George E. Spencer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Senator fromAlabama | |
| In office July 13, 1868 – March 3, 1879 | |
| Preceded by | Benjamin Fitzpatrick |
| Succeeded by | George S. Houston |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1836-11-01)November 1, 1836 |
| Died | February 19, 1893(1893-02-19) (aged 56) Washington, D.C., US |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouses | |
| Profession | Attorney politician rancher miner |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | Union Army |
| Rank | Colonel Bvt.Brigadier General |
| Commands | 1st Alabama Cavalry Regiment |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
George Eliphaz Spencer (November 1, 1836 – February 19, 1893) was an American politician and aU.S. senator from thestate ofAlabama who also served as an officer in theUnion Army during theAmerican Civil War.
Born inChampion, New York, Spencer was the son of Gordon Percival and Deborah Mallory Spencer. He was educated atMontreal College in Canada. After relocating to Iowa he engaged in the study of law. During thePike's Peak Gold Rush he briefly relocated toColorado where in November 1859 he founded the town ofBreckenridge and also lived atGolden from 1859-1860. He married English authorBella Zilfa in 1862.[1]
During theAmerican Civil War, Spencer enlisted as a captain on October 16, 1862. While serving on the staff ofBrig. Gen.Grenville M. Dodge, he requested a transfer to the1st Alabama Cavalry Regiment, a volunteer regiment made up ofSouthern Unionists, which did not have a permanent commander. Receiving a promotion tocolonel, he led the regiment from September 11, 1863, until his resignation on July 5, 1865.[2]
After the war, Spencer returned to Alabama to practice law. His wife died oftyphoid fever in 1867. For a time he served as register in bankruptcy for the fourth district of Alabama.[3]
Elected as aRepublican to the United States Senate upon readmission of Alabama to theUnion, Spencer served from July 13, 1868, to March 3, 1879.[4] The Ku Klux Klan and their supporters accused him of corruption and rewarding supporters in the legislature with patronage positions, allegations which he denied.[5][6]
He was appointed a commissioner of theUnion Pacific Railroad with help from his previous leader, Major General Dodge. In 1877, he married prominent actressMay Nunez, the niece and namesake of one-armed Confederate GeneralWilliam Wing Loring (May's given names at birth were "William Wing").[7] The couple then spent two years on a ranch in Nevada tending to mining interests before settling inWashington, D.C., about 1880.[8]
Spencer died in Washington, D.C., on February 19, 1893 (age 56). He isinterred atArlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.[9][10]
| U.S. Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by vacant1 | U.S. senator (Class 3) from Alabama 1868–1879 Served alongside:Willard Warner,George Goldthwaite,John T. Morgan | Succeeded by |
| Notes and references | ||
| 1. Because Alabama seceded from the Union in 1861, seat was declared vacant from 1861 to 1868 whenBenjamin Fitzpatrick withdrew from the U.S. Senate. | ||
| Class 2 |  | |
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| Class 3 | ||
Chairs of theUnited States Senate Committee on Armed Services | ||
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| Military Affairs Committee (1816–1947) | | |
| Naval Affairs Committee (1816–1947) | ||
| Armed Services Committee (1947–present) | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
