Joseph Segar facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joseph Segar
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 1st district |
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| In office March 16, 1862 – March 3, 1863 |
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| Preceded by | Joseph Segar |
| Succeeded by | Richard S. Ayer (1870) |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 1st district |
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| In office 1861–1862(not seated) |
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| Preceded by | Muscoe Russell Hunter Garnett |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Segar |
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from Elizabeth City, York and Warwick Counties and Williamsburg City | |
| In office 1855–1861 |
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| Preceded by | Robert H. Power |
| Succeeded by | James Custis |
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from Elizabeth City, York and Warwick Counties and Williamsburg City | |
| In office 1852–1853 |
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| Preceded by | District created |
| Succeeded by | Robert H. Power |
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from Elizabeth City and Warwick Counties | |
| In office 1848–1851 |
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| Preceded by | Edward Camm |
| Succeeded by | District abolished |
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from Northampton County | |
| In office 1836–1838 |
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| Preceded by | Severn Parker |
| Succeeded by | George Yerby |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 1, 1804 King William County, Virginia |
| Died | April 30, 1880 (aged 75) Chesapeake Bay, Virginia |
| Resting place | Hampton, Virginia |
| Political party | Unionist |
| Occupation | Attorney |
Joseph Eggleston Segar (June 1, 1804 – April 30, 1880) was a lawyer and politician from Virginia. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives during the American Civil War. He also tried to become a U.S. Senator after the war. However, other lawmakers did not allow him to take his seat. This was because Virginia had left the Union and was slow to rejoin it.
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Early Life and Family
Joseph Segar was born in King William County, Virginia, in 1804. He received a private education, which was common for people of his background at the time. After his schooling, he decided to study law.
He married Mary (1808–1886), who lived longer than he did. They had several children, including a son named John F. Segar and a daughter named Virginia Segar. Joseph Segar also helped raise his nephew, Arthur Simpkins Segar. Arthur's father, Joseph's younger brother, had passed away. Joseph paid for Arthur's education at military schools.
When the Civil War began, Arthur S. Segar joined the Confederate army. He fought in several battles, including the Seven Days Battles. His brother, John A. Segar Jr., also joined the Confederate forces.
Political Career in Virginia
After becoming a lawyer, Joseph Segar practiced law in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. He held several local government jobs. He was elected many times to the Virginia House of Delegates, which is part of Virginia's state legislature. He served in this role during different periods: 1836–1838, 1848–1853, and 1855–1861.
Segar also owned a large farm, or plantation, in a place called Fox Hill, near Hampton. By 1860, he identified himself as a farmer. He owned land that included the Hygeia Hotel and much of the area between Fort Monroe and what is now Hampton University. When the Civil War started, Union troops used parts of his land for their camps.
Serving in Congress
Joseph Segar was a strong supporter of the Union, even though Virginia had seceded. He was elected to the Thirty-seventh Congress in October 1861. However, the U.S. House of Representatives initially decided he could not take his seat. They later allowed him to serve from March 1862 to March 1863.
For the next Congress, the Thirty-eighth Congress (1863–1865), no representatives from Virginia were allowed to be seated. Segar tried to claim a seat again, but he was not allowed to join. He was paid for his travel and a portion of the salary, but he couldn't serve.
In 1865, Segar tried to become a U.S. Senator for Virginia. He wanted to fill a vacant position, but he was not permitted to take his seat. Later, in 1870, he tried to claim a ninth seat for Virginia in the U.S. House. However, Congress only allowed Virginia eight seats because three seats had been given to the new state of West Virginia in 1863.
Segar ran for Congress again in 1876 as a Republican, but he did not win.
Later Life and Legacy
After the Civil War, Joseph Segar faced financial difficulties and went bankrupt. He tried to get money from the U.S. government for the use of his farm during the war. He argued that he had always been loyal to the Union. His requests were mostly ignored.
During the presidency of Rutherford B. Hayes, Segar was appointed to the Spanish Claims Commission. This was a group that handled claims related to Spain. He served on this commission from 1877 until 1880.
Joseph Segar passed away on April 30, 1880, while traveling on a boat from Norfolk, Virginia, to Washington, D.C. He was buried in St. John's Cemetery in Hampton, Virginia. His nephew, Arthur S. Segar, continued his uncle's work in law and politics in the Hampton Roads area. Arthur became a lawyer and served as a politician himself.
