Joseph J. Gravely

Joseph J. Gravely
Gravely, c. 1864
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Missouri's 4th district
In office
March 4, 1867 – March 3, 1869
Preceded byJohn R. Kelso
Succeeded bySempronius H. Boyd
lieutenant governor of Missouri
In office
1871 – April 28, 1872
Preceded byEdwin O. Stanard
Succeeded byCharles Phillip Johnson
Member of the Virginia House of Representatives
In office
1853–1854
Member of the Missouri House of Representatives
In office
1862–1864
Personal details
BornJoseph Jackson Gravely
(1828-09-25)September 25, 1828
Henry County, Virginia, US
DiedApril 28, 1872(1872-04-28) (aged 43)
Stockton, Missouri, US
PartyRepublican
Other political
affiliations
Unconditional Union
OccupationPolitician

Joseph Jackson Gravely (September 25, 1828 – April 28, 1872) was an American politician. A Republican, he was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri. He also served as lieutenant governor of Missouri.

Early life

Gravely was born on September 25, 1828, near the Leatherwood Plantation, in Henry County, Virginia, the son of Lewis Gravely and Rachel Martha (née Dyer) Gravely.[1] He was educated at common schools, then worked as an educator and operated a farm. He studied law and was admitted to the bar.[2]

Career

Gravely was a Republican[1] and also held political affiliations with the Unconditional Union Party.[3] In 1853 and 1854, he served in the Virginia House of Delegates.[2] In 1854, Gravely moved to Cedar County, Missouri,[4] then was a delegate to the 1860 Missouri Constitutional Convention. In 1862 and 1864, he served in the Missouri House of Representatives.[2]

During the American Civil War, Gravely joined the Union army.[2] In early 1861, he enlisted into the Home Guard. He was made a second lieutenant in Company A of the 13th Missouri State Militia Cavalry Regiment, later becoming captain then commander of the regiment. In 1864, he was made colonel of the 14th Missouri State Militia Cavalry Regiment.[4] For a time, he was a colonel of the 8th Missouri Cavalry Regiment.[5] He was mustered from service in 1865.[4] Following the war, he practiced law.[5]

Gravely served in the United States House of Representatives from March 4, 1867, to March 3, 1869, representing Missouri's 4th district.[2] During his tenure, he helped pass several railroad constructions bills.[6] He was an alternate delegate to the 1868 Republican National Convention.[1] From 1871, until his death April 28, 1872, he served as lieutenant governor of Missouri.[2][4]

Personal life and death

On June 23, 1850, Gravely married Martha Jane Marshall. Their daughter, Minnie Lee Gravely, married judge Cornelius Hite Skinker.[1] Gravely died on April 28, 1872, aged 43, in Stockton, Missouri. He was buried at Lindley Prairie Cemetery, near Bearcreek.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Grant-benavente to Gravers". politicalgraveyard.com. Retrieved 2026-04-02.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Gravely, Joseph Jackson". bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved 2026-04-02.
  3. ↑ "Col. Jos. J. Gravely". Bolivar Weekly Sentinel. 3 August 1866. p. 2. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Buffalo Reflex". Buffalo Reflex. 3 May 1872. p. 4. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
  5. 1 2 Herringshaw, Thomas William (1898). Herringshaw's Encyclopedia of American Biography of the Nineteenth Century. American Publishers' Association. p. 416.
  6. ↑ "The Southwest Pacific Railroad". Missouri Republican. 28 December 1867. p. 2. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.