John C. Breckinridge

For more information on John Cabell Breckinridge, visit Britannica.com.

Breckinridge, John Cabell (1821-75) Confederate general, U.S. congressman (1851-55), and vice president of the United States, born in Lexington, Kentucky. Breckinridge, a likable border-state moderate, was elected vice president under James Buchanan (1857-61); as vice president, he worked unsuccessfully for a sectional compromise. He was nominated as a presidential candidate by the Democratic party's southern wing; he swept the South but lost nationally to Abraham Lincoln. As a brigadier general in the Confederate army, Breckinridge was involved in the heaviest fighting in the western theater at Shiloh (1862), Chickamauga (1863), and Missionary Ridge (1863)). As Jefferson Davis's last war secretary, Breckinridge worked to ensure an honorable defeat, counseling Gen. Joseph E. Johnston in armistice negotiations with Gen. William T. Sherman in North Carolina and opposing continuation of war with guerrilla bands. He also struggled to preserve official Confederate government records from destruction.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

At the time of his election as vice president of the United States, John Cabell Breckinridge (1821-1875) was considered to be one of America's most promising young leaders. Caught up in the battle over the extension of slavery, this once moderate Democrat became the presidential candidate of the extreme Southern wing of his party in 1860. Joining the Confederacy, he served with distinction in the Civil War and later became an advocate of national reconciliation during Reconstruction.

Few American leaders of the mid-19th century underwent as tragic a political evolution as did John Cabell Breckinridge. A rising star in his native Kentucky by age 30, he advocated compromise and understanding between North and South at the start of his career. A strikingly handsome man with impressive oratorical skills, he advanced from a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives to serve as vice president under James Buchanan from 1857 until 1861. Many saw him as a potential president until events caused him to align himself with the Democratic Party's most vehement states' rights faction. After running on a proslavery ticket and losing to Republican Abraham Lincoln in 1860, Breckinridge reluctantly joined the newly formed Confederacy and took up arms against the nation he loved. He fought valiantly in some of the bloodiest conflicts of the Civil War as a Confederate general and went into exile at the war's end. He eventually returned home and, at the time of his death, was hailed by old friends and opponents alike as a statesman of courage and integrity.

A Political Family

Breckinridge seemed destined to enter politics. His grandfather had served as a U.S. senator and attorney general under Thomas Jefferson; his father had been a Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives. After graduating from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky in 1839, Breckinridge read law under Judge William Owsley, a future Kentucky governor. He attended the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) and completing his legal studies at the Transylvania Institute in Lexington, Kentucky. Admitted to the bar in 1840, he moved to Iowa Territory a year later and practiced law there. His ties to Kentucky remained strong, however, and he returned to his native state in 1843. That same year he married Mary Cyrene Burch, a cousin of his law partner, Thomas Bullock.

Unlike most of his family, Breckinridge chose the Democrats over the Whigs for his party allegiance. He began to attract notice as an orator and potential candidate for office while still in his early twenties. Service as a major of Kentucky volunteers in the Mexican War delayed his entry into public life. Returning home, he was elected to the Kentucky House in 1849. Two years later, he ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives once held by Henry Clay, the famed Whig leader. His victory was considered a significant one for the Democrats and marked Breckinridge as an emerging party leader.

Southern Sympathies

Arriving in Washington D.C. as the crisis over slavery was escalating, Breckinridge initially positioned himself as a staunch Unionist. As the controversy over territory won during the Mexican War grew more heated, he began to adopt more overtly pro-Southern positions. He favored repeal of the Missouri Compromise and supported the proslavery tilt of President Franklin Pierce. His personal views about slavery were more complex - on several occasions, Breckinridge expressed support for voluntary emancipation and favored colonization of freed slaves in Liberia.

Breckinridge's support for the divisive Kansas-Nebraska Bill further aligned him with militant States Rights supporters. After winning a second term in the U.S. House, he was chosen by the Democrats as James Buchanan's running mate in the 1856 presidential contest. Breaking with tradition, Breckinridge campaigned actively for his ticket, which went on to defeat Republican John C. Fremont and American Party (or "Know-Nothing") nominee Millard Fillmore. At 35, he became the youngest vice president in American history.

