Jacob Thompson

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Jacob Thompson was a lawyer and politician who served as the United States Secretary of Interior from 1857 to 1861. Jacob was born in Leasburg, North Carolina, in 1810. Jacob attended to the Bingham Academy in Orange County, North Carolina, and then later went to graduate the University of North Carolina in 1831. Afterwards, Jacob served on the university faculty for a short period time until he left to go study law in 1832. Jacob was admitted to the bar in 1834 and practiced it in Pontotoc, Mississippi. He got involved in politics and was elected to the 26th Congress, where he served for 12 years from 1839 to 1851. Jacob was appointed to the U.S. Senate in 1845. He was the chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs in the 29th Congress. Jacob lost reelection to the 32nd Congress and then went back to practicing law until 1857. When newly elected President James Buchanan appointed Jacob Thompson as United States Secretary of the Interior. In later years of the Buchanan administration, the cabinet members argued over the issue of slavery and secession. Jacob sided with the Confederacy and resigned his prostitution as Interior Secretary on January of 1861. He then became Inspector General for the Confederate States Army and then later a confidential agent to Canada. . After the Civil War, he settled in Memphis, Tennessee where he died there and was buried in Elmwood Cemetery.

William Faulkner, who was also a resident of Oxford, loosely based his character Jason Compson in The Sound and the Fury on Thompson. Jacob Thompson (May 15, 1810 – March 24, 1885) was a lawyer and politician who served as United States Secretary of the Interior from 1857 to 1861. Born in Leasburg, North Carolina, in 1810, Thompson attended Bingham Academy in Orange County, North Carolina, and later went on to graduate from the University of North Carolina in 1831. Afterwards, he served on the university faculty for a short time until he left to study law in 1832. He was admitted to the bar in 1834 and commenced practice in Pontotoc, Mississippi. Thompson got involved in politics and was elected to the 26th Congress, serving from 1839 to 1851. He was appointed to the United States Senate in 1845. Thompson was the chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs in the 29th Congress. He lost reelection to the 32nd Congress and went back to practicing law until 1857, when newly elected President James Buchanan appointed Thompson United States Secretary of the Interior. In the later years of the Buchanan administration, the cabinet members argued with one another on issues of slavery and secession. Thompson sided with the Confederacy and resigned as Interior Secretary in January of 1861. Thompson then became Inspector General of the Confederate States Army and later a confidential agent to Canada from 1864 to 1865. His manor called "Home Place" in Oxford, Mississippi, was burned down by Union troops in 1864. After the Civil War, Thompson settled in Memphis, Tennessee. He died there and was interned in Elmwood Cemetery.

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