Reuben May

{{Short description|19th century American politician, Union Army colonel, member of the Wisconsin Assembly}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Reuben May

|image = Reuben_May.png

|state = Wisconsin

|state_assembly = Wisconsin

|district = Vernon 1st

| term_start = January 1, 1872

| term_end = January 1, 1873

| predecessor = Joseph W. Hoyt

| successor = Peter Jerman

| term_start1 = January 1, 1870

| term_end1 = January 1, 1871

| predecessor1 = John M. McLees

| successor1 = Joseph W. Hoyt

|birth_name = Reuben May

|birth_date = {{Birth date|1815|06|23|mf=y}}

|birth_place = Robinson Creek, Kentucky

|death_date = {{death date and age|1902|09|26|1815|06|23|mf=y}}

|death_place = Vernon County, Wisconsin

|restingplace = Springville Cemetery
Springville, Wisconsin

|party = {{unbulleted list

| Populist (1892–1896)

| Union Labor (1890)

| Greenback (1877–1880)

| Republican (1864–1875)

| Constitutional Union (1860)

| Democratic (before 1860)

}}

|spouse = {{unbulleted list

| {{marriage|Emmeriah V. A. Honaker|1835|1881|end=died }}

| {{marriage|Phoebe Ann Dolliver|1882|1883|end=died }}

| {{marriage|Caroline S. Johnson (Bennett)|1884|1902}}

}}

|children = {{unbulleted list

| Julia Ann May

| {{sup|(b. 1836; died 1865)}}

| Louisa Jane May

| {{sup|(b. 1838; died 1892)}}

| Mary Dorcas May

| {{sup|(b. 1840; died 1915)}}

| William James May

| {{sup|(b. 1842; died 1921)}}

| Thomas Henry May

| {{sup|(b. 1843; died 1920)}}

| Zwingelieus S. May

| {{sup|(b. 1846; died 1923)}}

| Belle Virginia A. May

| {{sup|(b. 1849; died 1875)}}

| Robert Daniel May

| {{sup|(b. 1851; died 1942)}}

| Alonzo Franklin May

| {{sup|(b. 1853; died 1943)}}

| Albert Bascom May

| {{sup|(b. 1855; died 1902)}}

| Richard Apperson May

| {{sup|(b. 1857; died 1883)}}

| Hugh Lawson May

| {{sup|(b. 1859; died 1958)}}

| Georgia E. May

| {{sup|(b. 1861; died 1865)}}

}}

|father =

|mother =

|relations =

|profession =

|allegiance = United States

|branch = Kentucky Militia
United States Volunteers
Union Army

|serviceyears = 1840s (KY)
1861–1864 (USV)

|rank = Colonel, USV

|units =

|commands = {{unbulleted list

| 7th Reg. Ky. Vol. Infantry

| 8th Reg. Ky. Vol. Infantry

}}

|battles = Mexican–American War
American Civil War

|awards=

}}

Reuben May (June 23, 1815{{spaced ndash}}September 26, 1902) was an American farmer and populist politician. He was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the western half of Vernon County during the 1870 and 1872 sessions. He was also twice a candidate for governor of Wisconsin, running on the Greenback ticket in 1879 and the Union Labor ticket in 1890. Earlier in life, he served as a colonel in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Early life

Reuben May was born in Robinson Creek, in Pike County, Kentucky, the son of a wealthy and well-established family. He grew up on his father's estate, and served as an officer in the Kentucky Militia, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel during the Mexican–American War.{{cite book |title= I Will Uphold the Flag |last1= Sternberg |first1= Dale |last2= Sternberg |first2= Sharon |last3= May |first3= Fred T. |year= 2004 |publisher= Gateway Press, Inc. |page= 46 }}

He became involved in politics with the Democratic Party and was appointed postmaster at Pikeville, Kentucky, and, after moving to Clay County, Kentucky, in 1849, he was appointed postmaster at Mount Welcome. While living in Clay County, he was involved in salt production and managed a 400-acre farm.{{cite book|url= https://archive.org/details/historyofvernonc00spri/ |title= History of Vernon County, Wisconsin |year= 1884 |publisher= Springfield, Union|page=[https://archive.org/details/historyofvernonc00spri/page/598/ 598] |accessdate= September 6, 2022 }} He was a candidate for the Kentucky Senate in 1853, but was defeated.

Civil War service

At the outbreak of the American Civil War, May was living in Clay County. Kentucky, as a border state, sought a path of neutrality between the Union and Confederacy. The population, however, split between the two factions. Most of May's family sided with the Confederacy.