Favored Protection for Slavery

In the midst of increasing bitterness in Washington, Breckinridge earned a reputation for fairness as the Senate's presiding officer. Personal friendships with political opponents didn't keep him from expressing increasingly extreme views, however. In a 1859 speech in Frankfort, Kentucky, he insisted that the federal government act to protect slavery in U.S. territories. Such guarantees of slaveholders' rights were unacceptable to Illinois senator Stephen Douglas, who went on to secure the 1860 Democratic presidential nomination. Southerners opposed to Douglas convened their own convention and nominated Breckinridge as a competing Democratic candidate for president, with Oregon senator Joseph Lane as his running mate. Breckinridge had no desire to head this doomed ticket - he had already been elected to the U.S. Senate and expected to take office following his vice-presidential term. He consented to run out of a sense of duty, and hoped that Douglas could be persuaded to withdraw in favor of a new Democratic nominee. In the end, both he and Douglas remained in the race against Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln. A fourth candidate, Constitutional Union nominee John Bell, also competed for the anti-Lincoln vote.

Widely seen as the candidate of Southern disunionists, Breckinridge insisted that he was the true Unionist in the race. However, it became clear that his ticket would only attract support in the South and, barring a combination with Douglas and Bell, Lincoln would be elected. Attempts at combining forces were only partially successful, and the 1860 presidential election resulted in Lincoln sweeping the North while winning only 39 per cent of the national popular vote. Breckinridge came in third in the popular vote, carrying 12 of the 15 slave states for a total of 72 electoral votes. He failed to carry a single free state and, to his particular disappointment, was defeated in Kentucky.

The results of the 1860 election revealed how polarized the nation had become. Taking his seat in the U.S. Senate, Breckinridge worked hard to promote compromise proposals that would allay Southern fears of Republican anti-slavery policies. As the Union began to unravel, he felt compelled to first defend the rights of secessionists, then to join them. When the Kentucky legislature voted to support the Union on September 18, 1861, his position became untenable. Breckinridge's loyalty was questioned and he barely managed to avoid arrest by fleeing Lexington. Reacting to his expulsion from the Senate, he declared, "I exchange with proud satisfaction a term of six years in the Senate of the United States for the musket of a soldier."

Though he lacked military training, Breckinridge was appointed brigadier general by Confederate president Jefferson Davis and placed in command of the First Kentucky Brigade. His initial hope was to return to his native state and spark a pro-Confederate uprising. When this failed to happen, he retreated to Tennessee in the spring of 1862 and served under General Albert Sidney Johnston's forces during the Battle of Shiloh. His heroic performance there raised his rank to that of major general. From there, he led an infantry assault at the Battle of Stones River near Murphreesboro, Tennessee that proved valiant but unsuccessful. After fighting Union forces in Mississippi, he helped achieve victory for the Confederate army at the Battle of Chickamauga. As a commander, Breckinridge proved to be resourceful and courageous, inspiring great loyalty in his troops.

1863 found Breckinridge in command of the Confederacy's Department of Western Virginia. In this strategic region, he defeated Union general Franz Sigel at New Market and held the line against General Ulysses S. Grant's assault at Cold Harbor. In July, he took part in a bold attack on Washington D.C. that came within five miles of reaching the city. In his final major engagement, Breckinridge was bested by General Phillip Sheridan at the Battle of Winchester.

Joined Confederate Government

On January 28, 1865, Breckinridge accepted the post of secretary of war in the Confederate government. He became increasingly convinced that the South's cause was lost and, as the end of the war drew near, he met with Union general William T. Sherman to discuss surrender terms. When these discussions fell through, Breckinridge helped Jefferson Davis make his way through the Deep South to avoid capture. Indicted by the Federal government for high treason, Breckinridge led a small party of Confederates into the wilds of Florida. Commandeering a small sloop, he survived a rough voyage across the Caribbean and found asylum in Cuba.

For over three years, Breckinridge lived as an exile, rejoining his family in Canada and moving to a house within sight of the United States border. He traveled to England, France and the Middle East during this period. With Jefferson Davis a prisoner back in the States, Breckinridge was the highest ranking official of the Confederacy still at large. He longed to return to his country, but refused to actively seek a pardon from the Federal government.

