The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-05-17
HISTORY

or a once very prominent Ildh, a Ia
tive American, John Cabell Brecken-
ridge. He was born at Lexington, KY,
Jan. 81. 1921, and died at his home in
Lexington, KY, May II, 1875. He was
a grandson of Job Breckenridge, who
was attorney general under President
Jefferson. He was educated at Centre
College, Kentucky. also at Princeton
College, n. Y, and was admitted to
the bar and followed his profession as
a lawyer at Lexington with good sue
cess. In 1916 he Joined an infantry
regiment, going with 1t to Mexico, and
was elected major. He also acted as
counsel for Gen. Pillow White in Mex
leo Upon his return from Mexico he
was elected to the state legislature.
In 1851 he was elected to the house of
representatives in the Ashland district.
Again in 1853 he was reelected and
brought himself into prominent notice
by the delivery of a splendid eulogy on
Henry Clay, although Clay was of
different political party, being a Wing.
In the heated discussion on the Kan
sas- Nebraska bill he became involved
In a personal alteration with Cutting
of New York, which led to prel1mi-
naries Of a duel which, however, was
avoided without any imputation rest
ing upon either party. During PreSi-
dent Pierce's term in 1856 he was Of
fered a mission to Spain, but he de-
cIined to accept 1t. The Democratic
convention which met at Cincinnati in
June, 1856, nominated James Buchanan
for president and proceeded to ballot
for a candidate for vice-president On
the first ballot J. A. Quitman, of Mis-
sissippi, received 50 votes, but on the
second ballot Quitman's name was
withdrawn and j. c. breckenridge
name was substituted. and he was
unanimously nominated. At the cleo
ton in the fall of 1856 the Democrats
carried 10 states, electing Buchanan
and Breckenridge by a plurality of 5l
electoral votes. He/ was heartily in
accord with the prQ-slayery element
of the Democratic party. AT the Dem
ocratic convention in the early part of
1860 at Baltimore Stephen A. Douglass
was nominated for the presidency.
breckenridge received five and seven
votes on two ballots. At the conven-
ton that met in the same city, Balti-
more, on the 2Sth of June, known as
the seceders' convention, he received
the unanimous vote of the lo5 mem
bers present for president, and Gen.
Joseph Lane, of North Carolina, who
was wounded at Buena Vista and COM
missioned major general for gallantry,
was nominated for vice-preSident.
The platform adopted was intensely
pro- slavery. At the election in No
vember Mr.. Breckenridge received
1f9,Z11 votes IN the Tree states anu
570,S71 votes in the slave states. He
carried only IL southern states, re-
ceiving only 72 votes in the electoral
college. Four slave states rejected
him, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia
and Missouri, they voting for Bell or
Douglass. The pro-slavery party of
Kentucky then elected Mr.. Brecken-
ridge to the United States senate in
place of John ]. Crittenden, who had
been United States senator twenty
years On Feb. 13, 1851, Mr.. Brecken-
ridge declared Abraham Lincoln presi-
dent of the United States, he having
received $50 electoral votes and on
March 4, 1861, he resigned the vice
presidency and took his seat on the
floor of congress as senator and Ham
lin, who had been elected as vice
president, took the speakers chair.
The United States senate remained in
extra session until March 2sth.
The session was stormy and efforts
We're continually being made for Pres
ident Lincoln to define his policy.
Senator Breckenridge finally offered
resolution declaring that the senate
recommended and advised the re-
moval of the United States troops from
the limits of the Confederate States"
Action upon this resolution was de-
ferred by immediate adjournment of
the senate Senator Douglass, however,
.vorable to disunion. Breckenridge con-
'tinued a member of the United States
senate, voting regularly In the extra
session which assembled on July 4th,
against all measures calculated to aid
the Union cause or widen the bounds
of the abolition party. In September
the government decided to act with
regard to Kentucky, a border state,
and where good deal of strife and
tbloodshed were going on. Ex-Gov.
.Morehead was arrested and conveyed
Ito Fort Lafayette in New York har-
Dor, This high handed business i'm
mediately caused Senator Brecken-
washington for Kentucky. Upon the
farrival of Breckenridge in the Confed-
crate camps he was Immediately ap-
POINTED brigadier general, going into
jactive service at Shiloh. He command
led the reserve of the army which ad-
Evanced on Pittsburg Landing and in
1.-THE fight on April and z, 1862 he
was twice struck by spent balls, but
protected the retreat. At Baton Rouge,
La, Aug. 5 he again encountered the
tUnion forces under Gen. Williams. At
THE Murfreesboro fight during the four
days of fighting he commanded on the
iextreme right. On the fourth day his
entire corps formed three magnificent
columns of assault, charging the Union
lines, sweeping them out of the way
until the Union batteries, with other
forces, recovering themselves, hurled
them back.
At Chickamauga Breckenridge was
engaged the entire day assisting Gen.
bragg with his men interposing their
forces between the Union army and
Chattanooga. May Is. 1864, with ten
Thousand men in the Shenandoah VAL
ley he encountered Gen. Franz Sigel,
and routed him with a loss of 700