May, however, chose to join up with the Union Army. He teamed with Sidney M. Barnes, a lawyer and wealthy landowner in Estill County, Kentucky. They organized a regiment on Barnes' estate, bringing in willing men and collecting rifles from known Confederate sympathizers in the surrounding communities.{{cite book|url= https://archive.org/details/historyofeighthr00wrigh/ |title= History of the Eighth Regiment Kentucky Vol. Inf. |publisher= St. Joseph Steam Printing Company |year= 1880 |last= Wright |first= T. J. |accessdate= September 6, 2022 }} When they had enough armed men, their unit mustered into federal service as the 8th Kentucky Infantry Regiment in the Fall of 1861. Barnes and May were, respectively, appointed colonel and lieutenant colonel.

In the early months in federal service, the regiment was stationed in Union strongholds in central Tennessee. During these months, May worked to educate the officers of the regiment in principles and tactics, and generally served as drillmaster for the enlisted men. May distinguished himself at the Battle of Perryville, leading a small detachment which captured a number of Confederate prisoners.{{cite book|url= https://archive.org/details/warofrebellion161unit/ |title= The War of Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies |author= United States War Record Office |publisher= United States Government Publishing Office |year= 1880 |volume= Series 1, vol. 16:1 |location= Washington, D.C. |page= [https://archive.org/details/warofrebellion161unit/page/1142 1142] |accessdate= September 6, 2022 }}

Colonel Barnes left the regiment on a leave of absence during December 1862, and May commanded the regiment through the Battle of Stones River. The regiment's officer corps was also severely diminished by disease that winter. The regiment saw intense fighting at Stones River, near the center of the Union line. As units on their left and right fled, they held their ground until surrounded on three sides. Nearly every remaining officer in the regiment was either wounded or killed. May was hit by shrapnel, suffered a concussion, and had his horse shot out from under him.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59780603/8th-ky-at-stones-river/ |title= Friday's Engagement at Murfreesboro |newspaper= The Courier-Journal |date= January 15, 1863 |page= 2 |accessdate= September 6, 2022 |via= Newspapers.com }}

After the battle, the regiment was camped at Murfreesboro for the next several months and May recuperated from his injuries at Nashville until April. During that time, May was promoted to colonel and placed in command of the 7th Kentucky Infantry Regiment. With this command, May participated in many of the important battles of the Vicksburg campaign. He mustered out at the end of his three-year enlistment in October 1864.

Political career

While the war had raged in Tennessee and Kentucky, the homes of many Union loyalists had been raided and May's wife and children had fled the state to Wisconsin in 1863. With May's blessing, they purchased a large farm in the town of Jefferson, Vernon County, Wisconsin. May joined them there after leaving the Army. Politically, May had been a Democrat before the war, and voted for John Bell in the 1860 United States presidential election. He voted for Abraham Lincoln's re-election in 1864, but was never comfortable in the Republican Party. In 1869, he was elected to his first term in the Wisconsin State Assembly, running on the Republican ticket.{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/ADZPEWVBN6ZMG86 |title= The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin |year= 1870 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |chapter= Official Directory |page= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AADZPEWVBN6ZMG86/full/AE3E53AWIQ7SXL8T 370]–[https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AADZPEWVBN6ZMG86/full/A2JLHK4WOKDC6B87 371] |accessdate= September 6, 2022 }} He was not renominated by the party in 1870, but ran unsuccessfully as an independent candidate. In 1871, he was again nominated by the Republicans and won another term in the Assembly. His district in these years was Vernon County's 1st Assembly district, which then comprised roughly the west half of the county.

He next ran for office in 1875, running for Wisconsin State Senate in the 4th State Senate district—then comprising Vernon and Monroe counties. May ran as an independent, the only opponent against Republican nominee J. Henry Tate. May received the majority of votes from Vernon County, but lost the overall election by just 6 votes. Because the election was so close, May pressed a challenge in the Senate elections committee, but the committee ultimately ruled against him.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109064433/contested-elections/ |title= The Fight in the Legislature Over Contested Seats |newspaper= Oshkosh Northwestern |date= February 9, 1876 |page= 4 |accessdate= September 6, 2022 |via= Newspapers.com }}

In the late 1870s, he became one of the most active proponents of the Greenback Party movement in Wisconsin. He was the Greenback nominee for governor of Wisconsin in the 1879 Wisconsin gubernatorial election. He ran a vigorous campaign, but received less than 7% of the statewide vote.

