US Pierpont, Francis Harrison - Governor of VA

Francis Harrison Pierpont

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Pierpont.jpg


Born: January 25, 1814

Birthplace: Pierpont Plantation Morgantown, Virginia (West Virginia)

Father: Francis Harrison Pierpont Sr. 1784 – 1849

Mother: Catherine Weaver 1792 – 1839

1st​ Wife: Julia Augusta Robertson 1828 – 1886
(Buried: Woodlawn Cemetery, Fairmont, West Virginia)​

2nd​ Wife: Mary Nelson Hollifield 1840 – 1896
(Buried: Green Mount Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland)​

Children:

Samuel R. Pierpont 1855 – 1920​
(Buried: Woodlawn Cemetery, Fairmont, West Virginia)​
Anna Pierpont Siviter 1858 – 1932​
(Buried: Woodlawn Cemetery, Fairmont, West Virginia)​
Francis W. Pierpont 1860 – 1920​
(Buried: Woodlawn Cemetery, Fairmont, West Virginia)​

Political Party: Republican Party

Education:


Graduated from Allegheny College​

Occupation before War:

Worked for his family Tanning Business​
Active Leader in the Methodist Church​
Attorney in Fairmont, Virginia​
Attorney for Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company​
One of the founders of Fairmont Male and Female Seminary​
1860: Supporter of Abraham Lincoln for President Campaign​

Civil War Career:

1861: Opponent of Virginia Leaving the Union​
1861 – 1863: Governor of Restored Government of Virginia​
Under his leadership popular vote for Creation of new separate state​
1863: Helped with the Founding of West Virginia​
1863 – 1868: Governor of Virginia​
1863 – 1865: Limited to governing the parts not in West Virginia.​
1864: Called for a Constitutional Convention to be held in Alexandria.​
1864: The Convention called for end of slavery and civil constitution.​
1865: President Andrew Johnson recognized Pierpont as Governor.​

Occupation after War:

1863 – 1868: Governor of Virginia​
Supporter of a policy of forgiveness for former Confederates​
Helped start passing laws for restoring lost privileges to Confederates.​
1867 – 1868: Leader in the Virginia State Constitutional Convention​
1868 – 1899: Attorney in Fairmont, West Virginia​
1870: Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates​
1881 – 1885: United States Collector of Internal Revenue​
Helped Created West Virginia State Historical Society​
President of Methodist Protestant Church​

Died: March 24, 1899

Place of Death: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Age at time of Death: 85 years old

Burial Place: Woodlawn Cemetery, Fairmont, West Virginia
 
Last edited by a moderator:
He moved his "restored" office to Alexandria.Reelected as governor in December of 1864 but not officially recognized by Washington and Pres. Johnson until May 9, 1865.
 
Not to be confused with West Virginia and Governor Arthur Boreman. Pierpont was the Union governor of Virginia unanimously chosen on June 19, 1861 at a loyalist convention which was called soon after Virginia seceded.
 
His name is sometimes misspelled as Pierpoint. Even the biography by Charles Henry Ambler "Francis H. Pierpoint, Union War Governor of Virginia and Father of West Virginia" has his name wrong.
 
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