Charles Christopher Sheats | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromAlabama'sat-large district | |
| In office March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1875 | |
| Preceded by | District inactive |
| Succeeded by | William H. Forney |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1839-04-10)April 10, 1839 Walker County, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | May 27, 1904(1904-05-27) (aged 65) Decatur, Alabama, U.S. |
| Resting place | McKendree Cemetery, Danville, Alabama, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Mary Dickson Anderson (m. 1886) |
Charles Christopher Sheats (April 10, 1839 – May 27, 1904), an attorney and politician from the state ofAlabama, was U.S. Consul toDenmark from 1869 to 1873 and served in theUnited States House of Representatives from 1873 to 1875.[1] He is noted for his allegiance to theUnion during theAmerican Civil War.[2]
Sheats was born on April 10, 1839, toplanter William W. Sheats and his wife, Mary Garner Sheats, inWalker County, Alabama. He was raised on a farm and educated at Somerville Academy inMorgan County, Alabama. After graduation, he worked as a school teacher and became involved in politics.[3]
At the age of 21, Sheats was elected to representWinston County, Alabama, at the Alabama Secession Convention of 1861. He became an increasingly vocal supporter of the Union and refused to sign the state'sOrdinance of Secession, even after it had been passed by a vote of 61 to 39.[4][5] Following the convention, Sheats and fellowUnionists met at Looney's Tavern, nearAddison, Alabama, and declared Winston County a neutral state, the "Free State of Winston."[6]
In the Fall of 1861, Sheats was elected by citizens of Winston County, Alabama, to theAlabama House of Representatives.[7] He did not attend the session because of his refusal to swear a required oath of allegiance to theConfederacy.[8] He was subsequently expelled from the legislature the following year on a charge of treason.[9]
Fleeing to the mountains of North Alabama, Sheats avoidedconscription in the Confederate Army and encouraged men to join the Union Army, actions which led to the establishment of the1st Alabama Cavalry.[10] In one recruitment speech, Sheats spoke to an estimated audience of over two thousand citizens.[10] He was determined to enlist himself, but was arrested in July 1862 for his actions.[8]
Sheats was released from Confederate custody after several months, but was arrested again in 1863 for his pro-Union sentiments and remained a prisoner until the end of the Civil War.[8] During this time, he was a candidate to the39th United States Congress, but was not elected.[11]
After the Civil War, Sheats was a member of the Alabama Constitutional Convention of 1865.[12] He also studied law and wasadmitted to the bar in 1867, and began a legal practice inDecatur, Alabama, where he served asmayor in 1868.[13][14] He was invited to be a Republican elector whenUlysses S. Grant was elected president in 1868 and 1872.[15] President Grant appointed Sheats as U.S. Consul toDenmark in 1869, where he served until his election to the United States House of Representatives in 1873.[16]
Following an unsuccessful reelection campaign, Sheats returned to Alabama where he was appointed Appraiser of Merchandise for thePort of Mobile and Assistant Collector of Internal Revenue.[13][15] He married Mary Dickson Anderson on January 27, 1886, and once again settled in Decatur, Alabama, where he remained until his death on May 27, 1904.[12] Sheats was buried at McKendree Cemetery in Morgan County, Alabama.[15]
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromBiographical Directory of the United States Congress.Federal government of the United States.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by District inactive | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromAlabama's at-large congressional district 1873–1875 | Succeeded by |
