George E. Harris

George E. Harris
Harris, c. 1860–1875
16th Attorney General of Mississippi
In office January 4, 1874 – January 1878
Governor	Adelbert Ames John M. Stone
Preceded by	Joshua S. Morris
Succeeded by	Thomas C. Catchings
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Mississippi's 1st district
In office February 23, 1870 – March 3, 1873
Preceded by	vacant (secession)
Succeeded by	Lucius Q. C. Lamar
Personal details
Born	George Emrick Harris (1827-01-06)January 6, 1827 Orange, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	March 19, 1911(1911-03-19) (aged 84) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Resting place	Oak Hill Cemetery Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Harriet Seton McAllister ​ ​ (died)​
Children	7
Military service
Allegiance	Confederate States
Branch/service	Confederate States Army
Rank	Lieutenant colonel
Battles/wars	American Civil War

George Emrick Harris (January 6, 1827 – March 19, 1911) was an American lawyer, Civil War veteran and politician who served two terms as a U.S. Representative from Mississippi from 1870 to 1873.

Early life

George Emrick Harris was born on January 6, 1827, in Orange County, North Carolina. He moved to Tennessee and later Mississippi. He attended common schools and studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1854.^[1]

Career

Harris practiced law.^[1] He entered the Confederate States Army and served as lieutenant colonel until the close of the Civil War.^[1]

Political career

Harris was elected district attorney in 1865 and re-elected in 1866. Upon the readmission of the Mississippi to representation in the Union, he was elected as a Republican to the Forty-first and Forty-second Congresses and served from February 23, 1870, to March 3, 1873.^[1]

He succeeded Joshua Morris as the second Republican Mississippi Attorney General from 1873 to 1877 and was the last Republican elected to the position until the election of Lynn Fitch in 2019.^[2][3]

He wrote books on legal subjects.^[1]

Death and burial

Harris married Harriet Seton McAllister, daughter of Ward McAllister. They had seven children, including George McAllister. His wife predeceased him.^[4][5]

Harris died on March 19, 1911, in Washington, D.C.^[1][4] At the time of his death, he lived at the Ruppert Home for the Aged and Indigent.^[6] He was interred in Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, D.C.^[1]

Notes

1. "Harris, George Emrick". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
2. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-weekly-mississippi-pilot-republican/133436271/
3. https://www.newspapers.com/image/895103366/?match=1&terms==election%20results%20joshua%20morris%20attorney%20general
4. "Noted Mississippian is Dead at Age of 84". The San Francisco Call. March 26, 1911. p. 33. Retrieved December 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Will of Mrs. H. S. Harris Filed". The Washington Post. February 4, 1906. p. 3. Retrieved December 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Statesman Leaves Imaginary Estate to Ruppert Home". The Washington Times. June 15, 1911. p. 9. Retrieved December 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.

References

• United States Congress. "George E. Harris (id: H000238)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

External links

• Media related to George E. Harris at Wikimedia Commons

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Lucius Q. C. Lamar	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Mississippi's 1st congressional district 1870–1873	Succeeded by Lucius Q. C. Lamar
Legal offices
Preceded by Joshua S. Morris	Attorney General of Mississippi 1874–1878	Succeeded by Thomas C. Catchings