395:, which Radicals supported, but Conservatives, including Heiskell, opposed. After the amendment cleared the state senate, its opponents in the state house, lacking the votes to stop its passage, once again fled the Capitol to prevent a quorum. In response, the house sergeant-at-arms rounded up two and confined them to the committee room. Heiskell ruled that this did not constitute a quorum, but the house overrode his decision, and the amendment was passed. Heiskell refused to sign it, and resigned the speakership in disgust. The Speaker
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Like many former East
Tennessee Whigs, Heiskell opposed secession on the eve of the Civil War, and remained loyal to the Union during the course of the war. He described the nation as an "indestructible union of indestructible States." In 1861, he represented Monroe County at both the Knoxville and
311:
Toward the end of the war, Heiskell helped several former
Confederates who were seeking pardons. Like many of the more conservative Unionists, he began to turn against Brownlow, who was seeking retribution against ex-Confederates. In a private letter, Heiskell's brother, Frederick, referred to
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In
February 1866, Brownlow's allies in the legislature introduced a second franchise law, creating stricter voter registration requirements, and giving the governor the power to throw out entire counties' voter registrations. Conservatives vehemently opposed this bill, as they felt Brownlow had
303:
In March 1864, Jim
Heiskell, a former slave of Heiskell who had fled when Burnside occupied the city, alleged that Heiskell and an overseer had kidnapped and beaten him for running away. He further alleged that his brother, Robert, had been arrested for helping him escape. Heiskell denied the
343:, and the "Conservative Unionists," who had aligned themselves with President Andrew Johnson, continued to grow. Conservative Unionists, led by Heiskell, were outraged when Brownlow threw out thousands of votes in the August 1865 congressional elections, allowing Radical candidate
336:, which easily passed the House and was certified on April 7. The legislature also passed the "franchise law," which barred ex-Confederates from voting. Heiskell voted against the latter, prompting calls for his resignation from the allies of Brownlow, who was now governor.
367:, a Brownlow ally, accused Heiskell of organizing the quorum-bust, Heiskell called Mullins a "God damned old liar and a damned thief" and threw his gavel at Mullins, nearly igniting a brawl. The law finally passed in May, after several more weeks of infighting.
230:, one of nine children of Frederic and Catherine (Steidinger) Heiskell. While he was still young, his family moved to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Later biographies, including one written by his son, Samuel G. Heiskell, state he served in the
249:. Aligning himself with the new Whig Party, he presided over the 1844 East Tennessee Whig Convention, which met at Knoxville to nominate candidates for that year's elections. He also championed railroad construction, helping to organize the
277:, which would petition the Confederate-aligned state legislature to allow East Tennessee to break away and form a Union-aligned state. At the Knoxville session, he was appointed one of the convention's assistant vice presidents.
378:
stated that
Mullins was "In the Legislature of Tennessee making an ass of himself." Frederick Heiskell, William's brother, published a "scathing" denunciation of Brownlow in the
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already abused the powers given to him by the first franchise law. Realizing they lacked the votes to stop the bill, several
Conservatives withdrew from the House to prevent a
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426:(1847–1849). His son, Samuel Gordon Heiskell (1858–1923), served several terms as Mayor of Knoxville in the 1890s and early 1900s. A nephew,
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charge, and
Brownlow defended him in a letter to the Treasury Department. No action was taken, though Jim Heiskell was given documents by General
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and store-bought clothes, and
Heiskell was defeated. He won the seat in the subsequent election, however, serving from 1849 to 1851.
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300:, a staunch pro-Unionist, was appointed special agent to the Treasury Department, and in turn hired Heiskell as an assistant.
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endorsed
Heiskell's stance, stating he had used his "best efforts" to maintain harmony and order in the legislature, and the
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Historical and
Constitutional Officers of Tennessee, 1796 - Present, Territory South of the River Ohio, 1790 - 1796
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The struggle between Radicals and Conservatives touched off an editorial war in newspapers across the state. The
339:
Throughout the summer of 1865, the rift between Brownlow's allies, who had aligned themselves nationally with the
284:, remained loyal to the Union. William's wife, Julia, however, supported the Confederacy, and Frederick's son,
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430:(1823–1913), served in the Tennessee Senate in the late 1850s, and represented the 1st district in the
594:(Presbyterian Committee of Publication, 1916), pp. 159-161, 278-279. Accessed at Archive.org 7 May 2013.
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derided Frederick Heiskell as a "superannuated, shallow-brained, malignant, personally corrupt man."
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735:, 8 August 1866, p. 2. Accessed at Library of Congress Chronicling America database, 11 May 2013.
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In 1846, Heiskell ran on the Whig ticket for Monroe County's seat in the state legislature. His
328:. When the House convened on April 3, Heiskell was elected Speaker, defeating James R. Hood of
718:, 23 February 1866. Accessed at Library of Congress Chronicling America database, 11 May 2013.
605:
War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies
401:, John Norman, signed the amendment, however, and Brownlow quickly certified its ratification.
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672:, 6 September 1865. Accessed at Library of Congress Chronicling America database, 11 May 2013.
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701:(University of Tennessee Press, 1999; originally published in 1937), pp. 283-284, 311-314.
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Heiskell was appointed to the Board of Trustees for East Tennessee University (the modern
238:, though he doesn't appear in the list of delegates in the latter's official proceedings.
