George Morgan Govan (October 30, 1840 - April 14, 1899) was an American military officer and Democratic politician from Mississippi. He was the 27th Secretary of State of Mississippi, serving from 1886 to 1896.
George M. Govan | |
---|---|
27th Secretary of State of Mississippi | |
In office January 14, 1886 – January 20, 1896 | |
Governor | Robert Lowry John Marshall Stone |
Preceded by | Henry C. Myers |
Succeeded by | John Logan Power |
Member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from the Pike County district | |
In office January 1884 – January 1886 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Marshall County, MS | October 30, 1840
Died | April 14, 1899 58) New Orleans, Louisiana | (aged
Political party | Democrat |
Spouse | Jane Edmondson (m. 1865) |
Children | 3 |
Parent | Andrew R. Govan (father) |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Confederate States 1861-1865 United States 1898 |
Branch/service | Army |
Years of service | 1861-1865, 1898 |
Rank | Colonel |
Battles/wars | Civil War Spanish-American War |
Early life
George Morgan Govan was born on October 30, 1840, in Marshall County, Mississippi.[1][2] He was the son of Andrew R. Govan, who was born in Holly Springs, South Carolina and member of the United States House of Representatives.[1] He was a first lieutenant, and later, a major, for the Confederacy in the Civil War.[1][3] After the war, he returned to Marshall County to farm.[3]
Political career
He was the clerk of the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1876 to 1878.[4][1] In 1884, Govan was a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives, representing Pike County.[1][4] Govan was elected to be the Secretary of State of Mississippi as a Democrat in 1885 for the 1886–1890 term and was inaugurated on January 14, 1886.[4][5] He was re-elected in 1889 and was re-inaugurated in 1890.[5] The Mississippi Constitutional Convention of 1890 increased his term length from four to six years, making ten years of office in total.[5] Govan was succeeded in the office by John Logan Power on January 20, 1896.[4][5]
Later life
In spring 1898, he was commissioned colonel of the First Mississippi Volunteers during the Spanish-American War.[1] He served until later in that same year.[1] He died in a hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana, on April 14, 1899.[3][6]
Personal life
Govan married Jane B. Edmondson in Elyton, Alabama, on February 26, 1865.[2] They had three children together: Andrew R., Eliza, and John H.[2]
References
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