Thomas Bragg

Thomas Bragg
2nd Confederate States Attorney General
In office November 21, 1861 – March 18, 1862
President	Jefferson Davis
Preceded by	Wade Keyes (Acting)
Succeeded by	Thomas Watts
United States Senator from North Carolina
In office March 4, 1859 – March 8, 1861
Preceded by	David Reid
Succeeded by	Joseph Abbott
34th Governor of North Carolina
In office January 1, 1855 – January 1, 1859
Preceded by	Warren Winslow
Succeeded by	John Ellis
Personal details
Born	(1810-11-09)November 9, 1810 Warrenton, North Carolina, US
Died	Raleigh, North Carolina, US
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	Norwich University
Religion	Christian

Thomas Bragg (November 9, 1810 – January 21, 1872) was a politician and lawyer who served as the 34th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1855 through 1859. During the Civil War, he served in the Confederate States Cabinet. He was the older brother of General Braxton Bragg. They were direct descendants of Thomas Bragg (1579–1665) who was born in England and settled in the Virginia Colony.

Born in Warrenton, North Carolina, Bragg attended Warrenton Academy and later graduated from Captain Partridge’s American Literary, Scientific & Military Academy now known as Norwich University - The Military College of Vermont. He was admitted to the bar in 1833 and commenced practice in Jackson, North Carolina. He was a member of the North Carolina General Assembly from 1842 to 1843 and became the prosecuting attorney for Northampton County. He successfully ran for Governor of North Carolina and served from 1855 to 1859. He then took a seat in the United States Senate, serving from 1859 until the start of the Civil War in 1861. He served as chairman of the Committee on Claims in the thirty-sixth congress. He resigned and was expelled for siding with the Confederacy. Confederate President Jefferson Davis appointed Bragg Attorney General of the Confederate States; he served from 1861 until his resignation in 1862. He continued to practice law until his death in 1872, and was also chairman of the central executive committee of the North Carolina Democratic Party (then called the Democratic-Conservative Party) as of 1870. He was interred in Oakwood Cemetery in Raleigh, North Carolina.

His home at Jackson, the Amis-Bragg House, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

Bibliography

Political offices
Preceded by Warren Winslow	Governor of North Carolina 1855–1859	Succeeded by John Ellis
United States Senate
Preceded by David Reid	United States Senator (Class 2) from North Carolina 1859–1861 Served alongside: Jackson Morton, David Yulee	Succeeded by Joseph Abbott(1)
Legal offices
Preceded by Wade Keyes Acting	Confederate States Attorney General 1861–1862	Succeeded by Thomas Watts
Notes and references
1. Because of North Carolina's secession, the Senate seat was vacant for seven years before Abbott succeeded Bragg.