James Lawrence Orr Sr.
Born: May 12, 1822
Birthplace: Craytonville, Anderson County, South Carolina
Father: Christopher Orr 1794 – 1864
(Buried: Zion Presbyterian Cemetery, Furrs, Mississippi)
Mother: Martha McCann 1798 – 1862
(Buried: Zion Presbyterian Cemetery, Furrs, Mississippi)
Brother: CS Congressman Jehu Amaziah Orr 1828 – 1921
(Buried: Friendship Cemetery, Columbus, Mississippi)
Wife: Mary Jane Marshall 1826 – 1898
(Buried: First Presbyterian Church, Anderson, South Carolina)
Children:
Eliza Foster Orr 1844 – 1851
(Buried: First Presbyterian Church Anderson South Carolina)
Martha Orr Patterson 1846 – 1905
(Buried: Christ Episcopal Church Greenville South Carolina)
James Lawrence Orr Jr. 1852 – 1905
(Buried: Christ Episcopal Church Greenville South Carolina)
Dr. Samuel Marshall Orr 1855 – 1909
(Buried: Silver Brook Cemetery Anderson South Carolina)
Mary Marshall Orr Earle 1858 – 1912
(Buried: Christ Episcopal Church Greenville South Carolina)
Amelia Orr 1860 – 1872
(Buried: First Presbyterian Church Anderson South Carolina)
Christopher Hugh Orr 1862 – 1893
(Buried: First Presbyterian Church Anderson South Carolina)
Political Party: Democratic Party and Republican Party
Education:
1842: Graduated from University of Virginia
Occupation before War:
Clerk at his father’s store in Anderson, South Carolina
Editor of Anderson Gazette Newspaper for two years
Attorney in Anderson, South Carolina
1844 – 1847: South Carolina State Representative
1849 – 1859: United States Congressman from South Carolina
1849 – 1851: Member of House State Department Expenditures Committee
1849 – 1851: Member of House Manufactures Committee
1851 – 1853: Member of House Public Lands Committee
1853 – 1855: Chairman of House Indian Affairs Committee
1855 – 1857: Member of House Indian Affairs Committee
1857 – 1859: Speaker of U.S. House of Representatives
Civil War Career:
1860: Signer of the South Carolina State Ordnance of Secession
1861: South Carolina Commissioners to Washington, D.C.
1861 – 1862: Colonel of 1st South Carolina “Orr’s Rifles” Rifles
1862: Resigned as Colonel on February 1st after election to Senate
1862: South Carolina Delegate to Confederate Provisional Congress.
1862: Attended the last day of the Confederate Provisional Congress.
1862 – 1865: Confederate States Senator from South Carolina
1862 – 1865: Supporter of broad powers for Central Government
1862 – 1864: Member of Senate Pay and Mileage Committee
1862 – 1863: Member of Joint Flag and Seal Committee
1863 – 1865: Opposed Conscription and suspension of habeas corpus
Proposed that the army must pay market prices for merchandise.
1863 – 1864: Member of Senate Commerce Committee
1864 – 1865: Chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee
1864 – 1865: Member of Senate Printing Committee
1864 – 1865: Temporary Member of Senate Finance Committee
1865: Leader of the Peace movement in Confederate States Senate
Occupation after War:
1865: Delegate to South Carolina State Constitutional Convention
1865: Inaugurated as Governor on November 29th.
1865 – 1868: Governor of South Carolina
Supporter of President Andrew Johnson’s Reconstruction Policies
Supporter of the Radical Republicans and Radical Reconstruction
As Governor he oversaw establishment of State penitentiary
As Governor oversaw provision of artificial limbs for Amputees
Oversaw the reopening of South Carolina College and other schools
Oversaw the rebuilding of South Carolina’s infrastructure
Oversaw passage of the Black Codes in South Carolina
Advocated for limited black suffrage and conciliation.
Opposed Ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment.
1868: Removed from office by military order on June 30th.
1868 – 1872: Judge of 8th Judicial Circuit Court of South Carolina
1872: South Carolina Delegate Republican Party National Convention
1872 – 1873: United States Minister to Russia
Died: May 5, 1873
Place of Death: St. Petersburg, Russia
Cause of Death: Pneumonia
Age at time of Death: 50 years old
Burial Place: First Presbyterian Church, Anderson, South Carolina
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