The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-05-16
GOV. THOMAS G. PRATT.
HIS UNMARKED GRAVE IN ST. ANNE 5
CEMETERY, ANNAPOLIS.

The hroachng 10y Delegate Hugh
Ridgely Riley, of Annapolis. at the
last session of the General Assembly
of the erection of monument at
Annapolis, in St. Annes Cemetery,
over the grave of Governor Thomas
G. Pratt, has been much discussed in
Prince Georges county and Southern
Mary land generally. This county was
the scene of the Governors early pro-
fessiona labors and political triumphs.
On the eve of the adjournment Of the
General Assembly, Delegate Riley
secured leave to introduce bill appro-
priating $3.50 for stone over the Gov
ernors grave, but in the press of bust!
ness no action was taken on the pro-
posed measure by either House. The
Governors remains lie in the Maccub-
bin lot in the old cemetery of St.
Anne's Episcopal Church without any
distinguishing mark above them.
In his day Governor Pratt was one
of the chief figures of the National
Whig party and man of whom all
Maryland was proud. He was born
in Washington City in 1905, and was
educated at Georgetown and Princeton.
He took up the profession of law, and
after being admitted to the bar, settled
at Upper Marlboro, that ancient colo
nial town and county-seat Of Prince
| Georges, made ever memorable by the
| British invasion of 1914. 1t was also
the birthplace of Archbishop John
| Carroll and the first theatre of the pro-
fessional efforts of Reverdv johnson.
Pratt rose rapidly in prominence as a
lawyer and politician and was fire.
quently elected to the General Assem-
bly,. In 1886 he was Presidential
eloc,or en- the Wing ticket, his col
leagues being Elias Brown, David
Hoffman, }. B. Ricaud, George How
ard, William Price, j. w. Coale, An
thony kimmel, Robert W. Bowie. and
| Thomas Burchenal. He was elected
as the first Wing Governor of Mary
land October 2, 1914, and was elected
to the United States Senate January
10, 1850, to succeed David Stewart, of
Baltimore, appointed to fill the unex-
pred term of Reverdy johnson, re-
signed, 1919 At the session of 1851
Senator Pratt was chosen for the full
term. Lin the Senate he maintained a
commanding position, and was the in.
innate friend Of William Seward and
other leading Senators of his day.
| In 1864 Governor Pratt was dele
gate to the Chicago Democratic Ma
tional Convention, having cast his
political fortunes with that party, to-
gether with most Maryland Wings,
although to this day the old Wings
claim that they are not simon-pure
| Democrats, but vote with the party
| nearest their ideal. The latter days
of Governor Pratt's life were spent in
Baltimore, where he had an elegant
residence in the then fashionable quar-
ter of St. Paul street. He was dele
gate to the National Union Conven-
tion at Philadelphia in 1866, and died
in Baltimore, November 8, 1869. His
widow, Mrs. Adelne Kent Pratt, sur
vived until May 81, 1897, dying in
| Baltimore at the age Of 80. She was
the daughter Of Col. Robert Kent, an
Anne Arundel planter, and a niece of
Governor Joseph Kent, a Calvert ply
sician and planter, who removed to
Bladensburg, was elected to Congress
QSll-l5 1921 26), was United States
Senator QS33 80, elected Governor
in 1926, and died in 1889. Few lineal
descendants of Gov. Pratt now remain,
although his family connections were
so extensive that relatives by blood or
marriage are to be found by the hun
dred in Southern Mary land and Balti-
more.
Governor Pratt was a warm South
ern sympathizer. His son and name
sake. who died a few years ago, served
in the Confederate Army. In October
| 1868, the Governor was sent South by
the Lincoln Administration because he
refused to take the oath of allegiance.
Once during the war he was confined
at Fortress Monroe. at a time when
Lincoln and Seward visited the fort
Seward secured his release.
Maryland has been generally neglec
fu Of her great men, 1t was not until
July last that the grave of Gen
William Smallwood, Governor of the
State shortly after the Revolution
and the ranking Maryland officer in
that war, was marked. The Sons o.
the American Revolution performed
this office, making journey to Charles
county, within sight of Mount Vernon
for the purpose. 1t is said that the
Pratt proposition will he kept alive
and successful effort to have the
Legislature honor his memory made
in 1900
It's pretty hard for some people t.
distinguish between what they thinl
they know and what they know they
think.