May largely concentrated on his farm estate for the next decade, was described as one of the state's richest farmers, with one of the most beautiful farms in the state. He was also a leader in the state farmer's alliance.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109067298/labor-nominations/ |title= Wisconsin Now Has a Union-Labor Ticket |newspaper= Green Bay Press-Gazette |date= September 8, 1890 |page= 1 |accessdate= September 6, 2022 |via= Newspapers.com }}

He was induced to make one final run for office. He was nominated by the Union Labor Party for governor of Wisconsin in the 1890 election. The chief issue in the election was the Bennett Education Law, which was designed to set compulsory education standards, but had inflamed the immigrant population with English language requirements. The Labor Party was generally supportive of the law, but had other fundamental differences with the Republicans.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109067069/labor-nominations/ |title= A Vernon Man Heads It |newspaper= Vernon County Censor |date= September 10, 1890 |page= 2 |accessdate= September 6, 2022 |via= Newspapers.com }} May came in a distant fourth in the general election, receiving less than 2% of the vote. The Union Labor Party—in this incarnation—ceased to exist shortly after. May, like many others from the Labor Party, joined the new Populist Party, and was considered as a candidate for governor again 1894.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109067747/populist-nominations/ |title= The Populist Ticket |newspaper= The Weekly Wisconsin |date= July 7, 1894 |page= 1 |accessdate= September 6, 2022 |via= Newspapers.com }}

May died at his estate in Vernon County, on September 26, 1902, after an illness of about two months.{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109055717/obituary-reuben-may-and-son/ |title= Father and Son Pass Away |newspaper= Vernon County Censor |date= October 1, 1902 |page= 1 |accessdate= September 6, 2022 |via= Newspapers.com }}

Personal life and family

May was one of twelve children born to Thomas Phillips May and his wife Dorcas ({{nee}} Patton). Most of May's family supported the Confederacy in the Civil War. His first cousin, Andrew Jackson May, served as a colonel in the Confederate Army.{{cite web|url=https://legacy.mayhouse.org/NOTICES/R-May-book.html |title= I Will Uphold the Flag |website= Friends of the Samuel May House |accessdate= September 6, 2022 }}

Reuben May married Emmeriah V. A. Honaker in 1835. They had at least thirteen children together, though one died in infancy and two others died young. He was married to Emmeriah for 46 years before her death in 1881. After the death of his first wife, he married two more times. He married Phoebe Ann Dolliver in 1882, but she died less than a year later. He then married Caroline S. Bennett (''{{nee}} Johnson), the widow of Cyrus Crawford Bennett, who survived him.

Electoral history

=Wisconsin Assembly (1869, 1870, 1871)=

{{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Assembly, Vernon 1st District Election, 1869}}

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 2, 1869

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Reuben May

|votes = 601

|percentage = 88.64%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = D. A. Steele

|votes = 77

|percentage = 11.36%

|change =

}}

{{Election box plurality

|votes = 524

|percentage = 77.29%

|change =

}}

{{Election box total

|votes = 678

|percentage = 100.0%

|change =

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no swing

|winner = Republican Party (United States)

}}

{{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Assembly, Vernon 1st District Election, 1870{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/B5CUTWMGTJZGT83 |title= The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin |year=1871 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |accessdate= September 6, 2022 |chapter=Official Directory | pages=[https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AB5CUTWMGTJZGT83/full/ANJSCEXNO6EOTL87 384]–[https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AB5CUTWMGTJZGT83/full/AQNY2CDWWW7P4F8W 385] }}}}

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 8, 1870

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Joseph W. Hoyt

|votes = 365

|percentage = 42.29%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Independent Republican (United States)

|candidate = Reuben May (incumbent)

|votes = 325

|percentage = 37.66%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = John T. Brinkermann

|votes = 173

|percentage = 20.05%

|change = +8.69%

}}

{{Election box plurality

|votes = 40

|percentage = 4.63%

|change = -72.65%

}}

{{Election box total

|votes = 863

|percentage = 100.0%

|change = +27.29%

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no swing

|winner = Republican Party (United States)

}}

{{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Assembly, Vernon 1st District Election, 1871{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/3PZNSAQ7F7WRA85 |title= The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin |year=1872 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |accessdate= September 6, 2022 |chapter=Official Directory | page= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A3PZNSAQ7F7WRA85/full/AOQ22WX2WQ2P6587 458] }}}}

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 7, 1871

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Reuben May

|votes = 592

|percentage = 53.19%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Independent (United States)

|candidate = C. C. Oleson

|votes = 521

|percentage = 46.81%

|change =

}}

{{Election box plurality

|votes = 71

|percentage = 6.38%

|change = +1.74%

}}

{{Election box total

|votes = 1,113

|percentage = 100.0%

|change = +28.97%

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no swing

|winner = Republican Party (United States)