Returned from Exile

Finally, President Andrew Johnson proclaimed a universal amnesty for all former Confederates on December 25, 1868. Breckinridge returned with his wife to Lexington the following February. Refusing all requests (including one from President Grant) to seek public office, he nonetheless remained involved in civic affairs as a private citizen. He spoke out in favor of the legal rights of freedmen and denounced the Ku Klux Klan as "idiots or villains." Most of all, he urged forgiveness and harmony between the North and South. Though he never said so publicly, he intimated to friends that the South had been wrong to leave the Union.

Various business ventures occupied much of Breckinridge's time in his final years. He practiced law and served as president of the Elizabethtown, Lexington and Big Sandy railroad. His health began to decline in 1873, in part due to a Civil War battlefield injury to his liver. He died at his home on May 17, 1875 and was buried in Lexington Cemetery. His passing was mourned throughout the Union. An unfortunate symbol of sectional hatreds, John C. Breckinridge suffered for his political convictions and went on to become a champion of national healing.

Books

Davis, William C., Breckinridge: Statesman, Soldier, Symbol, Louisiana State University Press, 1974.

Heck, Frank, Proud Kentuckian, John C. Breckinridge, 1821-1875, University Press of Kentucky, 1976.

McPherson, James M., Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era, Oxford University Press, 1988.

Nevins, Allan, The Emergence of Lincoln: Prologue to Civil War 1859-1860, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1950.

Online

"Breckinridge, John Cabell (1821-1875)," Biographical Directory of the United States Congress,http://bioguide.congress.gov (October 26, 2001).

"New Market Personality: John C. Breckinridge," The Insiders' Guide to Civil War Sites,http:www.insiders.com (October 26, 2001).

• Born:Jan. 21, 1821, outside Lexington, Ky.
• Political party: Democrat
• Education: Centre College, B.A., 1839; College of New Jersey (Princeton), 1839; studied law, Transylvania University, 1840
• Military service: U.S. Army, 1847–48; Confederate Army, 1862–64
• Previous government service: Kentucky House of Representatives, 1850–51; U.S. House of Representatives, 1851–55
• Vice President under James Buchanan, 1857–61
• Subsequent government service: U.S. Senate, 1861; Confederate secretary of war, 1865
• Died: May 17, 1875, Lexington, Ky.

John Breckinridge was a border-state Democrat who tried to preserve the Union. As James Buchanan's Vice President, he presided over the Senate with impartiality. Nominated for President by a group of pro-slavery Democrats in 1860, he carried all the cotton states and the border states of Delaware and Maryland, running third in the popular vote behind Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas. He supported the peace convention organized by former President John Tyler in the spring of 1861, hoping it would avert secession. Appointed U.S. senator from Kentucky in 1861, he hoped to forge a compromise that would keep the South in the Union. When Kentucky came under military occupation in the fall of 1861, Breckinridge left the capital and accepted a commission as a major general in the Confederate Army, for which he was expelled from the Senate. Breckinridge distinguished himself in the Virginia campaigns of 1864 and became Confederate secretary of state in February 1865. At the end of the Civil War he fled to Cuba and then went to England. He returned to the United States after President Andrew Johnson proclaimed amnesty, or forgiveness, for important rebel leaders. He practiced law in Lexington, Kentucky, until his death.

See also Amnesty, Presidential; Buchanan, James; Lincoln, Abraham; Tyler, John

Sources

• William C. Davis, Breckinridge: Statesman, Soldier, Symbol (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1974)

John C. Breckinridge
1865–1880 photograph of John C. Breckinridge, attributed to Mathew Brady or Levin Handy. Scanned from original negative and retouched.
14th Vice President of the United States
In office March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1861
President	James Buchanan
Preceded by	William R. King
Succeeded by	Hannibal Hamlin
United States Senator from Kentucky
In office March 4, 1861 – December 4, 1861
Preceded by	John J. Crittenden
Succeeded by	Garrett Davis
5th Confederate States Secretary of War
In office February 6, 1865 – May 10, 1865
President	Jefferson Davis
Preceded by	James A. Seddon
Succeeded by	Office abolished
U.S. Representative from Kentucky's 8th congressional district
In office March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1855
Preceded by	Charles Morehead
Succeeded by	Alexander Keith Marshall
Born	January 16, 1821(1821-01-16) Lexington, Kentucky
Died	May 17, 1875 (aged 54) Lexington, Kentucky
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Mary Cyrene Burch Breckinridge
Alma mater	Centre College, College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), Transylvania University
Signature
Military service
Service/branch	Kentucky Volunteers Confederate States Army
Rank	Major General
Battles/wars	Mexican–American War American Civil War

John C. Breckinridge in his younger years.

