William Pitt Kellogg
United States Senator from Louisiana
In office July 9, 1868 – November 1, 1872
Preceded by	John Slidell
Succeeded by	James B. Eustis
In office March 4, 1877 – March 4, 1883
Preceded by	Joseph R. West
Succeeded by	Randall L. Gibson
26th Governor of Louisiana
In office January 13, 1873 – January 8, 1877
Lieutenant	C.C. Antoine
Preceded by	John McEnery
Succeeded by	Stephen B. Packard
Personal details
Born	(1830-12-08)December 8, 1830 Orwell, Vermont
Died	August 10, 1918(1918-08-10) (aged 87) Washington, D.C.
Political party	Republican

William Pitt Kellogg (December 8, 1830 – August 10, 1918) was an American politician and a governor of Louisiana from 1873–1877 during Reconstruction. He was one of the most important politicians in Louisiana during and immediately after Reconstruction. He was notable for being reelected after most other Republican officials had been defeated when white Democrats regained control of state politics. Kellogg is also notable as one of few senators to be elected to the House of Representatives immediately after leaving the Senate. He was the state's last Republican governor until David C. Treen in 1980.

Early life and education [edit]

Kellogg was born in Orwell in Addison County in western Vermont near the New York boundary, where he spent his childhood. After completing his education in the common schools, he moved to Peoria, Illinois, at the age of eighteen and taught school for several years.

Career [edit]

Kellogg became a lawyer, likely "reading the law" and studying with practicing lawyers, as was typical for many then. He moved to Canton, Illinois and started a practice. There he joined the Republican Party and eventually came to know Abraham Lincoln, a fellow lawyer. When Lincoln became President in 1861, he appointed Kellogg as chief justice of the Supreme Court of the Nebraska Territory. Kellogg moved to Nebraska and started in the position.

With the outbreak of the American Civil War, he soon resigned, returned to Illinois and joined the Seventh Illinois Cavalry. By 1862, he had risen to the rank of colonel and played an important role at a small battle near Sikeston, Missouri. Later in the war, Kellogg resigned because of ill health.

In 1865, at the end of the civil war, days before his assassination, Lincoln appointed Kellogg as the federal collector of customs of the port of New Orleans. This launched Kellogg's notable 20-year political career in Louisiana. He remained collector of New Orleans until 1868, when he was appointed to the United States Senate. That year "reconstructed" Louisiana was readmitted to the federal Union.

In 1872 Kellogg ran on the Republican ticket and was elected governor. He resigned from the Senate to take office. In the election of 1872 John McEnery, a Democrat, ran against Kellogg. The sitting Governor Henry Clay Warmoth, although a Republican, opposed the Republican Party faction that was loyal to President Ulysses S. Grant, who was supporting Kellogg. Warmoth supported McEnery.

Former Confederate Assistant Secretary of War John A. Campbell was involved in the controversy surrounding Kellogg. He was a member of the “Committee of One Hundred” that went to Washington to persuade President Grant to end his support of what they called the “Kellogg usurpation”. Grant initially refused to meet them but later relented. Campbell stated the case before Grant but was refused.^[1]

The results of the election were disputed by the Democrats. The politics of the state was in turmoil for months, as both candidates held inauguration celebrations, certified their local candidate slates and tried to gather political power. Political tensions broke out in violence, including the Colfax Massacre in April 1873. As Governor, Warmoth controlled the State Returning Board, the institution which administered elections. With the election challenged, Warmoth's board named McEnery the winner. A rival board claimed Kellogg to be the victor.

Warmoth was impeached for allegedly stealing the election. A black Republican, P. B. S. Pinchback, became Governor for 35 days until Grant seated Kellogg as Governor with Federal protection. McEnery's faction established a "rump legislature" in New Orleans to oppose Kellogg's actions. McEnery urged his supporters to take up arms against Kellogg's fraudulent government. In 1874 the anti-Republican White League sent 5,000 paramilitary men into New Orleans, where in the Battle of Liberty Place, they defeated the 3500-man Metropolitan Police and state militia. They took over the state government offices for a few days but retreated before the arrival of federal troops sent as reinforcements. President Grant had finally sent US troops in response to Kellogg's request for help.^[2]

Kellogg's lieutenant governor was Caesar Carpetier Antoine, an African-American native of New Orleans. He had been a state senator from Shreveport before running as lieutenant governor. Despite the intense backlash against the Republican Party among white Democrats in the South, Kellogg was elected to the United States Senate in 1876. He served in the Senate until 1883. He did not seek reelection, for his party was too weak in the South to be competitive. He was the chairman of the Senate Committee on Railroads from 1881 to 1883.

