Reuben May

Reuben May (June 23, 1815  September 26, 1902) was a Union Army colonel from Kentucky in the American Civil War. Later he was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Wisconsin.

Reuben May
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the Vernon 1st district
In office
January 1, 1872  January 1, 1873
Preceded byJoseph W. Hoyt
Succeeded byPeter Jerman
In office
January 1, 1870  January 1, 1871
Preceded byJohn M. McLees
Succeeded byJoseph W. Hoyt
Personal details
Born
Reuben May

(1815-06-23)June 23, 1815
Robinson Creek, Kentucky
DiedSeptember 26, 1902(1902-09-26) (aged 87)
Vernon County, Wisconsin
Resting placeSpringville Cemetery
Springville, Wisconsin
Political party
Spouse(s)
  • Emmeriah V. A. Honaker
  • (m. 1838; died 1881)
  • Phoebe Ann Dolliver
  • (m. 1882; died 1883)
  • Caroline S. Johnson (Bennett)
  • (m. 1884; died 1910)
Children
  • William James May
  • (b. 1842; died 1921)
  • Thomas Henry May
  • (b. 1843; died 1920)
  • Bell V. A. May
  • (b. 1849; died 1875)
  • Alonzo Franklin May
  • (b. 1853; died 1943)
  • Albert Bascom May
  • (b. 1855; died 1902)
  • Richard Apperson May
  • (b. 1857; died 1883)
  • Hugh Lawson May
  • (b. 1859; died 1958)
  • Georgia E. May
  • (b. 1861; died 1865)
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
Union Army
Years of service1861–1864
Rank Colonel, USV
Commands
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War

Biography

Born in Robinson Creek, Kentucky,[1] his family moved to Vernon County, Wisconsin, in 1863 while he was serving in the Union Army in the American Civil War. He was commissioned Lieutenant Colonel of the 8th Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Infantry in 1861, and briefly commanded the regiment. In 1863 he was appointed colonel of the 7th Regiment Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, leading them through the Vicksburg campaign and mustering out of the service October 4, 1864.[2] Much of his family, however, remained in Kentucky and supported secession. His first cousin, Andrew Jackson May, was a colonel for the Confederate Army.[3]

Political career

May was a Republican member of the Assembly from Vernon County's 1st district in 1870 and 1872, losing election in between to represent the district in 1871. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Wisconsin twice. First, in 1879 as a member of the Greenback Party, and second, in 1890 as a member of the Union Labor Party.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly (1869, 1870, 1871)

Wisconsin Assembly, Vernon 1st district election, 1870[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 8, 1870
Republican Joseph W. Hoyt 365 42.29%
Independent Republican Reuben May (incumbent) 325 37.66%
Democratic John T. Brinkermann 173 20.05%
Total votes '863' '100.0%'
Republican hold
Wisconsin Assembly, Vernon 1st district election, 1871[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 7, 1871
Republican Reuben May 592 53.19%
Independent C. C. Oleson 521 46.81%
Total votes '1,113' '100.0%' +28.97%
Republican hold

Wisconsin Governor (1879, 1890)

Wisconsin gubernatorial election, 1879[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 4, 1879
Republican William E. Smith (incumbent) 100,535 53.19% +8.98%
Democratic James Graham Jenkins 75,030 39.70% +0.13%
Greenback Reuben May 12,996 6.88% -7.84%
Scattering 444 0.23%
Total votes '189,005' '100.0%' +6.11%
Republican hold
Wisconsin gubernatorial election, 1890[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 4, 1890
Democratic George Wilbur Peck 160,388 51.86% +8.05%
Republican William D. Hoard (incumbent) 132,068 42.71% -6.83%
Prohibition Charles Alexander 11,246 3.64% -0.42%
Labor Reuben May 5,447 1.76% -0.83%
Scattering 105 0.03%
Total votes '309,254' '100.0%' -12.82%
Democratic gain from Republican

References

  1. "Reuben May". Political Graveyard. Retrieved 2011-11-05.
  2. "Col Reuben May". Find a Grave. Retrieved 2011-11-05.
  3. "Reuben May". Retrieved 2014-03-11.
  4. "Official directory". The legislative manual of the state of Wisconsin (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. 1871. pp. 384–385. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
  5. Turner, A. J., ed. (1872). "Official directory". The legislative manual of the state of Wisconsin (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. p. 458. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
  6. Warner, Hans B., ed. (1880). "Election statistics". The Blue Book of the state of Wisconsin 1880 (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 270–271. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
  7. Cunningham, Thomas J., ed. (1891). "Part III. Election statistics". The Blue Book of the state of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 256–257. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
Party political offices
Preceded by
Edward P. Allis
Greenback nominee for Governor of Wisconsin
1879
Succeeded by
Edward P. Allis


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