J. J. Jolly: Difference between revisions

From Bhamwiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
mNo edit summary
No edit summary
Line 3: Line 3:
Jolly, the son of a Christian Church minister, graduated from the University of Alabama in 1855 and Franklin College, outside of Nashville, Tennessee, in 1856. In 1858, he married Susan Richardson, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. In June 1861, following Alabama’s secession from the Union, Jolly enlisted in the Confederate Army, serving in the 43rd Alabama Cavalry. He was wounded at the Battle of Chickamauga in 1863.  
Jolly, the son of a Christian Church minister, graduated from the University of Alabama in 1855 and Franklin College, outside of Nashville, Tennessee, in 1856. In 1858, he married Susan Richardson, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. In June 1861, following Alabama’s secession from the Union, Jolly enlisted in the Confederate Army, serving in the 43rd Alabama Cavalry. He was wounded at the Battle of Chickamauga in 1863.  


Political Career
'''Political Career'''


Following the war, Jolly became active in state politics. He was a notorious Ku Klux Klan leader in West Alabama at the height of the Klan’s power in the period between 1868 and 1871. Jolly’s involvement with the Klan—as with so many other prominent men in the State—was undertaken with the goal of ending Radical Republican rule in Alabama and restoring native Democrats to power. He was implicated in several incidents, the most widely-known of which occurred in the summer of 1870, when Jolly orchestrated a Klan raid on a reelection rally for incumbent Gov. William Hugh Smith in Eutaw that resulted in the deaths of several African-American attendees. He was indicted for this and other Klan activities by a federal court in Mobile in 1871, but was never convicted.  
Following the war, Jolly became active in state politics. He was a notorious Ku Klux Klan leader in West Alabama at the height of the Klan’s power in the period between 1868 and 1871. Jolly’s involvement with the Klan—as with so many other prominent men in the State—was undertaken with the goal of ending Radical Republican rule in Alabama and restoring native Democrats to power. He was implicated in several incidents, the most widely-known of which occurred in the summer of 1870, when Jolly orchestrated a Klan raid on a reelection rally for incumbent Gov. William Hugh Smith in Eutaw that resulted in the deaths of several African-American attendees. He was indicted for this and other Klan activities by a federal court in Mobile in 1871, but was never convicted.  
Line 11: Line 11:
After 1871, Jolly began a long, but steady, ascent through the ranks of the state Democratic Party that, had he not died prematurely, might well have brought him to the governor’s office. He was initially slated to be sent to Washington in 1872 to fill one of the two at-large Congressional seats apportioned to Alabama under military Reconstruction. That nomination, however, was nixed due to political concerns. Two years later, he came to [[Birmingham]] to serve as City Attorney for 1874 during the administration of Mayor [[James R. Powell]]. He held this office for approximately one year before returning to private practice in Birmingham. Later, he represented Jefferson County in the Alabama State Legislature in 1876–1877.
After 1871, Jolly began a long, but steady, ascent through the ranks of the state Democratic Party that, had he not died prematurely, might well have brought him to the governor’s office. He was initially slated to be sent to Washington in 1872 to fill one of the two at-large Congressional seats apportioned to Alabama under military Reconstruction. That nomination, however, was nixed due to political concerns. Two years later, he came to [[Birmingham]] to serve as City Attorney for 1874 during the administration of Mayor [[James R. Powell]]. He held this office for approximately one year before returning to private practice in Birmingham. Later, he represented Jefferson County in the Alabama State Legislature in 1876–1877.


First Christian Church, Birmingham
'''First Christian Church, Birmingham
 
'''
Shortly after arriving in [[Birmingham]] in [[1874]], Jolly and his wife began holding worship services in his home. In 1876, at the invitation of Jolly and recent Birmingham transplant [[Leven S. Goodrich]], Pinckney B. Lawson (1823–1882), minister for the Christian Church in Marion, came to [[Birmingham]] to hold a protracted meeting. Jolly rented the [[Cumberland Presbyterian Church]] for the occasion. At the conclusion of Lawson’s meeting, [[First Christian Church]] was organized with approximately a dozen members. The church withered after the fall of 1878 when both the Jollys and the Goodriches left the city.
Shortly after arriving in [[Birmingham]] in [[1874]], Jolly and his wife began holding worship services in his home. In 1876, at the invitation of Jolly and recent Birmingham transplant [[Leven S. Goodrich]], Pinckney B. Lawson (1823–1882), minister for the Christian Church in Marion, came to [[Birmingham]] to hold a protracted meeting. Jolly rented the [[Cumberland Presbyterian Church]] for the occasion. At the conclusion of Lawson’s meeting, [[First Christian Church]] was organized with approximately a dozen members. The church withered after the fall of 1878 when both the Jollys and the Goodriches left the city.


