John Letcher

John Letcher ( born March 29, 1813 in Lexington, Virginia; † January 26, 1884 ) was an American lawyer, member of the House of Representatives of the United States, member of the Virginia House of Representatives and Governor of Virginia.

Letcher was born on March 29, 1813 in Lexington and studied law. He was in 1851 involved in the drafting of the Constitution of Virginia. In the same year he was elected as a Democrat in the House of Representatives of the United States. Letcher was re-elected three times, and was a member of the Congress until 1859. On January 1, 1860, he took office as governor of Virginia. Actually opponent of secession, he joined her when Virginia declared withdrawal from the Union. In the American Civil War, his house was burned down by Union troops and he even briefly detained at the end. Nevertheless, he spoke in favor of reconciliation with the North. He again worked as a lawyer and was from 1875 to 1877 a member of the House of Representatives in Virginia.

Letcher died on January 26, 1884 in Lexington.