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769:, 2 May 1866. Accessed at Library of Congress Chronicling America database, 11 May 2013.
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The Heiskell family was divided during the Civil War. William Heiskell and his brother,
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opponent, John Ramsey, successfully portrayed him as a flashy aristocrat who was fond of
635:
Dan Robison, "Little Men and Big Events: A Passing Look at Some Tennessee Legislators,"
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by a vote of 37 to 29. Among the first orders of business was the ratification of the
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in the months following the Civil War, where he opposed the radical agenda of Governor
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203:, he had previously served a single term in the Tennessee House, from 1849 to 1851.
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In July 1866, Brownlow called a special session of the legislature to consider the
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179:(1788 – September 9, 1871) was an American politician, active primarily in
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Heiskell died on September 9, 1871. He is interred with his wife, Julia, at
292:. During the course of the war, Heiskell moved to Knoxville. After General
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Heiskell's brother, Frederick (1786–1882), was the cofounder of the
465:, a small community in northern Knox County, is named for the Heiskells.
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in early 1866, which Radicals in Congress and Tennessee had championed.
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in downtown Knoxville are dedicated to Heiskell and his wife, Julia.
195:, most notably refusing to sign the state house's ratification of the
560:
Proceedings and Debates of the Virginia State Convention of 1829-1830
261:
180:
608:, Vol VII, Part I (Government Printing Office, 1898), pp. 150-153.
442:, a great-nephew, briefly served as a U.S. Senator from Arkansas.
449:) in 1865. He also served on the inaugural Board of Trustees of
438:. Another nephew, Carrick, was a prominent Memphis-area judge.
624:
Lincolnites and Rebels: A Divided Town in the American Civil War
360:
691:
William G. Brownlow: Fighting Parson of the Southern Highlands
626:(New York: Oxford University Press, 2006), pp. 187-189, 203.
183:, in the mid-19th century. He served a tumultuous term as
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Speaker Heiskell and Senator Frazier on the Negro Question
746:
Mr. Heiskell's Reply to Gov. Brownlow -- A Scathing Retort
655:(Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1969), p. 354.
351:. The Conservatives also endorsed Johnson's veto of the
245:, Tennessee, where he established a plantation in the
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Stanley Folmsbee, Robert Corlew, and Enoch Mitchell,
236:
Virginia's 1829–1830 constitutional convention
843:Speakers of the Tennessee House of Representatives
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404:
670:Brownlow's Knoxville Whig and Rebel Ventilator
549:(Ambrose Printing Company, 1920), pp. 554-564.
838:People of Tennessee in the American Civil War
206:Heiskell opposed secession and supported the
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320:In 1865, Heiskell was again elected to the
848:Members of the Virginia House of Delegates
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308:asserting that he was a free citizen.
210:during the Civil War. He represented
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312:Brownlow as an "unmitigated humbug."
296:occupied the city in September 1863,
833:People from Monroe County, Tennessee
251:East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad
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863:19th-century Tennessee politicians
784:Nashville Daily Union and American
322:Tennessee House of Representatives
189:Tennessee House of Representatives
38:Tennessee House of Representatives
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818:19th-century American legislators
637:East Tennessee Historical Society
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405:Later life, family and legacy
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591:History of Sweetwater Valley
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241:In 1833, Heiskell moved to
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666:Union Meeting in Knoxville
653:Tennessee: A Short History
543:Honorable William Heiskell
767:Brownlow's Knoxville Whig
750:The Fayetteville Observer
733:Brownlow's Knoxville Whig
541:Samuel Gordon Heiskell, "
324:, this time representing
298:William "Parson" Brownlow
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447:University of Tennessee
247:Little Tennessee Valley
363:. When Representative
353:Freedmen's Bureau bill
234:and was a delegate to
858:American slave owners
763:Frederick S. Heiskell
428:Joseph Brown Heiskell
226:Heiskell was born in
572:Samuel G. Heiskell,
432:Confederate Congress
393:Fourteenth Amendment
380:Knoxville Commercial
334:Thirteenth Amendment
290:Confederate Congress
228:Hagerstown, Maryland
197:Fourteenth Amendment
118:Knoxville, Tennessee
105:Knoxville, Tennessee
92:Hagerstown, Maryland
716:The Pulaski Citizen
688:E. Merton Coulter,
463:Heiskell, Tennessee
341:Radical Republicans
253:in the late 1840s.
193:William G. Brownlow
696:2010-07-08 at the
419:Knoxville Register
282:Frederick Heiskell
154:Joseph B. Heiskell
149:Frederick Heiskell
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81:Personal details
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131:Know Nothing
68:Succeeded by
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808:1871 deaths
803:1788 births
712:Legislative
434:during the
398:pro tempore
326:Knox County
316:Speakership
56:Preceded by
797:Categories
486:References
258:Democratic
222:Early life
161:Occupation
127:Whig Party
576:, p. 241.
436:Civil War
268:Civil War
218:in 1861.
181:Tennessee
151:(brother)
145:Relations
50:1865–1867
46:In office
694:Archived
469:See also
156:(nephew)
729:Queries
453:. Two
214:at the
187:of the
185:Speaker
165:Planter
36:of the
34:Speaker
361:quorum
286:Joseph
137:Spouse
262:toddy
208:Union
385:Whig
201:Whig
99:Died
89:1788
86:Born
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