John Cabell Breckinridge (January 16, 1821 – May 17, 1875) was an American lawyer and politician. He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Kentucky and was the 14th Vice President of the United States, to date the youngest vice president in U.S. history, inaugurated at age 36.

In the 1860 presidential election, he ran as one of two candidates of the fractured Democratic Party, representing Southern Democrats. Breckinridge came in third place in the popular vote, behind winner Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, and Stephen Douglas, a Northern Democrat, but finished second in the Electoral College vote.

Following the outbreak of the American Civil War, he served in the Confederate States Army as a general and commander of Confederate forces, including young Virginia Military Institute cadets, at the Battle of New Market. He also served as the fifth and final Confederate Secretary of War.

A member of the prominent Breckinridge family of Kentucky, Breckinridge was the grandson of John Breckinridge (1760-1806), who served as a Senator and Attorney General; the father of congressman and diplomat Clifton Rodes Breckinridge; and the great-grandfather of actor John Cabell "Bunny" Breckinridge.

Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Legal, military, and political career in the antebellum period 3 Civil War 4 Postbellum career and legacy 5 See also 6 References 7 Notes 8 External links

Early life and education

Breckinridge was born at Cabell's Dale near Lexington, Kentucky, to Joseph Cabell Breckinridge and Mary Clay Smith. He graduated from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky in 1839 and later attended the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University). He then studied law at Transylvania University in Lexington and was admitted to the bar in 1840.

Legal, military, and political career in the antebellum period

He moved to Burlington, Iowa but soon returned to Lexington and commenced the practice of law there. He was married to Mary Cyrene Burch on December 12, 1843, in Georgetown, Kentucky. In 1847 and 1848, during the Mexican–American War, Breckinridge was a major of the 3rd Kentucky Volunteers.

Breckinridge was a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1849 as a Democrat. He was then elected to the Thirty-second and Thirty-third Congresses (March 4, 1851 – March 4, 1855). He did not run for reelection, and instead was nominated as Minister to Spain by President Franklin Pierce, but declined. He was elected Vice President of the United States in 1856, on the Democratic ticket with James Buchanan as president. He was the youngest Vice President in U.S. history, elected at the age 35, the minimum age required under the United States Constitution.

Breckinridge was an unsuccessful candidate for president in the 1860 election. Nominated by the Southern faction of the split Democratic Party, he was supported by incumbent Democratic president Buchanan and ran on a pro-slavery platform. The race put Breckinridge at odds with his uncle, Robert Jefferson Breckinridge, who had supported Lincoln.

Far from expectant of victory, in a letter to Varina Davis Breckinridge bemoaned "I trust I have the courage to lead a forlorn hope." In a four-way contest, he came in third in the popular vote, with 18.1%, but second in the Electoral College, winning the states of the Deep South as well as the border states of Maryland and Delaware.

However, Breckinridge received almost no support in the most of the Northern states (which Lincoln swept except for split electoral votes from New Jersey going to Douglas and Lincoln), but as the candidate of the Buchanan faction did outpolled Douglas in Pennsylvania and won Delaware and received some support comparable to Douglas in Connecticut. Breckinridge lost to Douglas in Missouri, and lost to Constitutional Union Party nominee John Bell in Virginia, Bell's home state of Tennessee, and even Breckinridge's own home state of Kentucky.

Despite losing the presidency, he was elected the same year to the United States Senate by the Kentucky Legislature. He served from March 4, 1861, and as the outgoing vice president swore in Lincoln's vice president, Hannibal Hamlin.

Despite the secession of the Southern states and the formation of the Confederate States of America, Breckinridge remained in the Senate until he was expelled by resolution on December 4, 1861 for supporting the South; ten Southern Senators had been expelled earlier the same year. Fearing arrest, he fled to the Confederacy. Unlike other Confederate leaders, such as Robert E. Lee, who claimed obeisance to the will of their states, Breckinridge broke with his state after the Kentucky Legislature voted to remain in the Union.

