Robert M. T. Hunter

Robert Hunter
President pro tempore of the Confederate States Senate
In office
February 18, 1862 – May 10, 1865
Preceded byHowell Cobb (President of the Provisional Congress)
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Confederate States Senator
from Virginia
In office
February 18, 1862 – May 10, 1865
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
2nd Confederate States Secretary of State
In office
July 25, 1861 – February 18, 1862
PresidentJefferson Davis
Preceded byRobert Toombs
Succeeded byWilliam Browne (Acting)
United States Senator
from Virginia
In office
March 4, 1847 – March 28, 1861
Preceded byWilliam Archer
Succeeded byJohn Carlile
14th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
In office
December 16, 1839 [a] – March 4, 1841
Preceded byJames Polk
Succeeded byJohn White
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Virginia's 8th district
In office
March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1847
Preceded byWilloughby Newton
Succeeded byRichard L. T. Beale
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Virginia's 9th district
In office
March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1843
Preceded byJohn Roane
Succeeded bySamuel Chilton
Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from Essex County
In office
December 1, 1834 – March 4, 1837
Preceded byRichard Baylor
Succeeded byGeorge Lorimer
Personal details
Born
Robert Mercer Taliaferro Hunter

(1809-04-21)April 21, 1809
Loretto, Virginia, U.S.
DiedJuly 18, 1887(1887-07-18) (aged 78)
Alexandria, Virginia, U.S.
Political partyWhig (Before 1844)
Democratic (1844–1887)
SpouseMary Dandridge
EducationUniversity of Virginia (BA)
Winchester Law School
Signature

Robert Mercer Taliaferro Hunter (April 21, 1809 – July 18, 1887) was an American lawyer, politician and planter.[1] He was a U.S. representative (1837–1843, 1845–1847), speaker of the House (1839–1841), and U.S. senator (1847–1861). During the American Civil War, Hunter became the Confederate States Secretary of State (1861–1862) and then a Confederate senator (1862–1865) and critic of President Jefferson Davis. After the war, Hunter failed to win re-election to the U.S. Senate, but did serve as the treasurer of Virginia (1874–1880) before retiring to his farm. After fellow Democrat Grover Cleveland was elected President of the United States in 1884, Hunter became the customs collector for the port of Tappahannock until his death.


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  1. ^ Appleton's Cyclopedia of Biography Vol. III, p. 323

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