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GOVERNOR JAMES HENDERSON BERRY
1883-1885 Arkansas Genealogy Trails JAMES HENDERSON BERRY was born in Jackson County, Alabama. In 1848, his family moved to Carrollton, Arkansas (Carroll County). He spent the early part of his life working on the family farm and attending school during the winter terms. When Berry was seventeen, he enrolled in a private academy in Berryville, though he has to withdraw from the school after only one year because he could no longer afford to attend due to his mother's illness and subsequent death. He soon found employment as a clerk in a store owned by his father's cousin in Yellville. Berry enlisted in the Confederate army in 1861 and was elected second lieutenant of Company E of the Sixteenth Arkansas Infantry. He fought in the battle of Pea Ridge and the battle of Iuka in 1862. That same year, during the battle of Corinth (Mississippi), Berry was wounded in the right leg; his right leg was amputated above the knee. He was paroled from the army and returned home in 1863. Returning to Arkansas, Berry first became a teacher at Ozark and then Carrollton. He became the youngest member of the state legislature when elected representative for Carroll County in 1866. At this time, he was also admitted to the bar, and when the session ended in 1867, Berry returned to Carrolton to open a law practice. In 1869, he carried his practice to Bentonville and formed a partnership with his brother-in-law, Colonel Sam W. Peel. Berry was again elected to the Arkansas legislature, representing Benton and Washington Counties in 1872. His reputation caused him to be thought of as one of the party leaders in the house by the end of 1873, and during the Brooks-Baxter War, Berry was chosen as speaker of the house. In 1874, he once again returned to Bentonville to form a law practice with R.W. Ellis. In 1876, he was chosen as chairman of the Democratic state convention, and in 1878 he was elected judge of the Fourth Judicial Circuit, where he served until 1882, to run for governor. Many factors contributed to Berry's winning the nomination for governor. He had established important political contacts throughout the state through his service as a legislator, party leader and judge. In addition, his service in the Civil War, and the symbolic significance of the loss of his leg proved appealing to constituents. The charges against the incumbent governor, Churchill, made seeking reelection improbable. Berry received strong support from the delegates of the Democratic Party. Eventually, Berry won the general election by carrying all but eleven counties, with a vote nearly double that of the nearest candidate, W.D. Slack, a Republican. Berry was only partially successful with the general assembly. His governorship was concerned with such things as seeking to increase taxation on railroads, as railroad property was often under assessed, and some companies received complete exemption under their charters. To this end, the general assembly created a railroad commission to evaluate the railroads, though the law still exempted several classes of railway property from taxes. He also sought to reduce election expenses by proposing that state and federal elections be held the same day. This proposal was rejected because of strong opposition from counties where Democrats were known to win elections through illegal means. Berry also sought to provide equal justice and protection for all Arkansas citizens regardless of their race or class. This desire was tested by racial strife resulting from a murder in 1883 and from the prison system that existed in Arkansas. His efforts to reform the state's penal system were eroded by the legislature who would not appropriate funds to alleviate inhumane conditions. He was able to establish the State Hospital for Nervous Disease, as well as the Arkansas Bar Association, and pass laws to make the state's labor system more humane. Berry did prove to be economy-minded. He was proud that during his leadership, the state was to reduce its debt. In 1884, ratification of the Fishback Amendment voided a substantial portion of Reconstruction debt. In addition, during his term, short-term loans were repaid and some bonds were retired. Instead of running for reelection, Berry was chosen for another seat in the Senate, and remained in this position for twenty-two years. In 1906, Berry was defeated for re-election to the Senate by Governor Jeff Davis. Retiring to Bentonville, Berry served on the Arkansas History Commission and was active in the United Confederate Veterans. In 1910 the Secretary of War appointed him commissioner with the charge of marking the graves of Confederate soldiers who had died in Union prisons. Berry died in 1913 and was buried in City Cemetery, Bentonville. --Courtesy of the Arkansas History Commission |