Civil War

Breckinridge entered the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War as a brigadier general and soon became a major general, originally commanding the 1st Kentucky Brigade - nicknamed the Orphan Brigade, because its men felt orphaned by Kentucky's state government, which remained loyal to the Union. He fought in many battles in the Western Theater, beginning with the Battle of Shiloh, in which he was wounded. He served as an independent commander in the lower Mississippi Valley, securing Confederate control of the area by taking Port Hudson.

Breckinridge developed an intense personal dislike of General Braxton Bragg, the commander of the Army of Tennessee. He considered him incompetent, a point of view shared by many other Confederate officers. Furthermore, Breckinridge felt that Bragg was unfair in his treatment of Kentucky troops in Confederate service, such as the Orphan Brigade. Throughout the war, Breckinridge felt a strong personal need to see to the welfare of his fellow Kentuckians. For his part, Bragg despised Breckinridge and tried to undermine his career with accusations that he was a drunkard. At the Battle of Stones River in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Bragg ordered Breckinridge's division to launch a near-suicidal attack on the Union lines on January 2, 1863. Breckinridge survived the attack, but his division suffered heavy casualties. Breckinridge was devastated by the disaster; he lost nearly one-third of his Kentucky troops, primarily the Orphan Brigade. As he rode among the survivors, he cried out repeatedly, "My poor Orphans! My poor Orphans."

Breckinridge continued to fight with Bragg's army, figuring prominently in the Confederate assaults on the second day, September 20, 1863, of the Battle of Chickamauga, and in the unsuccessful defense of Missionary Ridge in Chattanooga, November 25, 1863.

Breckinridge as major general

In early 1864, Breckinridge was brought to the Eastern Theater and put in charge of Confederate forces in the Shenandoah Valley. He defeated a superior Union force at the Battle of New Market, which included the famous charge of cadets from the Virginia Military Institute. Shortly thereafter, Breckinridge reinforced Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and played an important role in the Battle of Cold Harbor, where his troops repulsed a powerful Union attack.

In the summer, Breckinridge participated in Lieutenant General Jubal Early's Raid on Washington, moving north through the Shenandoah Valley and crossing into Maryland. He fought at the Battle of Monocacy in early July and was with Early when the Confederate force probed the defenses of Washington, D.C.. Since Lincoln was watching the fight from the ramparts of Fort Stevens, this was only time in American history when two former opponents in a presidential election faced one another across battle lines.

Following his service with Early's command, Breckinridge took command of Confederate forces in southwestern Virginia in September, where Confederate forces were in great disarray. He reorganized the department and led a raid into northeastern Tennessee. Following a victory outside of Saltville, Breckinridge discovered that some Confederate troops had killed scores of black Union soldiers of the 5th United States Colored Cavalry the morning after the battle, an incident that shocked and angered him. He attempted to have the commander responsible, Felix Huston Robertson, arrested and put on trial, but was unable to achieve this before the Confederacy disintegrated.

In early 1865, Breckinridge was made Confederate States Secretary of War, a post he would hold until the end of the war. Breckinridge saw that further resistance on the part of the Confederacy was useless and worked to lay the groundwork for an honorable surrender, even while President Jefferson Davis fiercely desired to continue the fight.

During the chaos of the fall of Richmond in early April 1865, Breckinridge saw to it that the Confederate archives, both government and military, were not destroyed but rather captured intact by the Union forces. By so doing, he ensured that a full account of the Confederate war effort would be preserved for history. Breckinridge went with Davis during the flight from Virginia as the Confederacy collapsed, while also assisting General Joseph E. Johnston in his surrender negotiations with William T. Sherman. Breckinridge continued to try to persuade Davis that further resistance would only lead to greater loss of life, but he also felt honor bound to protect the President from harm. Eventually, the two became separated in the confusion of the journey.

Postbellum career and legacy

John Breckinridge in his postbellum years.

Breckinridge's Gravestone

Breckinridge feared that he would be put on trial for treason by the United States government and resolved to flee the country. He and a small band sailed from Florida in a tiny boat to reach safety in Cuba. He continued to the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United Kingdom again. He returned to Lexington, Kentucky, in March 1869 after being granted amnesty, and resumed the practice of law. While turning down suggestions that he become active in politics again, he spoke out strongly against the Ku Klux Klan. He became vice president of the Elizabethtown, Lexington, and Big Sandy Railroad Company. He died in Lexington of complications from cirrhosis^[1] and was interred in Lexington Cemetery.

