George E. Spencer
| George E. Spencer | |
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| United States Senator from Alabama |
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| In office July 13, 1868 – March 4, 1879 |
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| Preceded by | Benjamin Fitzpatrick |
| Succeeded by | George S. Houston |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 1, 1836 Champion, New York |
| Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. Washington, D.C. |
| Citizenship |  United States |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Bella Zilfa Spencer May Nunez Spencer |
| Profession | Attorney
politician rancher/miner |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | Union Army |
| Rank | captain colonel |
| Unit | 1st Alabama Cavalry Regiment (Union) |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
George Eliphaz Spencer (November 1, 1836 – February 19, 1893) was an American politician and a U.S. senator from the state of Alabama.
Biography
Born in Champion, New York, Spencer was the son of Gordon Percival and Deborah Mallory Spencer. He educated at Montreal College in Canada. After relocating to Iowa he engaged in the study of law. He married English author Bella Zilfa in 1862.[1]
Career
During the Civil War, Spencer enlisted as a captain on October 16, 1862. While serving on the staff of Brigadier-General Grenville M. Dodge, he requested a transfer to the 1st Alabama Cavalry Regiment (Union), a volunteer regiment made up of Southern Unionists, which did not have a permanent commander. Receiving a promotion to colonel, he led the regiment from September 11, 1863 till his resignation on July 5, 1865.[2]
After the war, Spencer returned to Alabama to practice law. His wife died of typhoid fever in 1867. For a time he served as register in bankruptcy for the fourth district of Alabama.[3]
Elected as a Republican to the United States Senate upon readmission of Alabama to the Union, Spencer served from July 13, 1868, to March 4, 1879.[4] He was appointed a commissioner of the Union Pacific Railroad with help from his previous leader, Major-General Dodge. In 1877, he married prominent actress "May" Nunez, the niece and namesake of one-armed Confederate General William Wing Loring. The couple then spent two years on a ranch in Nevada tending to mining interests before settling in Washington, DC, about 1880.[5]
Death
Spencer died in Washington, D.C., on February 19, 1893 (age 56 years, 110 days). He is interred at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.[6]
References
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External links
| United States Senate | ||
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| Preceded by
vacant1
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U.S. Senator (Class 3) from Alabama 1868–1879 Served alongside: Willard Warner, George Goldthwaite, John T. Morgan |
Succeeded by George S. Houston |
| Notes and references | ||
| 1. Because Alabama seceded from the Union in 1861, seat was declared vacant from 1861-1868 when Benjamin Fitzpatrick withdrew from the U.S. Senate. | ||
| Class 2 |
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| Class 3 | ||
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Chairmen of the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services
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| Military Affairs Committee (1816–1947) |
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| Naval Affairs Committee (1816–1947) |
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| Armed Services Committee (1947–present) |
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