Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1895-11-13
Death of Rev. A. G.. Watkins.

The death of the Rev. A. G. Watkins,
which occurred at his home in Moores-
burg, Hawkins County, a few days ago,
removes the last of the ante-bellum Con-
gressmen from this, the First District.
Colonel Watkins, as he was wont to be
called back in the fifties, lived a long
and eventful life, and within the last
few years his home was in jefferson
County, near Talbot's Station. Back in
1919 he was elected to the Thirty First
Congress from the Second District, and
was reelected in 1851 to the Thirty Sec
ond Congress.
In 1851 the Wings secured a majority
in the Legislature of Tennessee, and as
the census of 1850 cut Tennessee's Con-
gressmen down from eleven to ten, the
congressional districts had to be made
larger; so the counties of Jefferson and
Sewer were transferred from the Second
to the First District. The addition of
these two strong Wing counties to this
district made it, ii was supposed ut the
time, reliably Wing anyway, Andy
johnson, who had n cinch on this "dees-
trict" for two long ~years-long they must
have seemed to Brookins Campbell who
had been standing out in the cold since
1913, patiently waiting for Andy to get
enough-did not become a candidate to
succeed himself in 1858, but ran for Gov
ernor that year. The addition of the two
counties above mentioned and the with
drawal of Andy johnson from the con-
%gressional field, made things look ROSY
FOR n. q. Taylor, who had led q forlorn
hope against Johnson in 1910; but Col.
Taylor soon found a thorn in his rose,
for with the transfer of jefferson Coun-
ty to this district also came Col. Albert
Gallatin Watkins; and, although he had
been two terms in Congress from the
Second District, like Dickins' boy, he
Immediately passed his plate for more,
and he and Col. T~aylor-both Wings
became candidates for Congress. Brook
ms Campbell also bobbed up-smiling,
too-as a candidate on the Democratic
ticket, and was elected to the Thirty
Third Congress in August, 1853. He took
his seat in December, 1853, but died in a
few weeks afterward, and his remains
were brought back to Old Providence, in
the edge of Greene County, for burial
in January, 1854. Messrs TAYLOR and
Watkins became candidates again at the
special election held in February, 1854,
and Taylor was elected. In 1855 it was
Taylor and Watkins again, and Wat
kins was elected. When 1857 rolled
around Watkins had become a Buchanan
Democrat, and as such he was elected to
Congress again over Mr.. Taylor. In 1859
both Watkins and Taylor were relegated
to the rear by their respective party con-
ventions, and the race was given to Mel
son and Haynes. That canvass and Mel
sons victory will never be forgotten by
our people. In 1860 Col. Watkins was a
candidate for presidential elector on the
Breckenridge and Lane ticket.
Since the war, pretty much, Col. Wat
kins has been a minister in the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church, and only once
during this time has he INDUCED in his
old pastime of running for Congress, and
that some years back, when he led a for
lorn hope against Judge Houk.
Summing it all up, he has served two
terms in Congress from the Second
District and two from the First, and has
been defeated for Congress, twice in the
First District and once in the Second.