Confederate States Attorney General
The Attorney General of the Confederate States of America was a member of the Confederate cabinet. The office of Attorney General of the Confederate States was established by statute.[1] By the establishing statute, it was "the duty of the Attorney General to prosecute and conduct all suits in the Supreme Court, in which the Confederate States [was] concerned, and to give his advice and opinion upon questions of law, when required by the President of the Confederate States, or when requested by any of the heads of departments, touching any matters that may concern their departments on subjects before them." In this respect, his duties were the same as those of the United States Attorney General. But additionally, he had "supervisory power over the accounts of the marshals, clerks and officers of all the courts of the Confederate States, and all claims against the Confederate States."[2]
Though the United States had established their office of Attorney General by the Judiciary Act of 1789, this act establishing the Confederate States Department of Justice predated and preceded the establishment of the United States Department of Justice by almost a decade, making it the first American Department of Justice.
List of Attorneys General
# | Picture | Name | Born | Died | Term Began | Term Ended | Political Party |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
Judah P. Benjamin | 1811 Christiansted, Danish West Indies |
1888 Paris, France |
February 21, 1861 | September 17, 1861 | Democrat |
Wade Keyes (Assistant Attorney General) |
1821 ![]() Mooresville, Alabama |
1879 ![]() Florence, Alabama |
September 17, 1861 | November 21, 1861 | Democrat | ||
2 | ![]() |
Thomas Bragg | 1810 ![]() Warrenton, North Carolina |
1872 ![]() Raleigh, North Carolina |
November 21, 1861 | March 18, 1862 | Democrat |
3 | ![]() |
Thomas H. Watts | 1819 ![]() Butler County, Alabama |
1892 ![]() Montgomery, Alabama |
March 18, 1862 | October 1, 1863 | Democrat |
Wade Keyes (Attorney General ad interim) |
1821 ![]() Mooresville, Alabama |
1879 ![]() Florence, Alabama |
October 1, 1863 | January 2, 1864 | Democrat | ||
4 | ![]() |
George Davis | 1820 ![]() Wilmington, North Carolina |
1896 ![]() Wilmington, North Carolina |
January 2, 1864 | April 24, 1865 | Democrat |
References
External links
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