 1988 | publisher = Facts On File | publication-place = New York | isbn = 978-0-8160-1055-4 | url = https://archive.org/details/whowaswhoincivil00sifa | url-access = registration }}
{{citation | last = Warner | first = Ezra J. | author-link = Ezra J. Warner (historian) | year = 1959 |title= Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders| pages= 257–58 | publisher= Louisiana State University Press | publication-place = Baton Rouge, LA | isbn= 978-0-8071-0823-9 }}

External links

[http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=120 John Selden Roane] at the Encyclopedia of Arkansas
{{Find a Grave|11061}}
[https://www.nga.org/governor/john-selden-roane/ John Selden Roane] at National Governors Association
[http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/roads-robberson.html#ROANE John Selden Roane] at The Political Graveyard
{{Commons category-inline}}
{{Internet Archive author|name=John Selden Roane|birth=1817|death=1867}}

{{Navboxes

|title=Offices and distinctions

|list1=

{{succession box|before=Thomas Drew|title=Democratic nominee for Governor of Arkansas|after=Elias Conway|years=1848}}

{{s-bef|before={{Nowrap|Colonel Solon Borland}}}}

{{s-ttl|title={{Nowrap|Adjutant General of Arkansas}}|years=1848–1849}}

{{s-aft|after={{Nowrap|Colonel Allan Wood}}}}

{{succession box |title=Governor of Arkansas |years = 1849–1852 |before = Richard Byrd
{{small|Acting}} |after=Elias Conway}}

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Category:1817 births

Category:1867 deaths

Category:19th-century American lawyers