John Reagan

John Reagan Historical Figure Nationality: United States (Texas 1837-1845, Confederate States 1861-1865) Year of Birth: 1818 Year of Death: 1905 Cause of Death: Pneumonia Religion: Methodism Occupation: Politician, Educator, Farmer, Lawyer, Judge, Author of Non-Fiction Parents: Timothy Reagan, Elizabeth Lusk Spouse: Martha Music (d. 1847?) Edwina Moss Nelms (d. 1863) Molly Ford Taylor Children: Eleven, two of whom died as infants Political Party: Democratic Party Political Office(s): United States Representative from Texas, Postmaster General for the Confederate States, Acting Secretary of the Treasury for the Confederate States, United States Senator from Texas Fictional Appearances: The Guns of the South POD: January 17, 1864 Type of Appearance: Contemporary reference Nationality: Confederate States

John Henninger Reagan (October 8, 1818 – March 6, 1905) was an American politician from Texas. A Democrat, Reagan resigned from the U.S. House of Representatives when Texas seceded from the Union and joined the Confederate States. He served in the cabinet of Jefferson Davis as Postmaster General, the only holder of that office. He was an able administrator, presiding over the only cabinet department that functioned well during the war.

After the Confederate defeat, he called for cooperation with the federal government and thus became unpopular, but returned to public office when his predictions of harsh treatment for resistance were proved correct.

After his citizenship was restored, he served again in the U.S. House and then in the Senate. Dying in 1905, he was the last surviving member of the Confederate Cabinet.

John Reagan in The Guns of the South

John Reagan served as Postmaster General of the Confederate States from 1861 until 1868, throughout the presidency of Jefferson Davis. Davis' successor Robert E. Lee intended to appoint John Atkins as Reagan's successor. Atkins' death in the Richmond Massacre left a vacancy in the office.

References

Political offices (OTL)
Preceded by Lemuel D. Evans	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 1st congressional district 1857–1861	Succeeded by George W. Whitmore(1)
Preceded by William S. Herndon	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 1st congressional district 1875–1883	Succeeded by Charles Stewart
Preceded by David B. Culberson	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 2nd congressional district 1883–1887	Succeeded by William Harrison Martin
New office	Confederate States Postmaster General 1861–1865	Position abolished
Preceded by George Trenholm	Confederate States Secretary of the Treasury Acting 1865
Preceded by Samuel B. Maxey	United States Senator (Class 1) from Texas 1887–1891 Served alongside: Richard Coke	Succeeded by Horace Chilton
Political offices (The Guns of the South)
Preceded by New Office	Confederate States Postmaster General 1861–1868	Succeeded by Period of vacancy
Notes and references
1. Because of Texas's secession, the House seat was vacant for nine years before Whitmore succeeded Reagan.