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This Brothers No More article is out of date with the current lore of the timeline and may seem inconsistent with other recently revised articles. It will be rewritten in the near future. |
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7th President of the Confederate States | |
| Predecessor | G.T. Beauregard |
| Successor | John Tyler Morgan |
| Vice President | John Tyler Morgan |
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C.S. Senator from Arkansas | |
| Predecessor | Charles B. Mitchel |
| Successor | James Henderson Berry |
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C.S. Representative from Arkansas | |
| Predecessor | Position Established |
| Successor | David Carroll |
| Born | June 11, 1832 Covington, Tennessee, US |
| Died | January 26, 1899 (aged 66) Richmond, Virginia, CS |
| Political Party | Whig (before 1855), American (1855–1859), Constitutional Union (1859–1860), Democratic (before 1861), Confederate (1880-99) |
Augustus Hill Garland (June 11, 1832 – January 26, 1899) was a Confederate politician who served as the 7th President of the Confederate States. He is considered to be one of the founders and the early leader of the Confederate Party.
Early Life[]
Southern War of Independence[]
Garland did not fight in the Southern War of Independence and instead served in Congress for the duration of the war. As a representative and later senator from Arkansas, he supported most of President Davis's policies.
Postbellum Career[]
Garland continued serving as a senator for the next 21 years and eventually became one of the most well-known members of Congress. He generally supported the presidents of this era, Robert E. Lee, Judah P. Benjamin, and Stonewall Jackson. While initially opposed the formation of political parties in the Confederacy, Garland became one of the founders and lead organizers of the Confederate Party. Working as the primary voice of the Confederates and the main force behind the successful 1883 midterm elections, Garland quickly became seen as the sole leader of the young party.
Presidency[]
Being the leader and face of the party, Garland was the clear front runner heading into the 1885 Confederate National Convention. He won a unanimous nomination on the first ballot, and never looked back as he barely defeated Zebulon Baird Vance in the 1885 presidential election. As the first president from the Confederate Party, he quickly began working with Congress to reverse the changes of the last administrations.
Under President Garland's watch, the Confederate economy boomed, the military (especially the navy) was built up to greater heights than ever before, and railroad infrastructure began to truly connect the country. Although he entered the office as a man that was absolutely hated in the Deep South, Garland soon became a truly popular president. He was competent, a good communicator, and had a clear plan for the future. His popularity, combined with Vice President Morgan's expansionist ideals, led to an easy victory for the Confederate Party in 1891.
Post-Presidency[]
Garland left office as popular as ever, content with the fact that he was handing off the job to his own vice president. The former president returned home to Arkansas, where he restarted his law practice. He was extremely influential in local politics, and anyone endorsed by him would get a massive boost to their election chances.
Garland generally supported President Morgan's administration, though he was concerned that the expansionism might be taken too far. Garland's main reason for building up the military was to create "peace by force", where no country would dare to attack the strong Confederate military. He was slightly off-put when the new president used that expanded military to fight offensive wars.
Garland did not receive much blame for the economic Shock of 1896, though he was affected by it. He attempted to offer advice to President Morgan on how to deal with the crisis, but Morgan was more content to do nothing and let Congress figure it out. Garland gave his endorsement to John W. Daniel in the 1897 presidential election, secretly believing that Daniel was far more equipped to handle the crisis than the incumbent president was. He was ultimately disappointed when the unorthodox Benjamin Tillman won the race. He died a year after Tillman's inauguration after suffering a stroke while arguing a case.
Legacy[]
Augustus Hill Garland is remembered as a competent president who ushered in a period of prosperity for his country. He is also known as the de facto founder of the Confederate Party, and was honored in party materials until the end of its existence. Garland is a local icon of Arkansas, as well.
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