Breckinridge had ample reason to fear charges of treason. In 1863, premature rumors of his death prompted the New York Times to print what is perhaps the most vituperative obituary ever written about a nationally elected American official.^[2]

The towns of Breckenridge, Colorado; Breckenridge, Minnesota; Breckenridge, Missouri; and Breckenridge, Texas, were named in honor of the Vice President (despite the different spelling). The Colorado town deliberately changed the spelling of its name when its namesake joined the Confederacy.^{[citation needed]}

A memorial to Breckinridge was placed on the Fayette County Courthouse lawn in Lexington in 1887.

See also

American Civil War portal

• List of American Civil War generals

References

• Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., Civil War High Commands, Stanford University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.
• Woodworth, Steven E., Jefferson Davis and His Generals: The Failure of Confederate Command in the West, University Press of Kansas, 1990, ISBN 0-7006-0461-8.
• John C. Breckinridge at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Retrieved on 2008-02-13

Notes

1. ^ Woodworth, p. 360, n. 192.
2. ^ "John C. Breckinridge" (Editorial). New York Times. 1863-12-07. http://www.doctorzebra.com/prez/a_breck.htm. Retrieved 2008-02-17. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: John Breckinridge

• New York Times premature obituary
• Biographical sketches of Hon. John C. Breckinridge, Democratic nominee for president : and General Joseph Lane, Democratic nominee for Vice President
• John C. Breckinridge at Find a Grave Retrieved on 2009-04-20

Political offices
Preceded by James Seddon	Confederate States Secretary of War February 6, 1865 – May 10, 1865	Office abolished
Vacant Title last held by William R. King	Vice President of the United States March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1861	Succeeded by Hannibal Hamlin
United States Senate
Preceded by John J. Crittenden	United States Senator (Class 3) from Kentucky March 4, 1861 – December 4, 1861 Served alongside: Lazarus W. Powell	Succeeded by Garrett Davis
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Charles Morehead	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 8th congressional district March 4, 1851 – March 4, 1855	Succeeded by Alexander Marshall
Party political offices
Preceded by James Buchanan	Democratic Party presidential candidate² 1860	Succeeded by George McClellan
Preceded by William R. King	Democratic Party vice presidential candidate 1856	Succeeded by Herschel Vespasian Johnson Joseph Lane¹
Notes and references
1. The Democratic party split in 1860, producing two vice-presidential candidates. Johnson was nominated by Northern Democrats; Lane was nominated by Southern Democrats. 2. The Democratic party split in 1860, producing two presidential candidates. Breckinridge was nominated by Southern Democrats; Stephen A. Douglas was nominated by Northern Democrats.

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v • d • e Cabinet of President James Buchanan (1857-1861) Vice President John C. Breckinridge (1857-1861) Secretary of State Lewis Cass (1857-1860) • Jeremiah S. Black (1860-1861) Secretary of the Treasury Howell Cobb (1857-1860) • Philip F. Thomas (1860-1861) • John A. Dix (1861) Secretary of War John B. Floyd (1857-1860) • Joseph Holt (1860-1861) Attorney General Jeremiah S. Black (1857-1860) • Edwin M. Stanton (1860-1861) Postmaster General Aaron V. Brown (1857-1859) • Joseph Holt (1859-1860) • Horatio King (1861) Secretary of the Navy Isaac Toucey (1857-1861) Secretary of the Interior Jacob Thompson (1857-1861)

v • d • e Cabinet of President Jefferson Davis (1861-1865) Vice President Alexander H. Stephens (1861-1865) Secretary of State Robert Toombs (1861) • Robert M. T. Hunter (1861-1862) • Judah P. Benjamin (1862-1865) Secretary of the Treasury Christopher Memminger (1861-1864) • George A. Trenholm (1864-1865) • John H. Reagan (1865) Secretary of War Leroy P. Walker (1861) • Judah P. Benjamin (1861-1862) • George W. Randolph (1862) • James A. Seddon (1862-1865) • John C. Breckinridge (1865) Secretary of the Navy Stephen R. Mallory (1861-1865) Postmaster General John H. Reagan (1861-1865) Attorney General Judah P. Benjamin (1861) • Thomas Bragg (1861-1862) • Thomas H. Watts (1862-1863) • George Davis (1864-1865)

