William Pitt Kellogg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Pitt Kellogg
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana's 3rd district |
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| In office March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1885 |
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| Preceded by | Chester Bidwell Darrall |
| Succeeded by | Edward James Gay |
| United States Senator from Louisiana |
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| In office March 4, 1877 – March 4, 1883 |
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| Preceded by | Joseph R. West |
| Succeeded by | Randall L. Gibson |
| In office July 9, 1868 – November 1, 1872 |
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| Preceded by | John Slidell |
| Succeeded by | James B. Eustis |
| 26th Governor of Louisiana | |
| In office January 13, 1873 – January 8, 1877 (disputed with John McEnery until May 22, 1873) |
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| Lieutenant | Caesar Antoine |
| Preceded by | P. B. S. Pinchback |
| Succeeded by | Stephen B. Packard |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 8, 1830 Orwell, Vermont |
| Died | August 10, 1918 (aged 87) Washington, D.C. |
| Political party | Republican |
William Pitt Kellogg (born December 8, 1830 – died August 10, 1918) was an American lawyer and politician. He was a member of the Republican Party.
Kellogg served as a U.S. Senator for Louisiana twice. His first term was from 1868 to 1872. His second term was from 1877 to 1883. He also served as the Governor of Louisiana from 1873 to 1877. This was during a time in American history called the Reconstruction Era.
He was a very important politician in Louisiana during and after Reconstruction. He was one of the few Republican leaders who stayed in power. This happened even after many other Republicans lost their positions. This was because white Democrats started to control state politics again.
Kellogg is also known for being one of the few senators to later be elected to the United States House of Representatives. He served in the House from 1883 to 1885. He was the last Republican governor of Louisiana until 1980. He was also the last Republican senator from Louisiana until 2004.
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Early Life and Education
William Kellogg was born in Orwell, Vermont. This town is close to the New York state border. He grew up there and went to local schools.
When he was 18, he moved to Peoria, Illinois. For several years, he worked as a school teacher. His distant cousin, William Kellogg, also lived in the area. This cousin was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1857 to 1863.
Political Career
Kellogg decided to become a lawyer. Back then, many people learned law by studying with experienced lawyers. He moved to Canton, Illinois, and started his own law practice.
In Canton, he joined the Republican Party. He eventually met Abraham Lincoln, who was also a lawyer. When Lincoln became president in 1861, he gave Kellogg an important job. Kellogg became the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court for the Nebraska Territory. So, Kellogg moved to Nebraska.
Civil War Service
When the American Civil War began, Kellogg took a break from his court job. He went back to Illinois and joined the army. He was part of the 7th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Cavalry. By 1862, he had become a colonel. He played a role in a small battle near Sikeston, Missouri.
Kellogg had to leave the army on June 1, 1862, because he was sick. He then returned to Nebraska and continued his work as Chief Justice. After the Civil War ended, Kellogg joined a group for Civil War officers.
Moving to Louisiana
In 1865, just before he was assassinated, President Lincoln gave Kellogg another job. He appointed Kellogg as the federal collector of customs in New Orleans. This meant Kellogg collected taxes on goods coming into the port.
This job started Kellogg's 20-year political career in Louisiana. He was one of the first "carpetbaggers." This was a term for Northerners who moved to the South after the Civil War. He stayed in his customs job until 1868. That year, Louisiana was allowed back into the United States. Kellogg was then elected to the United States Senate.
Governor of Louisiana
In 1872, Kellogg ran for governor as a Republican. He won the election and left his Senate seat to become governor.
The election was very controversial. John McEnery, a Democrat, also ran for governor. The current governor, Henry Clay Warmoth, was a Republican but did not support Kellogg. Warmoth supported McEnery instead.
The results of the election were highly debated by Democrats. For months, there was a lot of confusion and tension in Louisiana politics. Both Kellogg and McEnery claimed they had won. They both held celebrations and tried to take control. This political tension led to violence. One example was the Colfax Massacre in April 1873.
Governor Warmoth controlled the board that managed elections. This board said McEnery was the winner. However, a different board said Kellogg won, even though they didn't have all the ballots.
Even the U.S. Congress, which was controlled by Republicans, had doubts. They questioned if Kellogg's government was truly legitimate. The House of Representatives said Kellogg's government was "not much better than a successful conspiracy." The Senate even threw out Louisiana's presidential election results for 1872. A Senate committee suggested a new election should be held.
However, President Ulysses S. Grant decided to support Kellogg. He sent the U.S. Army to help Kellogg stay in power. This might have been because Grant's own brother-in-law was part of Kellogg's political group.
In 1875, even President Grant admitted that the 1872 election in Louisiana "was a gigantic fraud." This meant there were many problems and no reliable results.
Warmoth was accused of cheating in the election. A Black Republican named P. B. S. Pinchback became governor for a short time. Then, President Grant officially recognized Kellogg as governor.
McEnery's supporters formed their own group to oppose Kellogg. McEnery encouraged his supporters to fight against Kellogg's government. In 1874, a group called the White League sent 5,000 armed men into New Orleans. In a fight known as the Battle of Liberty Place, they defeated the police and state militia. They took over government offices for a few days. But they left when federal troops arrived. President Grant had sent these troops after Kellogg asked for help.
Kellogg's lieutenant governor was Caesar Antoine. He was an African-American man from New Orleans. He had been a state senator from Shreveport before becoming lieutenant governor.
Later Political Life
Despite strong opposition from white Democrats in the South, Kellogg was elected to the U.S. Senate again in 1876. He served in the Senate until 1883. He did not run for re-election because his party was not strong enough in the South. From 1881 to 1883, he led the United States Senate Committee on Railroads.
In 1882, Kellogg was elected to the United States House of Representatives. He defeated the Democrat Chester Bidwell Darrall. He served one term from 1883 to 1885. He lost his re-election bid in 1884 to Edward James Gay.
After this, he retired from politics. He continued to live in Washington, D.C., where he died. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
Kellogg was a very important politician in Louisiana during and right after the Reconstruction period. He managed to stay in power longer than most other Republican officials who had moved from the North. He is also notable for being one of the few senators to be elected to the House of Representatives right after leaving the Senate.
