Simon P. Hughes Jr. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Associate Justice of theArkansas Supreme Court | |
| In office 1889–1904 | |
| Preceded by | Elhanan J. Searle |
| Succeeded by | Edgar A. McCulloch |
| 15th Governor of Arkansas | |
| In office January 17, 1885 – January 8, 1889 | |
| Preceded by | James H. Berry |
| Succeeded by | James P. Eagle |
| 14th Attorney General of Arkansas | |
| In office 1874–1876 | |
| Preceded by | J. L. Witherspoon |
| Succeeded by | W. F. Henderson |
| Member of theArkansas House of Representatives from theMonroe County district | |
| In office November 5, 1866 – April 2, 1868 | |
| Preceded by | E. Wilds |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 14, 1830 Smith County, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | June 29, 1906(1906-06-29) (aged 76) Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Resting place | Mount Holly Cemetery, Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. 34°44′15.3″N92°16′42.5″W / 34.737583°N 92.278472°W /34.737583; -92.278472 |
| Political party | Whig (before 1860) Democratic (1860–1906) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 9 |
| Alma mater | Clinton College |
| Signature | .png) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Confederate States |
| Branch/service |  Confederate States Army |
| Years of service | 1862–1865 |
| Rank |  Lieutenant-Colonel |
| Unit | 23d Arkansas Infantry |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Simon P. Hughes, Jr. (April 14, 1830 – June 29, 1906) was an American lawyer, jurist, and politician who served as the 15thgovernor of Arkansas from 1885 to 1889. He previously served as anofficer of theConfederate States Army in theWestern andTrans-Mississippitheaters of theAmerican Civil War.
Simon P. Hughes, Jr. was born inSmith County, Tennessee, the son of Simon P. Hughes and Mary Hubbard Hughes. Hughes Sr., originally fromPrince Edward County, Virginia, was a farmer,sheriff and a member of the Tennessee legislature from 1842 to 1843, Mary Hubbard was a native ofOglethorpe County, Georgia. In 1842, Mary Hughes died and the family moved toBowie County, Texas. Hughes Sr. died in Texas in 1844, making Hughes at orphan at the age of fourteen.[1]
Hughes moved to Arkansas in December 1849, and was educated at Sylvan Academy andClinton College in Tennessee.[2] In 1853, Hughes was elected sheriff ofMonroe County, Arkansas and served for two years. Hughes wasadmitted to the bar in Arkansas in 1857, and started private practice inClarendon, Arkansas. During theAmerican Civil War, he was elected captain in the23d Arkansas Infantry of theConfederate States Army rising to the rank oflieutenant-colonel. Later in the war, following a reorganization of the 23d Arkansas, Hughes enlisted as a private in Charles L. Morgan's Independent Texas Cavalry unit.
Following the war, Hughes served in theArkansas House of Representatives from 1866 to 1867, and was a delegate to the1874 Arkansas Constitutional Convention. Hughes formed a law practice withWilliam W. Smith inClarendon, Arkansas and became involved in Democratic politics. He was elected to the post ofArkansas Attorney General and served from 1874 to 1877. He was electedgovernor of Arkansas, being sworn in, in January 1885. He was reelected in 1886.[3] During his terms, public executions were abolished in Arkansas and the sale of liquor was restricted.
In 1889, he was elected to theArkansas Supreme Court as anassociate justice and served in that capacity for sixteen years.
Hughes died inLittle Rock, Arkansas, and is buried in historicMount Holly Cemetery at Little Rock.