v • d • e Democratic Party Chairmen of the DNC Hallett • McLane • Smalley • Belmont • Schell • Hewitt • Barnum • Brice • Harrity • Jones • Taggart • Mack • McCombs • McCormick • Cummings • White • Hull • Shaver • Raskob • Farley • Flynn • Walker • Hannegan • McGrath • Boyle • McKinney • Mitchell • Butler • Jackson • Bailey • O'Brien • Harris • O'Brien • Westwood • Strauss • Curtis • White • Manatt • Kirk • Brown • Wilhelm • DeLee • Dodd/Fowler • Romer/Grossman • Rendell/Andrew • McAuliffe • Dean • Kaine Presidential tickets Jackson/Calhoun • Jackson/Van Buren • Van Buren/R.M. Johnson • Polk/Dallas • Cass/Butler • Pierce/King • Buchanan/Breckenridge • Douglas/H.V. Johnson (Breckenridge/Lane, SD) • McClellan/Pendleton • Seymour/Blair • Greeley/Brown • Tilden/Hendricks • Hancock/English • Cleveland/Hendricks • Cleveland/Thurman • Cleveland/Stevenson I • W. J. Bryan/Sewall • W. J. Bryan/Stevenson I • Parker/H. G. Davis • W. J. Bryan/Kern • Wilson/Marshall • Cox/Roosevelt • J. W. Davis/C. W. Bryan • Smith/Robinson • Roosevelt/Garner • Roosevelt/Wallace • Roosevelt/Truman • Truman/Barkley • Stevenson II/Sparkman • Stevenson II/Kefauver • Kennedy/L. B. Johnson • L. B. Johnson/Humphrey • Humphrey/Muskie • McGovern/(Eagleton, Shriver) • Carter/Mondale • Mondale/Ferraro • Dukakis/Bentsen • Clinton/Gore • Gore/Lieberman • Kerry/Edwards • Obama/Biden Parties by State and territory State Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming Territory District of Columbia • Puerto Rico Democratic National Conventions (List) 1832 (Baltimore) • 1835 (Baltimore) • 1840 (Baltimore) • 1844 (Baltimore) • 1848 (Baltimore) • 1852 (Baltimore) • 1856 (Cincinnati) • 1860 (Baltimore) • 1864 (Chicago) • 1868 (New York) • 1872 (Baltimore) • 1876 (Saint Louis) • 1880 (Cincinnati) • 1884 (Chicago) • 1888 (Saint Louis) • 1892 (Chicago) • 1896 (Chicago) • 1900 (Kansas City) • 1904 (Saint Louis) • 1908 (Denver) • 1912 (Baltimore) • 1916 (Saint Louis) • 1920 (San Francisco) • 1924 (New York) • 1928 (Houston) • 1932 (Chicago) • 1936 (Philadelphia) • 1940 (Chicago) • 1944 (Chicago) • 1948 (Philadelphia) • 1952 (Chicago) • 1956 (Chicago) • 1960 (Los Angeles) • 1964 (Atlantic City) • 1968 (Chicago) • 1972 (Miami Beach) • 1976 (New York) • 1980 (New York) • 1984 (San Francisco) • 1988 (Atlanta) • 1992 (New York) • 1996 (Chicago) • 2000 (Los Angeles) • 2004 (Boston) • 2008 (Denver) Affiliated organizations Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee • Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee • Democratic Governors Association • Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association • Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee • National Conference of Democratic Mayors • College Democrats of America • Young Democrats of America • Young Democrats of America High School Caucus • Democratic Leadership Council • 21st Century Democrats • America Votes • Blue Dog Democrats • Center for American Progress • Democrats Abroad • National Federation of Democratic Women • National Stonewall Democrats Related articles History • Superdelegate

