Virginia: State Governors: 1843-1873

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Virginia: State Governors: 1843-1873
Governor or Chief Magistrate of the Commonwealth of Virginia
1 Jan 1843 - 31 Dec 1845	James McDowell [1]
1 Jan 1846 - 31 Dec 1848	William Smith
1 Jan 1849 - 31 Dec 1851	John Buchanan Floyd
1 Jan 1852 - 31 Dec 1855	Joseph Ellis Johnson
1 Jan 1856 - 31 Dec 1859	Henry Alexander Wise
1 Jan 1860 - 31 Dec 1863	John Letcher
1 Jan 1864 - 8 Jun 1865	William Smith [2]

Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia
20 Jun 1861 - 4 Apr 1868	Francis Harrison Pierpont (Pierpoint) [3][4]
7 Apr 1868 - 20 Sep 1869	Henry Horatio Wells
21 Sep 1869 - 31 Dec 1873	Gilbert Carlton Walker

Commencement of term: 1 Jan 1843; arrived in Richmond and took the oath of office on 5 Jan 1843.
Surrendered himself to the army of the United States on 8 Jun 1865.
Pierpont was elected by the Convention held at Wheeling in opposition to the Constitutional government of Virginia. He took the oath of office on 20 Jun 1861 and became the chief executive of the Restored Government of Virginia, operating in the northwest part of Virginia controlled by the armed forces of the United States (seats of government: Wheeling, 1861-1863; Alexandria, 1863-1865; Richmond, from 1865).
The term of Pierpont expired on 31 Dec 1867/1 Jan 1868, but he continued in office until his successor, Henry Wells, was appointed (4 Apr 1868) by commission issued by the Commanding the First Military District and took the oath of office on 7 Apr 1868.

Last update: 28 Jan 2024