Appointed from Alabama on September 19, 1863, to rank from September 18, and confirmed by Confederate Congress February 17, 1864. He managed to escape and return to his own lines. In 1861, following Lincoln’s Presidential election, and South Carolina’s secession from the Union, Pettus was a delegate to the secession convention in Mississippi. 04:48. [4], Pettus then studied law in Tuscumbia, Alabama, under William Cooper and was admitted to the state's bar association in 1842. [5] Pettus was wounded in this fight, hit in his right leg during the battle's first day. Selma bridge got its name from Confederate general, KKK leader July 26, 2020 Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines, Yahoo.com news. "[5] As a U.S. senator, Pettus was "the last of the Confederate brigadiers to sit in the upper house of the national Congress. Pettus then relocated to the now extinct town of Cahaba[4] in Dallas County, Alabama, where he again took up work as a lawyer. In 1965, the bridge became a landmark of the civil rights movement. [6], After the war, Edmund Pettus returned to Alabama and resumed his law practice in Selma. John Jones Pettus was born on October 9, 1813 in Wilson County, Tennessee, to John Jones, a farmer, and his wife Alice Taylor (née Winston) Pettus. on March 7, 1965, they were met with violence from police. The day became known as 'Bloody Sunday.' Apple commits $100 million to minority education, business development Yahoo News By Errin Whack, SmithsonianMag.com. The state legislature re-elected him on January 26, 1903 and January 22, 1907. Western Theater of the American Civil War, List of United States Congress members who died in office (1900–49), "Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress", Edmund Pettus and John Tyler Morgan, late senators from Alabama, Memorial addresses delivered in the House of Representatives and Senate frontispiece 1909, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Edmund_Pettus&oldid=1009532272, American lawyers admitted to the practice of law by reading law, American military personnel of the Mexican–American War, Circuit court judges in the United States, Confederate States Army brigadier generals, People of Alabama in the American Civil War, Recipients of American presidential pardons, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with USCongress identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 1 March 2021, at 01:56. Nine large concrete arches support the bridge and roadway on the east side. After more than 7 decades, Louisville civil rights activist Mattie Jones continues fight for justice, equality Wright, p. 112. 1 month ago. Edmund Winston Pettus was an American politician, lawyer, and avid slavery supporter from Alabama. The Edmund Pettus Bridge carries U.S. Route 80 Business (US 80 Bus.) The televised attacks were seen all over the nation, prompting public support for the civil rights activists in Selma and for the voting rights campaign. Although Pettus’s career in law might have accounted for the bulk of his early life, he is more commonly remembered for a history of violence, racial prejudice, and hate. Pettus becomes Alabama's 'most powerful political broker'After the Civil War, Pettus moved to Selma, where he resumed practicing law and became a prominent figure in local politics. During the Stones River Campaign, he was captured by Union soldiers on December 29, 1862, and exchanged a short time later for Union soldiers. [6] Six days later he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general,[8] and on November 3 he was given brigade command in the Army of Tennessee. [2] He was the youngest of nine children of John Pettus and Alice Taylor Winston, a brother of John J. Pettus, and a distant cousin of Jefferson Davis. al.com - Today marks the 56th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, the day nonviolent protesters were brutally attacked by Alabama state troopers on the Edmund … Bloody Sunday 2021: Watch the virtual crossing of the Edmund Pettus Bridge live - Flipboard Take time to learn about the Black experience through visual art, literature and the culinary arts at … He served as a senior officer of the Confederate States Army, commanding infantry in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. He was a no-good swine of a man that NO one TRULY celebrates. It was here that he participated in paramilitary actions against many Native Americans. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., stands on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., on Feb. 14, 2015. Edmund Pettus was a bitter racist, undeserving of the honor bestowed upon him. Built in 1940, it is named after Edmund Winston Pettus, a former Confederate brigadier general, U.S. senator, and leader of the Alabama Ku Klux Klan. It became an iconic site of in the battle for equality, but the Edmund Pettus Bridge is named after a former Confederate general and KKK leader. Forty eight years ago, the Edmund Pettus Bridge was the site of a horrific attack on some 600 civil rights demonstrators, traveling from Selma to Montgomery. Edmund Pettus was born in 1821 in Limestone County, Alabama. Edmund Pettus Bridge, ‘Bloody Sunday’ Site, Declared A Historic Landmark. By Errin Whack, SmithsonianMag.com. across the Alabama River in Selma, Alabama. [2] In 1877, during the final year of Reconstruction, Pettus was named Grand Dragon of the Alabama Ku Klux Klan. Edmund Pettus was a brigadier general in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Led Stevenson's Division until wounding on March 19, 1865. [6] Pettus and his brigade participated in the Chattanooga Campaign, posted on the extreme southern slope of Missionary Ridge on November 24, and fought during the action the following day. This term would begin two years later in 1909. With the death of congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis, pressure is mounting to rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama.. Lewis was … Pettus was captured again on May 1, 1863, while part of the surrendered garrison that had been defending Port Gibson in Mississippi. Pettus was elected solicitor for the seventh Judicial Circuit of Alabama after marrying Mary Chapman in 1844. He remained a vocal opponent to Reconstruction, and in its final year was named Grand Dragon of the Alabama Ku Klux Klan. The Edmund Pettus bridge was constructed in 1940, and named after this Confederate veteran. According to the Smithsonian, Pettus was a three-time prisoner of war and was wounded in a battle as the war waned. The state legislature, rather than state voters, elected United States senators at that time. [1] Also that year he was elected solicitor for the seventh Judicial Circuit of Alabama. L'Edmund Pettus Bridge è un ponte ad arco realizzato tra il 1939 e il 1940 che attraversa il fiume Alabama a Selma, in Alabama. He served in the U.S. Senate until his death in the summer of 1907. [11], "Senator Pettus" redirects here. His campaign relied on his success at organizing the Alabama Klan, and his flagrant opposition to the citizenship amendments made to the Constitution during Reconstruction. [2] On March 4, 1897 he began service in the U.S. Senate. Edmund Winston Pettus (born July 6, 1821 – July 27, 1907) was an American lawyer and politician who represented Alabama in the United States Senate from 1897 to 1907. [5] Beginning on December 17, he temporarily led a division in the Army of Tennessee. Pettus helped organize the 20th Alabama Infantry, and was elected as one of its first officers. For instance, Edmund Pettus was not a nice man. [6], Pettus served in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. He was born in 1821 in Limestone County. Pettus served as chairman of the state delegation to the Democratic National Convention for more than two decades. [4] On September 9, he was made the regiment's major, and on October 8, he became its lieutenant colonel. He later joined the Alabama Ku Klux Klan and ascended to the level of … Opinion: Pass the Voting Rights Act and rename the Pettus … 02:57 'Racist dog whistle' underpins Trump attack on election results: Ifill Yahoo News His campaign relied on his successes in organizing and popularizing the Alabama Klan and his prominent opposition to the constitutional amendments following the Civil War that elevated former slaves to the status of free citizens. Edmund Winston Pettus was an American politician, lawyer, and avid slavery supporter from Alabama. The bridge is a steel through arch bridge with a central span of 250 feet (76 m). An attorney, he was an influential leader of the state Democratic Party but did not hold public office until he was 75 years old. In 1896, at the age of 75, Pettus ran for the U.S. Senate as a Democrat and won, beating incumbent James L. Pugh. He was an enthusiastic supporter of slavery and the Confederate cause, and eventually went on to organize the 20th Alabama Infantry. He is not an American. He was the youngest of nine children of John Pettus and Alice Taylor Winston, a brother of John J. Pettus, and a distant cousin of Jefferson Davis. 8761, citing Live Oak Cemetery, Selma, Dallas County, Alabama, USA ; Maintained by Find A Grave . He was raised in Limestone County, Alabama, after his father moved the family from Tennessee. 4 days ago. He is buried in Live Oak Cemetery in Selma. Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com: accessed ), memorial page for BG Edmund Winston Pettus (6 Jul 1821–27 Jul 1907), Find a Grave Memorial no. Originally written on March 7, 2015. Despite his blatant racist affiliation, Pettus, at the age of 75, ran for Senate and won. Eicher (2), p. 427. This event has since been called Bloody Sunday. This bridge, like many other pieces of infrastructure throughout the country, remains a silent yet commanding reminder of both the hatred, bigotry, and racism of the past, and also that which has survived to this day. The death of Congressman John Lewis prompts Americans to again reflect on Lewis’ role as a civil rights leader who was brutally beaten in Selma, Alabama on a March, 1965 planned march from Selma to Montgomery. Originally written on March 7, 2015. Hosea Williams was leading them. Edmund Pettus Bridge The Edmund Pettus Bridge, now a National Historic Landmark, was the site of the brutal Bloody Sunday beatings of civil rights marchers during the first march for voting rights. Pettus’s reputation is that of racism, hatred, and bigotry. [6], By 1853, he returned to Alabama, serving again in the seventh circuit as solicitor. [3] Pettus was educated in local public schools, and later graduated from Clinton College located in Smith County, Tennessee. [5], During the Mexican–American War in 1846–48, Pettus served as a lieutenant with the Alabama Volunteers, and after the end of hostilities he moved to California, where he fought against the Yukis and other Native Americans. Who was Edmund Pettus? It’s far past time to rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge after Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon that nearly gave his life on that bridge. But when told, “A lot of people don’t even know who Edmund Pettus was,” Young responded, “I don’t either.” Having Pettus’ biography listed out, Young responded perfectly: “Figures.” With earnings from his law practice, he bought farm land.[2]. For over half a century, we have returned to the Edmund Pettus Bridge to honor the extraordinary sacrifices made by ordinary Americans as they sought to … Related: Calls grow to rename Selma's Edmund Pettus Bridge after John Lewis. A Decorated Confederate General & KKK Grand Dragon. Who Was Edmund Pettus? Although his role in history might not be as notorious as Jefferson Davis, or Stephen Douglas, Edmund Pettus’s name is a reminder of the racist and violent roots of our country.