John J. Pettus
| John J. Pettus | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 20th and 23rd Governor of Mississippi | |
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In office January 5, 1854 – January 10, 1854 |
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| Preceded by | Henry Foote |
| Succeeded by | John McRae |
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In office November 21, 1859 – November 16, 1863 |
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| Preceded by | William McWillie |
| Succeeded by | Charles Clark |
| President of the Mississippi Senate | |
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In office 1854 – 1857 |
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| Preceded by | Unknown |
| Succeeded by | Unknown |
| Member of the Mississippi Senate from the Neshoba and Kemper district |
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In office 1848–1857 |
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| Preceded by | Emanuel Durr |
| Succeeded by | Isaac Enloe |
| Member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from Kemper County |
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In office 1844–1847 Serving with Lewis Stovall 1844–1845 |
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| Preceded by | Vacant |
| Succeeded by | Oswell Neely, Lumpkin Garrett |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Jones Pettus October 9, 1813 Wilson County, Tennessee |
| Died | January 28, 1867 (aged 53) Pulaski County (present-day Lonoke County), Arkansas |
| Cause of death | Pneumonia |
| Resting place | Flat Bayou Cemetery Jefferson County, Arkansas 34°21′31.8″N 91°52′09.2″W / 34.358833°N 91.869222°W |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Relations | Edmund Pettus (brother) |
| Occupation | Farmer, lawyer, politician |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 Confederate States
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| Service/branch |
 Mississippi Militia |
| Years of service | 1864–1865 |
| Rank |
 Colonel
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| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
John J. Pettus (born John Jones Pettus; October 9, 1813 – January 28, 1867) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the Governor of Mississippi.
John J. Pettus was born on October 9, 1813 in Wilson County, Tennessee, to John Jones, a farmer, and Alice Taylor (née Winston) Pettus, his wife. He was raised in Limestone County, Alabama, after his father moved the family to Tennessee. Only nine when his father died, Pettus helped out with chores and was educated at home by his mother. Pettus settled in Mississippi in 1835. After a brief stay in Sumter County, Alabama, where he studied law, he opened a law practice in Scooba, Mississippi, where in the 1840s he married a cousin, Permelia Winston. He became a successful farmer and by 1850 owned 1,600 acres (647 ha) and 24 slaves.
In 1844, Pettus represented Kemper County in the Mississippi House of Representatives. In 1848, he was elected to the Mississippi State Senate. In 1853, while Governor Henry Foote was waiting for the January 11 inauguration of John McRae, Foote grew bitter and angry, addressing the legislative session by announcing that he had considered resigning in protest once the election results came in. At noon at January 5, 1854, Foote's resignation was received by the state senate.
The Mississippi Constitution of 1832 had abolished the office of lieutenant governor. Pettus, as President of the State Senate, was next in seniority and was sworn at noon on January 7, 1854. He held the governorship until McRae was sworn in on January 10, 1854. His only recorded act during these 120 hours was to order a special session in Noxubee County to fill the office of a deceased state representative, Francis Irby. On January 11, McRae was inaugurated as Governor and Pettus returned as senate president. During the 1850s, he became identified as "the Mississippi Fire-eater," a term referring to southerns supporting secession.
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