Archer Allen Phlegar

Archer Allen Phlegar
Member of the Virginia Senate
from the 4th district
In office
January 13, 1904 – January 8, 1908
Preceded byEdward Lyle
Succeeded byJohn M. Hart
Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia
In office
October 1, 1900 – February 22, 1901
Preceded byJohn W. Riely
Succeeded byStafford G. Whittle
Personal details
BornArcher Allen Phlegar
(1846-02-22)February 22, 1846
DiedDecember 22, 1912(1912-12-22) (aged 66)
Bristol, Virginia, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
SpouseSusan Shanks
Alma materWashington College
Military service
Allegiance Confederate States
Branch/serviceConfederate States Army
Years of service
1862–1865
RankLieutenant
Unit54th Virginia Infantry
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War

Archer Allen Phlegar (February 22, 1846 – December 22, 1912) was a Virginian soldier, lawyer, judge and politician. After fighting in the American Civil War, Phlegar studied law before being elected to the Virginia State Senate and as a justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia (then named the Supreme Court of Appeals).

Biography

Archer Phlegar was born at Christiansburg, Virginia to Ann and Eli Phlegar, the latter being a prominent local attorney.[1] He attended Montgomery Male Academy in Montgomery County and spent one year at Washington College, before volunteering for the Confederate States Army in 1862 during the early American Civil War.[2] Enlisted as a private, Phlegar rose to the rank of lieutenant in the army.

When the war ended, Phlegar worked on the family farm and business, while also studying law. He was admitted to the bar in 1869 and appointed Commonwealth's Attorney for Montgomery County in 1870.[2] Phlegar was reelected and served in that position for seven years, before winning election to the Virginia State Senate in 1877 as a Democrat.[1]

Governor James Hoge Tyler appointed Phlegar as a justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals in October 1900, to serve the remaining term of the recently deceased John W. Riely.[3] Phlegar's term on the Court was brief, as he served only until February 22, 1901, before the Virginia legislature replaced him with Stafford G. Whittle.[1] Phlegar returned to the private practice of law, until he was again elected to the Virginia State Senate in 1903.[4] Phlegar served this term in the Senate from 1904 to 1908, while also acting as president of the Virginia Bar Association from 1905 to 1906. He returned to private practice in Bristol, where he was counsel for several coal and railroad companies.[2]

Archer Phlegar died in Bristol on December 22, 1912, and was survived by his widow, Susan Shanks, and four children. Two other children of the marriage predeceased him.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Tyler, Lyon Gardiner (1915). Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography. Lewis historical publishing Company. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 History of Virginia. Vol. IV. American historical Society. 1924. p. 532. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Archer Allen Phlegar, November 13, 1900-February 13, 1901". Virginia Appellate Court History. May 1, 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
  4. ↑ Swem, Earl G. (1918). Register of the General Assembly of Virginia, 1776–1918. Richmond: Virginia State Library. Retrieved April 21, 2014.