}}

=Wisconsin Senate (1875)=

{{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Senate, 4th District Election, 1875{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/O7IONJRKXFZYY8P |title= The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin |year=1876 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |chapter=Official Directory | page= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AO7IONJRKXFZYY8P/full/AIWJUSXIJFAIG58Y 452] |accessdate= September 6, 2022 }}}}

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 2, 1875

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = J. Henry Tate

|votes = 2,577

|percentage = 50.06%

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Independent (United States)

|candidate = Reuben May

|votes = 2,571

|percentage = 49.94%

|change =

}}

{{Election box plurality

|votes = 6

|percentage = 0.12%

|change =

}}

{{Election box total

|votes = 5,148

|percentage = 100.0%

|change = +20.20%

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no swing

|winner = Republican Party (United States)

}}

=Wisconsin Governor (1879, 1890)=

{{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Gubernatorial Election, 1879{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/4E2ER3SWCWDLA8J |title= The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin |year=1880 |publisher= State of Wisconsin |editor-last= Warner |editor-first=Hans B. |chapter= Election Statistics | pages= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A4E2ER3SWCWDLA8J/full/AFQ4RVGOJDKUXA8N 270]–[https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A4E2ER3SWCWDLA8J/full/A4HGRE2V6YJEXE8A 271] |accessdate= September 6, 2022 }}}}

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 4, 1879

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = William E. Smith (incumbent)

|votes = 100,535

|percentage = 53.19%

|change = +8.98%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = James Graham Jenkins

|votes = 75,030

|percentage = 39.70%

|change = +0.13%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Greenback Party

|candidate = Reuben May

|votes = 12,996

|percentage = 6.88%

|change = -7.84%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party =

|candidate = Scattering

|votes = 444

|percentage = 0.23%

|change =

}}

{{Election box plurality

|votes = 25,505

|percentage = 13.49%

|change = +8.85%

}}

{{Election box total

|votes = 189,005

|percentage = 100.0%

|change = +6.11%

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no swing

|winner = Republican Party (United States)

}}

{{Election box begin | title=Wisconsin Gubernatorial Election, 1890{{cite report|url= https://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/OL6UABEYESBUF8C |title=The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin|year=1891 |publisher= State of Wisconsin|editor-last= Cunningham|editor-first=Thomas J. |chapter= Election Statistics |pages= [https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AOL6UABEYESBUF8C/full/A4GMTYOOIGNUHG8L 256]–[https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/AOL6UABEYESBUF8C/full/A4TKNPFS5Z43658E 257] |accessdate= September 6, 2022 }}}}

| colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;"| General Election, November 4, 1890

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = George Wilbur Peck

|votes = 160,388

|percentage = 51.86%

|change = +8.05%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = William D. Hoard (incumbent)

|votes = 132,068

|percentage = 42.71%

|change = -6.83%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Prohibition Party

|candidate = Charles Alexander

|votes = 11,246

|percentage = 3.64%

|change = -0.42%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Labor Party (United States, 19th century)

|candidate = Reuben May

|votes = 5,447

|percentage = 1.76%

|change = -0.83%

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party =

|candidate = Scattering

|votes = 105

|percentage = 0.03%

|change =

}}

{{Election box plurality

|votes = 28,320

|percentage = 9.16%

|change = +3.44%

}}

{{Election box total

|votes = 309,254

|percentage = 100.0%

|change = -12.82%

}}

{{Election box gain with party link no swing

|winner = Democratic Party (United States)

|loser = Republican Party (United States)

}}

References

{{s-ttl|title = Greenback nominee for Governor of Wisconsin|years=1879}}

{{s-ttl|title = Union Labor nominee for Governor of Wisconsin|years=1890}}

{{s-ttl|title = Command of the 8th Kentucky Infantry Regiment |years=December 7, 1862{{spaced ndash}}January 18, 1863 }}

{{s-ttl|title = Command of the 7th Kentucky Infantry Regiment |years=May 1863{{spaced ndash}}October 1864}}

{{s-ttl|title = {{nowrap|Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly}} {{nowrap|from the Vernon 1st district}} |years= January 1, 1870{{spaced ndash}}January 1, 1871 }}

{{s-ttl|title = {{nowrap|Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly}} {{nowrap|from the Vernon 1st district}} |years= January 1, 1872{{spaced ndash}}January 1, 1873 }}

Category:1815 births

Category:1902 deaths

Category:People from Pike County, Kentucky

Category:People from Vernon County, Wisconsin

Category:Wisconsin Greenbacks

Category:Wisconsin Laborites

Category:Wisconsin Populists

Category:Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly

Category:People of Kentucky in the American Civil War

Category:People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War

Category:Union army colonels

Category:United States Army personnel of the Mexican–American War

Category:19th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature