John Henninger Reagan was born in Sevier County, Tenn., in 1818. After several interruptions in his educational path, Reagan studied law in Texas, was admitted to the bar, and became Judge of the Ninth Judicial District. He served in Congress until 1861, when, at the outbreak of the Civil War, he became Postmaster General of the Confederacy. Near the end of the war, he served as Acting Treasurer in Jefferson Davis' Cabinet.
After the war, he was held by the U.S. as a prisoner of war for several months. Upon his release, he returned to Texas, where he was elected to the senate. Reagan later resigned his seat to accept the chairmanship of the Railroad Commission of Texas. He died at his home near Palestine in March 1905 at the age of 87. |