v • d • e Democratic Party Chairmen of the DNC Hallett • McLane • Smalley • Belmont • Schell • Hewitt • Barnum • Brice • Harrity • Jones • Taggart • Mack • McCombs • McCormick • Cummings • White • Hull • Shaver • Raskob • Farley • Flynn • Walker • Hannegan • McGrath • Boyle • McKinney • Mitchell • Butler • Jackson • Bailey • O'Brien • Harris • O'Brien • Westwood • Strauss • Curtis • White • Manatt • Kirk • Brown • Wilhelm • DeLee • Dodd/Fowler • Romer/Grossman • Rendell/Andrew • McAuliffe • Dean • Kaine Presidential tickets Jackson/Calhoun • Jackson/Van Buren • Van Buren/R.M. Johnson • Polk/Dallas • Cass/Butler • Pierce/King • Buchanan/Breckenridge • Douglas/H.V. Johnson (Breckenridge/Lane, SD) • McClellan/Pendleton • Seymour/Blair • Greeley/Brown • Tilden/Hendricks • Hancock/English • Cleveland/Hendricks • Cleveland/Thurman • Cleveland/Stevenson I • W. J. Bryan/Sewall • W. J. Bryan/Stevenson I • Parker/H. G. Davis • W. J. Bryan/Kern • Wilson/Marshall • Cox/Roosevelt • J. W. Davis/C. W. Bryan • Smith/Robinson • Roosevelt/Garner • Roosevelt/Wallace • Roosevelt/Truman • Truman/Barkley • Stevenson II/Sparkman • Stevenson II/Kefauver • Kennedy/L. B. Johnson • L. B. Johnson/Humphrey • Humphrey/Muskie • McGovern/(Eagleton, Shriver) • Carter/Mondale • Mondale/Ferraro • Dukakis/Bentsen • Clinton/Gore • Gore/Lieberman • Kerry/Edwards • Obama/Biden Parties by State and territory State Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming Territory District of Columbia • Puerto Rico Democratic National Conventions (List) 1832 (Baltimore) • 1835 (Baltimore) • 1840 (Baltimore) • 1844 (Baltimore) • 1848 (Baltimore) • 1852 (Baltimore) • 1856 (Cincinnati) • 1860 (Baltimore) • 1864 (Chicago) • 1868 (New York) • 1872 (Baltimore) • 1876 (Saint Louis) • 1880 (Cincinnati) • 1884 (Chicago) • 1888 (Saint Louis) • 1892 (Chicago) • 1896 (Chicago) • 1900 (Kansas City) • 1904 (Saint Louis) • 1908 (Denver) • 1912 (Baltimore) • 1916 (Saint Louis) • 1920 (San Francisco) • 1924 (New York) • 1928 (Houston) • 1932 (Chicago) • 1936 (Philadelphia) • 1940 (Chicago) • 1944 (Chicago) • 1948 (Philadelphia) • 1952 (Chicago) • 1956 (Chicago) • 1960 (Los Angeles) • 1964 (Atlantic City) • 1968 (Chicago) • 1972 (Miami Beach) • 1976 (New York) • 1980 (New York) • 1984 (San Francisco) • 1988 (Atlanta) • 1992 (New York) • 1996 (Chicago) • 2000 (Los Angeles) • 2004 (Boston) • 2008 (Denver) Affiliated organizations Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee • Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee • Democratic Governors Association • Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association • Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee • National Conference of Democratic Mayors • College Democrats of America • Young Democrats of America • Young Democrats of America High School Caucus • Democratic Leadership Council • 21st Century Democrats • America Votes • Blue Dog Democrats • Center for American Progress • Democrats Abroad • National Federation of Democratic Women • National Stonewall Democrats Related articles History • Superdelegate

v • d • e The Breckinridge Family First generation John Breckinridge  · James Breckinridge Second generation Robert Jefferson Breckinridge  · James Douglas Breckinridge Third generation John Cabell Breckinridge  · William Campbell Preston Breckinridge  · Joseph Cabell Breckinridge, Sr  · John Breckinridge Grayson Fourth generation Clifton Rodes Breckinridge  · Sophonisba Preston Breckinridge  · Desha Breckinridge · Joseph Cabell Breckinridge, Jr.  · Henry Skillman Breckinridge  · Madeline McDowell Breckinridge Fifth generation John Bayne Breckinridge  · Marvin Breckinridge Patterson  · Samuel Miller Breckinridge Long  · John Cabell "Bunny" Breckinridge  · Mary Breckinridge  · James Carson Breckinridge

Persondata
NAME	Breckinridge, John C.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Confederate Army general
DATE OF BIRTH	January 16, 1821
PLACE OF BIRTH	near Lexington, Kentucky
DATE OF DEATH	May 17, 1875
PLACE OF DEATH	Lexington, Kentucky

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