Solon Borland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Solon Borland
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| Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary (Nicaragua) | |
| In office April 18, 1853 – April 17, 1854 |
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| President | Franklin Pierce |
| Preceded by | John B. Kerr |
| Succeeded by | John H. Wheeler |
| United States Senator from Arkansas |
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| In office April 24, 1848 – March 3, 1853 |
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| Preceded by | Ambrose Hundley Sevier |
| Succeeded by | Robert Ward Johnson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 21, 1808 Nansemond County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | January 1, 1864 (aged 55) Harris County, Texas, C.S. |
| Resting place | Old City Cemetery, Houston, Texas, U.S. 29°46′06.5″N 95°22′04.6″W / 29.768472°N 95.367944°W |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses |
Hildah Wright
(m. 1831; died 1837)Eliza Buck Hart
(m. 1839; died 1842)Mary Isabel Melbourne
(m. 1845) |
| Education | Louisville Medical Institute (MD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States Confederate States |
| Branch/service | |
| Years of service |
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| Commands |
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| Battles/wars | Mexican–American War (POW) American Civil War |
| Monuments | Borland Memorial Marker, Mount Holly Cemetery, Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. |
Solon Borland (born September 21, 1808, died January 1, 1864) was an American doctor and politician. He was a United States Senator for Arkansas from 1848 to 1853. Later, he became an officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He led a group of soldiers on horseback, called cavalry, in the western part of the war.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Solon Borland was born on September 21, 1808, in Nansemond County, Virginia. His father, Dr. Thomas Borland, was from Scotland. When Solon was young, his family moved to Murfreesboro, North Carolina. There, he went to Hertford Academy.
Borland also studied medicine in Philadelphia and Louisville. In 1831, he led a group of soldiers as a captain. They were sent to Southampton County, Virginia during Nat Turner's slave rebellion.
Military Service and Politics
Serving in the Mexican-American War
During the Mexican–American War, Solon Borland became a Major in the Arkansas Mounted Infantry Regiment. He served under Archibald Yell. Borland was captured by the Mexican army in January 1847. He later escaped.
After his regiment was disbanded, he continued to serve as a volunteer helper to General William J. Worth. He was part of the campaign that led to the capture of Mexico City in September 1847.
Becoming a U.S. Senator
After the war, Borland was chosen to be a United States Senator for Arkansas. He took the place of Ambrose Hundley Sevier. Borland had strong views about states' rights. These views were not always popular with other senators.
In 1852, he disagreed with the plan to send Commodore Perry to open Japan for trade. Borland felt that Japan had not harmed U.S. interests by not wanting to trade.
Diplomat in Nicaragua
Borland left the Senate in 1853. He was then appointed as the U.S. "Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary" to Nicaragua. This meant he was a special representative, like an ambassador.
When he arrived in Managua, Borland wanted the U.S. to reject a treaty called the Clayton–Bulwer Treaty. He also wanted the U.S. military to support Honduras against Great Britain. He even said he hoped Nicaragua would become part of the United States. The U.S. Secretary of State, William Marcy, told him this was not appropriate.
In May 1854, Borland was leaving a town called Greytown. He got into an argument with local people. A bottle was thrown and hit him. Borland reported this to the U.S. President. The President sent a warship and demanded an apology. When no apology was given, Greytown was attacked and destroyed.
Borland returned to Little Rock in October 1854. He went back to being a doctor and running his pharmacy. He was offered the job of governor for the New Mexico Territory but said no. He continued to speak strongly about states' rights and secession.
Service in the Civil War
Early Commands
When the American Civil War began, Borland was made a commander of the Arkansas Militia. The governor of Arkansas, Henry M. Rector, ordered him to take Fort Smith, Arkansas. Federal troops had already left the fort, so there was no fighting.
Borland was later replaced as commander. However, he got a new position leading troops in Northeast Arkansas. For a time in 1861, he was in charge of a supply depot at Pitman's Ferry. This place was important for moving troops and supplies.
Leading a Cavalry Regiment
Borland helped recruit soldiers for the Confederacy. He helped create the 3rd Arkansas Cavalry Regiment on June 10, 1861. He became its first colonel. This regiment was sent to Corinth, Mississippi.
The regiment fought in battles like the Second Battle of Corinth and the Battle of Hatchie's Bridge. They were part of the Army of Mississippi. However, Borland himself stayed in Arkansas.
While in command of northern Arkansas, Borland tried to stop people from raising prices too much. He ordered a stop to goods being sent out of the area. The governor of Arkansas canceled his order. Borland argued that the governor could not overrule a Confederate official. But in January 1862, the Confederate Secretary of War, Judah P. Benjamin, also canceled his order.
Borland's health was declining, and he was upset by this. He resigned from the Confederacy in June 1862. He moved to Dallas County, Arkansas. He died before the war ended, in Harris County, Texas. He is buried in the Old City Cemetery in Houston, Texas.
Personal Life
Solon Borland was married three times. His first wife was Huldah Wright, whom he married in 1831. She died in 1837, and they had two sons. He then married Eliza Buck Hart in 1839. She died in 1842, and they had no children.
In 1843, after his second wife's death, Borland moved to Little Rock. There, he started a newspaper called Arkansas Banner. This newspaper became very important in Democratic politics in Arkansas. In 1845, Borland married Mary Isabel Melbourne. They had three children together.
