Biographical Profile: Samuel Mayes Arnell
Samuel Mayes Arnell was born on May 3, 1833, in the Zion Settlement near Maury County, Tennessee, to James Morrison Arnell (1808–1850) and Jane Frierson Mays (1805–1854), both of whom rest in the Zion Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Zion, Tennessee. Raised in the Presbyterian faith, Arnell grew up in a community steeped in education, religion, and public service. He graduated from Amherst College in 1855 and soon returned to Columbia, Tennessee, where he began practicing law. On November 15, 1855, he married Cornelia Churchwell Orton (1833–1905) in Columbia, and together they raised seven children: Mayes Arnell (1857–1926), Nina Morrison Arnell (1858–1884), Harry Churchwell Arnell (1860–1881), William Borland Arnell (1862–1879), Mary Arnell (1864–1876), Samuel Mayes Arnell Jr. (1866–1944), and Cornelia W. Arnell (1870–1933).
A staunch Unionist during the Civil War, Arnell opposed secession and maintained correspondence with Tennessee Unionists throughout the conflict. His efforts contributed to the reorganization of Tennessee's loyal civil government, and he became one of the leading organizers of the state's Union Political Party. His political career advanced rapidly after the war. In 1865, he served as a delegate to the Tennessee State Constitutional Convention and was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives the same year, serving until 1866. From 1866 to 1871, Arnell represented Tennessee's Sixth District in the United States Congress, where he emerged as a strong advocate for civil rights and suffrage protections. He chaired the Committee on State Department Expenditures from 1867 to 1869 and later chaired the Committee on Education and Labor from 1869 to 1871. Arnell voted in favor of the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson in 1867 and again supported the authorization of a second impeachment inquiry in 1868. That same year, he served as a Tennessee delegate to the Republican National Convention.
Choosing not to seek renomination in 1870, Arnell resumed his legal practice in both Washington, D.C., and Columbia, Tennessee. His commitment to public service continued, as he served as the U.S. Postmaster in Columbia from 1879 to 1884 and as Superintendent of Schools from 1884 to 1886. Throughout his career, Arnell remained devoted to education, civic responsibility, and the advancement of civil rights in the postwar South.
Samuel Mayes Arnell died on July 20, 1903, in Johnson City, Tennessee, at the age of 70, after a chronic illness. He was laid to rest in Monte Vista Memorial Park in Johnson City, Tennessee. His life stands as a testament to integrity, perseverance, and the enduring values of unity and justice during one of the most turbulent eras in American history.
Samuel Mayes Arnell was born on May 3, 1833, in the Zion Settlement near Maury County, Tennessee, to James Morrison Arnell (1808–1850) and Jane Frierson Mays (1805–1854), both of whom rest in the Zion Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Zion, Tennessee. Raised in the Presbyterian faith, Arnell grew up in a community steeped in education, religion, and public service. He graduated from Amherst College in 1855 and soon returned to Columbia, Tennessee, where he began practicing law. On November 15, 1855, he married Cornelia Churchwell Orton (1833–1905) in Columbia, and together they raised seven children: Mayes Arnell (1857–1926), Nina Morrison Arnell (1858–1884), Harry Churchwell Arnell (1860–1881), William Borland Arnell (1862–1879), Mary Arnell (1864–1876), Samuel Mayes Arnell Jr. (1866–1944), and Cornelia W. Arnell (1870–1933).
A staunch Unionist during the Civil War, Arnell opposed secession and maintained correspondence with Tennessee Unionists throughout the conflict. His efforts contributed to the reorganization of Tennessee's loyal civil government, and he became one of the leading organizers of the state's Union Political Party. His political career advanced rapidly after the war. In 1865, he served as a delegate to the Tennessee State Constitutional Convention and was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives the same year, serving until 1866. From 1866 to 1871, Arnell represented Tennessee's Sixth District in the United States Congress, where he emerged as a strong advocate for civil rights and suffrage protections. He chaired the Committee on State Department Expenditures from 1867 to 1869 and later chaired the Committee on Education and Labor from 1869 to 1871. Arnell voted in favor of the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson in 1867 and again supported the authorization of a second impeachment inquiry in 1868. That same year, he served as a Tennessee delegate to the Republican National Convention.
Choosing not to seek renomination in 1870, Arnell resumed his legal practice in both Washington, D.C., and Columbia, Tennessee. His commitment to public service continued, as he served as the U.S. Postmaster in Columbia from 1879 to 1884 and as Superintendent of Schools from 1884 to 1886. Throughout his career, Arnell remained devoted to education, civic responsibility, and the advancement of civil rights in the postwar South.
Samuel Mayes Arnell died on July 20, 1903, in Johnson City, Tennessee, at the age of 70, after a chronic illness. He was laid to rest in Monte Vista Memorial Park in Johnson City, Tennessee. His life stands as a testament to integrity, perseverance, and the enduring values of unity and justice during one of the most turbulent eras in American history.
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