Milledge Luke Bonham American politician, congressman, governor of South Carolina. Date of Birth: 25.12.1813 Country: USA

1. Early Life and Military Career
2. Political Career
3. Civil War Service
4. Governorship and Reconstruction
5. Later Life and Legacy

Early Life and Military Career

Milledge Luke Bonham was born circa 1788 near Red Bank (present-day Saluda), South Carolina, to Captain James Bonham and Sophia Smith Bonham. He was a cousin of U.S. Senator Andrew Pickens Butler. After studying at private schools, Bonham graduated with honors from the University of South Carolina in 1834.

During the Seminole War in Florida in 1836, Bonham served as a major and aide-de-camp in the South Carolina Brigade. He also saw action in the Mexican-American War as a lieutenant colonel and later a colonel in the U.S. 12th Infantry Regiment.

Political Career

After his military service, Bonham turned to politics. He practiced law in Edgefield and served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1840 to 1843. From 1848 to 1857, Bonham was the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of South Carolina. He was elected as a Democrat to the 35th U.S. Congress, succeeding his cousin Preston Smith Brooks. He served in the 36th Congress until his resignation on December 21, 1860.

Civil War Service

With the outbreak of the Civil War, Bonham was appointed a general in the South Carolina militia. He later received the rank of brigadier general in the Confederate Army and commanded the 1st Brigade in Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard's Army of the Potomac at the First Battle of Manassas. On January 27, 1862, he resigned from the military to join the Confederate Congress.

Governorship and Reconstruction

In 1862, Bonham was elected Governor of South Carolina by the General Assembly. During his term, the Assembly enacted measures to prohibit liquor distillation and increase food production. After the war, Bonham engaged in the insurance business and returned to politics, serving in the South Carolina House of Representatives and as a delegate to the 1868 Democratic National Convention.

Later Life and Legacy

Bonham spent his later years practicing law and farming in Edgefield. In 1878, he was appointed as a state commissioner to the White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, Railroad Convention, where he served until his death. Milledge Luke Bonham was buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Columbia, South Carolina.