Frank Blair

Frank Blair. Francis Preston Blair Jr. was a prominent American politician, Union Army officer, and member of the influential Blair family. A key figure in the political realignments preceding the American Civil War, he helped found the Republican Party in Missouri and served as a United States Congressman before becoming a trusted military commander under Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman. His career was defined by fierce Unionist loyalty and complex political maneuvers during a tumultuous era.

Early life and education

Born in Lexington, Kentucky, he was the son of Francis Preston Blair, a prominent journalist and advisor to President Andrew Jackson, and the brother of Montgomery Blair, who would become Postmaster General. The family moved to Washington, D.C., where he was raised in a politically charged environment. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before transferring to and graduating from Princeton University in 1841. After studying law at Transylvania University, he moved to St. Louis, Missouri, in 1842, establishing a legal practice and entering the political arena of a critical slave state.

Military career

At the outbreak of the American Civil War, Blair leveraged his political influence to raise volunteers and was appointed a colonel of the 1st Missouri Volunteers. He fought with distinction at the Battle of Fort Donelson and the Battle of Vicksburg, earning promotion to major general of volunteers. He commanded a division and later the XV Corps in the Army of the Tennessee during the pivotal Atlanta Campaign under William Tecumseh Sherman. Blair's corps played a significant role in the subsequent March to the Sea and the Carolinas Campaign, with his military service cementing his reputation as a steadfast and capable leader in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.

Political career

Initially a Democrat and Free Soiler, Blair was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1856. He became a leading voice against the expansion of slavery, helping to organize the Republican Party in the border state of Missouri. He served in the 37th United States Congress but resigned his seat in 1863 to return to full-time military service. After the war, he rejoined the Democratic Party, opposing the Radical Republicans and their Reconstruction policies. He was the Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1868 on the ticket with Horatio Seymour, which was defeated by Ulysses S. Grant and Schuyler Colfax.

Later life and death

After his failed vice-presidential bid, Blair returned to Missouri and practiced law. His health declined, exacerbated by injuries sustained during the war and struggles with alcoholism. He served briefly as a United States Senator from Missouri in 1871–1873, appointed to fill a vacancy, but was not elected to a full term. He spent his final years in St. Louis, Missouri, where he died on July 8, 1875. He was interred in Bellefontaine Cemetery, a resting place for many notable figures from the city's history.

Legacy

Frank Blair is remembered as a fierce and controversial Unionist from a border state, whose political evolution mirrored the nation's violent divisions. His leadership was instrumental in keeping Missouri in the Union, and his military service contributed to key victories in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. The Blair family's influence on 19th century American politics is exemplified by his career, straddling the roles of legislator, party founder, and senior military commander. In St. Louis, Missouri, Fort Leonard Wood's Camp Blair and the city's Frank Blair Memorial Park are named in his honor. Category:1821 births Category:1875 deaths Category:American military personnel of the American Civil War Category:Union Army generals Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri Category:United States senators from Missouri