Kellogg was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1882 and served one term from 1883 to 1885. He continued to live in Washington, D.C., but retired from political life. He died in Washington and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

Kellogg was one of the most important politicians in Louisiana during and immediately after Reconstruction. He was able to maintain power for much longer than most Republican elected officials who had come to the area from the North. He is also notable as one of few senators to be elected to the House of Representatives immediately after leaving the Senate.

The late Claude Pepper, a 20th-century Florida Democrat, was similarly elected to the House after having served in the Senate. But, he did not begin his long House tenure until 12 years after the end of his Senate service.

References [edit]

External links [edit]

• Louisiana Governor (1873-1877 : Kellogg), Louisiana Governor, 1873-1877 (W.P. Kellogg), William Pitt Kellogg, Louisiana, Governor 1873-1877 : Kellogg (1873). Annual Message of His Excellency Governor Wm. Pitt Kellogg, to the General .... Printed at the Republican office.  – Google Books full online browsing copy
• State of Louisiana - Biography
• Cemetery Memorial by La-Cemeteries

v t e Governors of Louisiana State (1812–1861) Claiborne Villeré Robertson Thibodaux H. Johnson Derbigny Beauvais Dupré Roman White Roman Mouton I. Johnson Walker Hébert Wickliffe Moore Confederate (1861–1865) Moore H. Allen Union (1862–1865) Shepley Hahn Reconstruction (1865–1868) Wells Flanders Baker State (since 1868) Warmoth Pinchback J. McEnery Kellogg Nicholls Wiltz S. McEnery Nicholls Foster, Sr. Heard Blanchard Sanders Hall Pleasant Parker Fuqua Simpson H. Long King O. Allen Noe Leche E. Long Jones Davis E. Long Kennon E. Long Davis McKeithen Edwards Treen Edwards Roemer Edwards Foster, Jr. Blanco Jindal

v t e United States Senators from Louisiana Class 2 Destréhan Posey Brown Claiborne Johnson Bouligny Livingston Waggaman Nicholas Barrow Soulé Downs Benjamin Harris West Kellogg Gibson Caffery Foster Ransdell H. Long R.M. Long Ellender Edwards J.B. Johnston Landrieu Class 3 Magruder Fromentin Brown J.S. Johnston Porter Mouton Conrad Johnson Soulé Slidell Kellogg Eustis Jonas Eustis White Blanchard McEnery Thornton R. Broussard Guion Gay E. Broussard Overton Feazel R.B. Long Breaux Vitter

v t e Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana 1st district Livingston, E. White Johnson White Slidell Sére St. Martin Dunbar Eustis Bouligny Sypher Lawrence Gibson Hunt St. Martin Wilkinson Meyer Estopinal O'Connor Fernández Hébert Tonry Livingston, R. Vitter Jindal Scalise 2nd district Gurley Thomas Ripley Chinn Dawson la Branche Thibodeaux Conrad Bullard Landry, J. A. Hunt Taylor Mann Sheldon Ellis Hahn Wallace Lagan Coleman Lagan Davey Buck Davey Gilmore Dupré Spearing Maloney Boggs, T. H. Maloney Boggs, T. H. Boggs, L Jefferson Cao Richmond 3rd district Brent Overton Bullard Garland Moore Dawson Harmanson Penn Perkins Davidson Newsham Darrall Acklen Darrall Kellogg Gay Price Broussard Martin Montet Mouton Domengeaux Willis Caffery Treen Tauzin Melancon Landry, J. M. Boustany 4th district Bossier Morse Moore Jones Sandidge Landrum Vidal Newsham McCleery Boarman Smith Levy Elam Blanchard Ogden Breazeale Watkins Sandlin Brooks Waggonner Leach Roemer McCrery Fields McCrery Fleming 5th district Ransdell Elder Wilson Mills McKenzie Passman Huckaby McCrery Cooksey Alexander 6th district Sheridan Nash Robertson, E. Lewis Irion Robertson, E. Robertson, S. Favrot Wickliffe Morgan Sanders, Sr. Favrot Kemp Sanders, Jr. Griffith Sanders, Jr. Morrison Rarick Moore Baker Cazayoux Cassidy 7th district Pujo Lazaro De Rouen Plauche Larcade Thompson Edwards Breaux Hayes John Boustany 8th district Aswell Overton Dear Allen Long, Doc McSween Long, G. Long, S. Long, G. Long, C. Holloway At-large Robertson Butler Johnston Sheridan Territory Clark Poydras

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