Line 19: Line 19:
By 1884, Jolly’s widow Susan and her children had returned to Birmingham. In the spring of 1885, they invited [[Robert W. Van Hook]] to Birmingham to hold a protracted meeting that resulted in the reorganization of [[First Christian Church]] on a permanent footing.  
By 1884, Jolly’s widow Susan and her children had returned to Birmingham. In the spring of 1885, they invited [[Robert W. Van Hook]] to Birmingham to hold a protracted meeting that resulted in the reorganization of [[First Christian Church]] on a permanent footing.  
After the death of his wife, Susan, in 1920, Jolly was reinterred beside her at [[Elmwood Cemetery]] in Birmingham.
After the death of his wife, Susan, in 1920, Jolly was reinterred beside her at [[Elmwood Cemetery]] in Birmingham.
==References==
* “Alabama—Review of the Proceedings of the Democratic Convention” ''New York Times'' (July 1, 1872).
* Harriet Smith Bennett, “Christians Win Over Odds,” ''Birmingham News–Age-Herald'' (November 4, 1928), n. p.
* Alfred Buck, ''Condition of the South—The Kuklux Klan an Organization in Alabama'' (Washington, D. C.: F. & J. Rives & Geo. A. Bailey, 1871).
* John Witherspoon DuBose, ''Jefferson County and Birmingham, Alabama'' (Birmingham: Teeple and Smith, 1887)
* Walter L. Fleming, ''Civil War and Reconstruction in Alabama'' (New York: Columbia University Press, 1905)
* ''Report of the Joint Select Committee to Inquire into the Condition of Affairs in the Late Insurrectionary States: Alabama (Vol. 1)'' (Washington, D. C., 1872)
* George and Mildred Watson, ''History of the Christian Churches in the Alabama Area'' (St. Louis: Bethany Press, 1965).

Revision as of 13:39, 10 July 2015

John Jefferson Jolly (b. March 18, 1838 in Mount Hebron, Greene County; d. May 2, 1881 in Gainesville, Sumter County) was a lawyer by profession.

Jolly, the son of a Christian Church minister, graduated from the University of Alabama in 1855 and Franklin College, outside of Nashville, Tennessee, in 1856. In 1858, he married Susan Richardson, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. In June 1861, following Alabama’s secession from the Union, Jolly enlisted in the Confederate Army, serving in the 43rd Alabama Cavalry. He was wounded at the Battle of Chickamauga in 1863.

Political Career

Following the war, Jolly became active in state politics. He was a notorious Ku Klux Klan leader in West Alabama at the height of the Klan’s power in the period between 1868 and 1871. Jolly’s involvement with the Klan—as with so many other prominent men in the State—was undertaken with the goal of ending Radical Republican rule in Alabama and restoring native Democrats to power. He was implicated in several incidents, the most widely-known of which occurred in the summer of 1870, when Jolly orchestrated a Klan raid on a reelection rally for incumbent Gov. William Hugh Smith in Eutaw that resulted in the deaths of several African-American attendees. He was indicted for this and other Klan activities by a federal court in Mobile in 1871, but was never convicted.

But he was even closer to the electoral process in 1870 through his personal affiliation with the Democratic candidate for governor, Robert B. Lindsay. Lindsay emerged victorious on Election Day, receiving approximately 1,400 more votes than Smith amid widespread accusations of fraud on the part of Democratic Party operatives. In the weeks following the election, Smith, with the help of federal troops and the Montgomery County sheriff, refused to give up the governor’s office to Lindsay. In this tense time, Jolly served as a kind of personal envoy from Lindsay to Smith, carrying personal messages back and forth between the two men.

After 1871, Jolly began a long, but steady, ascent through the ranks of the state Democratic Party that, had he not died prematurely, might well have brought him to the governor’s office. He was initially slated to be sent to Washington in 1872 to fill one of the two at-large Congressional seats apportioned to Alabama under military Reconstruction. That nomination, however, was nixed due to political concerns. Two years later, he came to Birmingham to serve as City Attorney for 1874 during the administration of Mayor James R. Powell. He held this office for approximately one year before returning to private practice in Birmingham. Later, he represented Jefferson County in the Alabama State Legislature in 1876–1877.

First Christian Church, Birmingham Shortly after arriving in Birmingham in 1874, Jolly and his wife began holding worship services in his home. In 1876, at the invitation of Jolly and recent Birmingham transplant Leven S. Goodrich, Pinckney B. Lawson (1823–1882), minister for the Christian Church in Marion, came to Birmingham to hold a protracted meeting. Jolly rented the Cumberland Presbyterian Church for the occasion. At the conclusion of Lawson’s meeting, First Christian Church was organized with approximately a dozen members. The church withered after the fall of 1878 when both the Jollys and the Goodriches left the city.

Jolly spent the remaining years of his life in Gainesville, Sumter County. Some sources indicate that, in the months prior to his death in May 1881, he was being seriously discussed as a Democratic candidate for governor in the 1882 election.

By 1884, Jolly’s widow Susan and her children had returned to Birmingham. In the spring of 1885, they invited Robert W. Van Hook to Birmingham to hold a protracted meeting that resulted in the reorganization of First Christian Church on a permanent footing. After the death of his wife, Susan, in 1920, Jolly was reinterred beside her at Elmwood Cemetery in Birmingham.

References

  • “Alabama—Review of the Proceedings of the Democratic Convention” New York Times (July 1, 1872).
  • Harriet Smith Bennett, “Christians Win Over Odds,” Birmingham News–Age-Herald (November 4, 1928), n. p.
  • Alfred Buck, Condition of the South—The Kuklux Klan an Organization in Alabama (Washington, D. C.: F. & J. Rives & Geo. A. Bailey, 1871).
  • John Witherspoon DuBose, Jefferson County and Birmingham, Alabama (Birmingham: Teeple and Smith, 1887)
  • Walter L. Fleming, Civil War and Reconstruction in Alabama (New York: Columbia University Press, 1905)
  • Report of the Joint Select Committee to Inquire into the Condition of Affairs in the Late Insurrectionary States: Alabama (Vol. 1) (Washington, D. C., 1872)
  • George and Mildred Watson, History of the Christian Churches in the Alabama Area (St. Louis: Bethany Press, 1965).
Retrieved from "http://bhamwiki.com/w/index.php?title=J._J._Jolly&oldid=117853"