Stephen A. Corker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stephen A. Corker
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Reconstruction era photograph
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 5th district |
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| In office January 24, 1871 – March 3, 1871 |
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| Preceded by | Charles H. Prince |
| Succeeded by | Dudley M. DuBose |
| Member of the Georgia House of Representatives | |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Stephen Alfestus Corker
May 7, 1830 Waynesboro, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | October 18, 1879 (aged 49) Waynesboro, Georgia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic (1850s–1878) Greenback Party (1878–death) |
| Spouse | Margaret Myrtice Palmer |
| Children | Palmer Lanier Corker Stephen Alfestus Corker, Jr. Frank Grattan Corker |
| Occupation | Attorney |
Stephen Alfestus Corker (May 7, 1830 – October 18, 1879) was a U.S. Representative from Georgia. He was a lawyer and served in the American Civil War. Later, he became a judge and a politician.
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Early Life and Career
Stephen A. Corker was born on May 7, 1830, near Waynesboro, Georgia. His father, Stephen Corker, was a wealthy landowner. Stephen A. Corker went to local schools. When he was about ten, his father passed away. His mother later married a Baptist minister named Calvin B. Churchill.
Stephen A. Corker studied law and became a lawyer. He started his law practice in Waynesboro, Georgia. On October 26, 1859, he married Margaret Myrtice Palmer. Besides being a lawyer, he also worked in farming. Records show he owned land and had enslaved people working for him, which was common for wealthy landowners at that time. In January 1860, he was elected as an "ordinary" for Burke County. This was a local official role, similar to a judge.
Service in the Civil War
When the American Civil War began, Stephen A. Corker joined the Confederate Army. He enlisted on April 29, 1861, as a Sergeant. He was part of Company A, Third Georgia Regiment. Soon after, he was promoted to Captain of his company.
Captain Corker fought in the war and was captured. This happened at the Battle of Gettysburg on July 2, 1863. He was first sent to Fort Delaware, a prison camp. Then, he was moved to Johnson's Island, a Federal prisoner of war camp in Ohio. He stayed there for a long time.
On February 24, 1865, he was part of a prisoner exchange. This meant he was traded for other prisoners. He was then released in Augusta, Georgia, on May 19, 1865. His family did not know what happened to him for a while after his capture. Letters he wrote while a prisoner are now kept at the Hargrett Library at the University of Georgia. After the war, he went back home. He continued his law practice in Waynesboro and became a judge in the late 1860s.
Time in Congress
In August 1870, Stephen A. Corker became a delegate for the Democratic Convention. In October, he was chosen to run for a special short term in the U.S. Congress. This was for Georgia's 5th Congressional district. The seat was open because the previous Congressman, Charles H. Prince, was found not to be properly elected. Elections were held in December 1870 for both the remaining part of the current Congress and the next full Congress.
Corker ran against a Republican candidate named Thomas P. Beard. Corker won the election with 14,678 votes, while Beard received 9,112 votes. However, Beard claimed there were problems with the election. He said that some voters were pressured to vote for Corker. Corker denied these claims.
Stephen A. Corker took his seat in Congress on January 24, 1871. His election was reviewed by Congress. A federal investigation looked into the election. Some witnesses said that Republican voters were threatened. Other witnesses said the election was fair. The case was never fully decided. Corker served in Congress for a short time, from January 24, 1871, until March 3, 1871. This was a total of thirty-nine days.
Life After Congress
After leaving Congress, Stephen A. Corker went back to being a lawyer in Waynesboro. In the 1870s, he was also a leader in an organization for veterans from his old Confederate Regiment.
In October 1876, he was elected to the Georgia General Assembly. This is Georgia's state legislature. He served on the Education Committee. He was elected again in November 1877.
In September 1878, he was nominated by the Greenback Party to run for the U.S. Congress again. He then resigned from his position in the state legislature. People at the time doubted he would win. He ran for Congress in Georgia's 1st Congressional district. Some people criticized him for leaving the Democratic Party. Corker said he could be an "Independent Democrat" and still run with the Greenback Party. He tried to get votes from Republicans and African American communities. However, he lost the election to John C. Nicholls.
After losing the election, his health started to get worse. On October 18, 1879, he was talking to clients in his office. He suddenly became paralyzed on his left side. He passed away that afternoon at the age of forty-nine.
Stephen A. Corker was a member of several groups, including the Freemasons. He was buried in the Confederate Cemetery in Waynesboro. His wife and all three of his sons survived him.
His great-great-grandson is Bob Corker, who later became a U.S. Senator from Tennessee.
