Robert Lowry (March 10, 1829 – January 19, 1910) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 32nd governor of Mississippi from 1882 to 1890. Before entering politics, he was a senior officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded infantry in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.

Robert Lowry
Official portrait, 1905
32nd Governor of Mississippi
In office January 2, 1882 – January 13, 1890
Lieutenant	G. D. Shands
Preceded by	John M. Stone
Succeeded by	John M. Stone
Personal details
Born	(1829-03-10)March 10, 1829 Chesterfield District, South Carolina, U.S.
Died	January 19, 1910(1910-01-19) (aged 80) Jackson, Mississippi, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Confederate States
Branch/service	Confederate States Army
Years of service	1861–1865
Rank	Brigadier-General
Commands	6th Mississippi Infantry Lowry's Brigade
Battles/wars	American Civil War Battle of Shiloh (WIA) Battle of Corinth Battle of Magnolia Church Atlanta Campaign Tennessee Campaign Campaign of the Carolinas (POW)

Early life and military service

Robert Lowry was born in Chesterfield District, South Carolina on March 10, 1829,[1] and was raised in Mississippi. During the American Civil War he enlisted as a private in the Confederate States Army. He quickly received a commission in the 6th Mississippi Infantry.[2] He commanded the regiment at the Battle of Shiloh where it which suffered very heavy casualties and he was wounded himself.[3] In early 1864 he led the troops that were sent to put down the local uprising of citizens near Jones County, Mississippi.[4] Later Lowry commanded a brigade of Mississippi regiments in the Third Corps of the Army of Tennessee; an in February 1865 he was finally promoted to brigadier-general. When the war was over, he returned to the practice of law at Brandon. Lowry briefly served in the State senate after the war (1865–1866). Massive fraud in the gubernatorial election of 1881 resulted in the election of the subject over the Independent People's Party candidate, Benjamin King.[5]

Governor (1882–1890)

Between 1882 and 1890 he was the Democratic governor of Mississippi, serving two four-year terms. He could be called a Bourbon Democrat. The Farmers' Alliance movement continued to show local action in Yazoo County and in most areas of the state.[6]

In September 1889, Lowry ordered the state militia to Leflore County, where organizing by the Colored Farmers' Alliance sparked false rumors of an impending Black "uprising." Militia troops killed an estimated 25 Black people.[7]

Political activity related to peonage and racial discrimination in the Mississippi delta and other areas of the state led to violence during his term of office.[8] Rapid industrial development occurred during his administration as well as the founding of the first state-supported women's college at Columbus.[9]

Personal life

Lowry was related to J.A.W. Lowry, a lawyer and politician in Bossier Parish in northwestern Louisiana.[10]

See also

• List of Confederate States Army generals
• List of members of the United Confederate Veterans

References

Sources

• Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher, Civil War High Commands. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. ISBN 978-0-8047-3641-1.
• Sifakis, Stewart. Who Was Who in the Civil War. New York: Facts On File, 1988. ISBN 978-0-8160-1055-4.
• Warner, Ezra J. Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1959. ISBN 978-0-8071-0823-9.

External links

• Robert Lowry at Find a Grave
• Robert Lowry at The Political Graveyard
• Works by or about Robert Lowry at Internet Archive
• Works by or about Robert Lowry in libraries (WorldCat catalog)