Matt W. Ransom | |
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| President pro tempore of the United States Senate | |
| In office January 7, 1895 – January 10, 1895 | |
| Preceded by | Isham G. Harris |
| Succeeded by | Isham G. Harris |
| United States Senator fromNorth Carolina | |
| In office January 30, 1872 – March 4, 1895 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph Carter Abbott |
| Succeeded by | Marion Butler |
| United States Minister to Mexico | |
| In office 1895–1897 | |
| President | Grover Cleveland |
| Preceded by | Isaac P. Gray |
| Succeeded by | Powell Clayton |
| Attorney General of North Carolina | |
| In office 1853–1855 | |
| Governor | David Settle Reid |
| Preceded by | William Eaton Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Joseph B. Batchelor |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1826-10-08)October 8, 1826 Warren County, North Carolina |
| Died | October 8, 1904(1904-10-08) (aged 78) Garysburg, North Carolina |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Confederate States |
| Branch/service |  Confederate States Army |
| Years of service | 1861–1865 |
| Rank | Brigadier general |
| Unit | 1st North Carolina Infantry Regiment |
| Commands | 35th North Carolina Infantry Ransom's Brigade |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Matthew Whitaker Ransom (October 8, 1826 – October 8, 1904) was a general in theConfederate States Army during theAmerican Civil War and aDemocraticU.S. senator from the state ofNorth Carolina between 1872 and 1895.[1]
Matt Ransom was born inWarren County, North Carolina, to Robert and Priscilla Whitaker Ransom. He was the elder brother of GeneralRobert Ransom, a cousin to fellow Confederate officerWharton J. Green, who served as a U. S. Congressman after the Civil War, and a cousin to physician and aviation pioneerWilliam Whitney Christmas. Matt Ransom graduated from theUniversity of North Carolina in 1847, where he was a member of thePhilanthropic Society.
After serving asNorth Carolina Attorney General and as a member of theNorth Carolina General Assembly, Matt W. Ransom was chosen as one of the three commissioners from North Carolina to the Confederate government atMontgomery, Alabama, in 1861.
Ransom was commissionedlieutenant colonel of the1st North Carolina Infantry Regiment and latercolonel of the 35th North Carolina Infantry. This regiment was part of his brother Robert's brigade, which Matt later commanded. Ransom was promoted tobrigadier general on June 13, 1863. Ransom saw action in the battles ofSeven Pines, theSeven Days Battles,Antietam,Fredericksburg,Suffolk,Plymouth, Weldon, and thesiege of Petersburg. He was wounded three times during the Civil War and finally surrendered atAppomattox.
After the war, Ransom moved toWeldon, North Carolina, in 1866 where he was a planter and lawyer. In 1872, he was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy in the term commencing March 4, 1871. Ransom was re-elected in 1876, 1883, and 1889 and served from January 30, 1872, to March 4, 1895. Ransom served briefly as President Pro tempore of the Senate during the 53rd Congress. He was later appointedUnited States Minister to Mexico and served from 1895 to 1897.[2]
Following his term as ambassador, Ransom retired toVerona, his estate, and engaged in agricultural pursuits.[3]
On January 19, 1853, Ransom married Martha Anne "Pattie" Exum of Northampton County, North Carolina. The couple resided atVerona, the Exum family's plantation on the banks of the Roanoke River. Matt and Martha produced at least eight children together: Matt W., Jr., Joseph E., George E., Esther, Patrick Exum, and Robert. A slaveholder, Matt W. Ransom also sired two children with Emma Outland, one of the women of African descent Ransom enslaved; Matt W. Ransom's children with the enslaved Emma Outland were Douglas Ransom (born 1859) and Alice Ransom (wife of Edward "Ned" Rawles, one of North Carolina's first African-American state legislators).[4][5]
He died nearGarysburg, North Carolina, on his 78th birthday, October 8, 1904.[3] Ransom was buried on his estate, near Jackson, North Carolina. Verona was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1975.[6]
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Attorney General of North Carolina 1853–1855 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 2) from North Carolina 1872–1895 Served alongside:John Pool,Augustus S. Merrimon,Zebulon B. Vance,Thomas J. Jarvis,Jeter C. Pritchard | Succeeded by |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by | President pro tempore of the United States Senate January 7, 1895 – January 10, 1895 | Succeeded by |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by | United States Ambassador to Mexico 1895–1897 | Succeeded by |
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| Commerce (1825–1947) | ||
| Interstate Commerce (1887–1947) | ||
| Interstate and Foreign Commerce/Commerce (1947–1977) | ||
| Commerce, Science, and Transportation (1977–present) | ||
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| International | |
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| People | |
| Other | |
