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Thomas Salem Bocock (May 18, 1815 – August 5, 1891) was a 19th century politician and lawyer from Virginia. After serving as an antebellum United States Congressman, he was the Speaker of the Confederate States House of Representatives during most of the American Civil War. He was in office from 1862-1865, the only holder of that office.
Thomas Bocock in The Guns of the South[]
Thomas Bocock was a member of the Confederate States House of Representatives from a Virginia district and re-elected House Speaker after the election of 1867. As such, he presided over a joint session where President Robert E. Lee addressed the members in support of the Legislation Regulating the Labor of Certain Inhabitants of the Confederate States, that is to emancipate the Negro slaves.
After Lee had finished speaking, Senator Louis T. Wigfall rose to speak in respectful opposition. Bocock refused to recognize him, stating that it was a special session to allow the President to address both bodies and that Wigfall would have ample opportunity to make his opinion known when the Senate debated the measure.
Lee once reflected that if he were to die in office or be otherwise removed from the presidency prematurely, Bocock would be his successor. The elected Vice President, Albert G. Brown, had been murdered mere minutes after his term began, and there was no mechanism for filling a vacancy in that office.
| Political offices (OTL) | ||
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| Preceded by New office; Howell Cobb as President of the Provisional C.S. Congress |
Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Confederate States 1862–1865 |
Succeeded by Office abolished |
| Political offices (The Guns of the South) | ||
| Preceded by New office; Howell Cobb as President of the Provisional C.S. Congress |
Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Confederate States 1862-18?? |
Succeeded by Incumbent at novel's end, 1868 |
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