John Alexander Wilcox (1819 - 1864)

Born 28 Apr 1819 in Greene County, North Carolina

Husband of Mary Emily (Donelson) Wilcox — married 27 May 1852 in Washington, D.C.

Died 7 Feb 1864 at age 44 in Richmond, Virginia

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Biography

Born in Greene County, North Carolina, a son of Ruben and Sarah (Garland) Wilcox, John Alexander Wilcox was raised and educated in Tipton County, Tennessee, where the family moved. John would move to Mississippi and become involved in politics and he served as secretary of the State Senate.

When the Mexican-American War broke out John enlisted in the US Army and was given the rank of lieutenant colonel in the 2nd Mississippi Volunteer Infantry. He returned to Mississippi after the war and practiced law.

Wilcox was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1850. While serving in Washington D.C. he would meet and marry Mary Emily Donelson. Mary, whose father was the personal secretary to President Andrew Jackson, was the first child born in the White House, born in 1829 and died in 1905. The couple was married in 1852. They had two children: Andrew Donelson Wilcox who married Ida R. Seymour and were the parents of Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox and Pauline Seymour Wilcox. Their second child, Mary Rachel Wilcox would never marry and lived out her life in Washington D.C.

After serving one term in the US Congress, John lost re-election and in 1853 moved to San Antonio, Texas, where he once again practiced law.

Wilcox was a strong supporter of states rights, so when talk of secession began just before the Civil War, he was selected a member of the Texas Secession Convention in 1861. In November of that same year John Wilcox was elected to the First Confederate Congress. John assumed his position in Richmond, Virginia, and served on various committees while proving himself to be a staunch supporter of the policies of President Jefferson Davis. He was active in helping raise recruits and organizing the Texas Brigade.

Once the First Confederate Congress was dissolved, Wilcox joined the Confederate States Army as a volunteer aide to Maj. Gen. John B. Magruder. Given the rank of colonel, Wilcox served in the Battle of Galveston.

He was then elected to the Second Confederate Congress in 1863, but died in Richmond unexpectedly of apoplexy shortly before taking his seat. He was buried in Richmond's Hollywood Cemetery. His wife and two young children were taken in by his brother, General Cadmus M. Wilcox.

Note

John Wilcox's biographies display two different middle names, Alexander or Allen. His headstone displays Alexander and that middle name is used here.

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Allen_Wilcox

• https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fwi10

• https://www.geni.com/people/Col-John-A-Wilcox-CSA-US-Congress/6000000017104551512

• http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=W000457

• Notable Southern Families, Volume 2, by Zella Armstrong and Janie Preston Collup French, Lookout Publishing Company, 1922. Page 103. [1]

• "United States Mexican War Index and Service Records, 1846-1848", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLXQ-VHHL : 13 March 2018), John A Wilcox, 1848.

• "District of Columbia Marriages, 1811-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XLZN-BV7 : 4 November 2017), John A Wilcox and Mary E Donelson, 25 May 1852; citing p. , Records Office, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 2,079,251.

• "Texas, County Tax Rolls, 1837-1910", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VBM2-2ZH : 23 July 2017), John A Wilcox, 1861.

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/37274312/john-alexander-wilcox