John Sappington Marmaduke (D)

Overview

At a Glance

• Allocated one-third of the state's general revenue for public education
• Laid the groundwork for a new state hospital at Nevada; a juvenile reform school for boys at Boonville; and an industrial home for girls at Chillicothe
• Passed "local option" law that allowed counties to become dry
• Unsuccessfully urged the legislature to appropriate funds to improve the state militia

Personal History

John Sappington Marmaduke, born March 14, 1833, near Arrow Rock, Missouri, to former Missouri governor, Meredith Miles Marmaduke. John Marmaduke is the only Missouri governor whose father also held the position.

In his early life, Marmaduke attended local subscription schools in Saline County and then Masonic College in nearby Lexington before enrolling at Yale in 1850. In 1852, he moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he spent a year at Harvard. His father used his long-standing friendship with Congressman John S. Phelps to secure an appointment for Marmaduke at the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he graduated in 1857.

As a newly commissioned second lieutenant, Marmaduke quickly saw action in the Far West, participating in the Mormon War in Utah and serving in New Mexico.

In 1861, Marmaduke returned to Saline County to decide his allegiance in the impending Civil War. While his father supported the Union, Marmaduke and his brothers, Vincent, and Henry, chose to serve the Confederacy. Marmaduke resigned his commission with the United States Army and accepted a position as a colonel in the Missouri State Guard. However, his superiors ordered him to stand at Boonville in June 1861, where his poorly armed troops faced well-equipped Union forces. The State Guard suffered a swift defeat, which came to be known as the “Boonville Races.” Following the defeat, Colonel Marmaduke resigned from the State Guard under his uncle Claiborne Fox Jackson, returned home for advice from his father, and ultimately moved to Virginia where he received a commission as a lieutenant colonel in the Confederate Army.

Marmaduke soon established himself as a capable officer in Arkansas and Tennessee. He was wounded at the Battle of Shiloh in 1862 and was subsequently promoted to brigadier general. Later that same year, he was transferred to the trans-Mississippi theater, where he commanded troops in both Arkansas and Missouri.

In the fall of 1864, Marmaduke played a crucial role as part of General Price’s forces during the Confederate invasion of southeast Missouri. He advanced through several towns, including Pilot Knob, reaching Hermann, where his troops caused significant damage. However, he was ultimately captured by Union troops at Westport, after he narrowly escaped death when two horses were shot from under him.

He spent the remainder of the war imprisoned at Fort Warren, Massachusetts, where he remained until his release in August 1865. While incarcerated, Marmaduke was promoted to major general, becoming the last Confederate soldier to achieve such a rank.

After gaining his freedom, the 32-year-old former Confederate soldier embarked on a six-month tour of Europe, returning to St. Louis in the spring of 1866. Marmaduke began to make a name for himself outside of the war which culminated in his being elected governor in 1884. However, after three years into his term, he succumbed to pneumonia. Marmaduke was buried in Woodland Cemetery in Jefferson City.

Political History

Upon returning to St. Louis in 1866, He established a commission house, entered the insurance business, edited an agricultural journal, and served as the secretary of the Missouri State Board of Agriculture from 1873-1874. In 1875, Missouri created a state railroad commission, and Gov. Charles Henry Hardin appointed him as a commissioner.

In 1880, Marmaduke’s friends supported him for the gubernatorial nomination, but Thomas Crittenden emerged as the Democratic front-runner. Despite the ongoing political turmoil in Missouri and pressure from influential former Confederates like General Joseph Shelby, Marmaduke ultimately secured the gubernatorial nomination and won the election in 1884. However, his term was marked by increasing factionalism, particularly surrounding railroad management. The state faced significant labor conflicts, highlighted by two major railway strikes that disrupted commerce in Missouri.

Following his death, Lt. Gov. Albert P. Morehouse completed the term and continued to advocate for Marmaduke’s initiatives in progressive agriculture, education, and public service.

In early spring 1885, a major strike by Missouri Pacific workers over wage disputes stalled rail traffic across the state. Gov. Marmaduke initiated arbitration among the disputing parties, resulting in a peaceful resolution that allowed rail operations to resume. However, in 1886, labor disputes again halted rail traffic between Missouri and Texas, leading to violence, property damage, and person injuries. Once again, Marmaduke served as a mediator, and after a modest show of force from the Missouri Adjutant General and local deputies, rail trade was restored. The public’s growing discontent over railroad rates prompted Marmaduke to spearhead new regulations aimed at curtailing collusion in rate setting.

Gov. Marmaduke’s experiences with the railroad strikes revealed the dire condition of Missouri’s militia. Together with Adjutant General James Jamison, he worked to boost morale within the militia by enlisting men, not just officers, who then recruited troops. Local militias honored his efforts by naming their units after him, such as the Marmaduke Guards and the Marmaduke Rifles.

Eager to address the needs of the state, Marmaduke visited several of Missouri’s major institutions, including universities, insane asylums, and the state penitentiary. Under his administration, the state allocated one-third of its general revenue to public education. He laid the groundwork for new institutions, including a state hospital in Nevada, a juvenile reform school in Boonville, and an industrial home for girls in Chillicothe. In response to the rising temperance movement, Marmaduke’s administration also passed a “local option” law in 1887, leading many counties and towns to establish “dry” districts throughout the state.

Historical Significance

Marmaduke’s time as governor was affected by unrest caused by railroad strikes. He successfully mediated a wage dispute between the Missouri Pacific Railroad and its employees in 1885, resolving the conflict without further escalation.

However, the violent railroad strikes of 1886 revealed major shortcomings in the state militia. Marmaduke found that the Missouri budget lacked sufficient funds to pay soldiers while they were on duty, leading to low morale among the troops. In response, he advocated for significant legislative reforms to address this budget shortfall, though his efforts ultimately proved unsuccessful. Meanwhile, under the “local option” law he supported, 50 counties chose to become dry counties. While this led to a decrease in the number of bars and taverns in the state, revenue from the sale of liquor paradoxically increased dramatically.