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Jordan Edgar Cravens
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arkansas's 3rd district
In office March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1883
Preceded by	William W. Wilshire
Succeeded by	John H. Rogers
Member of the Arkansas Senate from the 6th district
In office November 5, 1866 – April 2, 1868
Preceded by	Redistricted
Succeeded by	John N. Sarber
Constituency	Johnson and Pope counties
Member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from the Johnson County district
In office November 5, 1860 – November 5, 1862Serving with L. Robinson
Preceded by	S. Farmer
Succeeded by	L.B. Howell
Personal details
Born	November 7, 1830 (1830-11-07) Fredericktown, Missouri
Died	April 8, 1914 (1914-04-09) (aged 83) Fort Smith, Arkansas
Political party	Independent Democrat Democratic
Spouse	Emma Batson
Children	Jeane, Jane, Felix, Sallie, and Samuella
Military service
Allegiance	Confederate States of America
Branch/service	Confederate States Army
Years of service	1861 to 1865
Rank	Colonel
Unit	1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment (Trans-Mississippi)
Battles/wars	Civil War Battle of Dug Springs

Jordan Edgar Cravens (November 7, 1830 – April 8, 1914) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Arkansas. From 1877 to 1883, he served three terms in Congress, first as an Independent Democrat, then as a Democrat.

He was the cousin of William Ben Cravens.

Biography

Born in Fredericktown, Missouri in 1830, Cravens was the son of Nehemiah and Sophia Thompson Cravens. He moved with his father to Arkansas the following year, and attended the common schools.

He was graduated from the Cane Hill Academy at Boonsboro (now Canehill), Washington County, Arkansas, in 1850. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1854. He commenced practice in Clarksville, Arkansas.

Prior to the Civil War, he we was elected as member of the Arkansas House of Representatives in 1860, serving in the 13th Arkansas General Assembly. He later served in the Arkansas Senate during the 16th Arkansas General Assembly, representing Johnson and Pope counties.

Personal life

Cravens owned slaves. He married Emma Batson and they had five children, Jeane, Jane, Felix, Sallie, and Samuella. Emma Batson's father was Felix Ives Batson an Arkansas Supreme Court judge who during the American Civil War, represented the First Congressional District of northwest Arkansas in the First Confederate Congress and the Second Confederate Congress House of Representatives.

Civil War

Cravens entered the Confederate States Army in 1861 as a private in Company C, 17th Arkansas Infantry Regiment (Lemoyne's). When that regiment underwent consolidation in May 1862, Cravens was elected Colonel of the new unit: the 21st Arkansas Infantry Regiment. The 21st Arkansas was surrendered, at Vicksburg, Mississippi, on July 4, 1863. After being declared exchanged, on September 12, 1863, Cravens' unit was consolidated with the 14th Powers' Arkansas, 15th (Northwest) Arkansas, and the 16th Arkansas, to form a new unit: the 1st Arkansas Consolidated Infantry Regiment (Trans-Mississippi) Department. He was named colonel of the new organization.

Post-war career

At the close of hostilities, Cravens returned to Clarksville where he served as prosecuting attorney of Johnson County in 1865 and 1866 and then as member of the Arkansas State Senate from 1866 until 1868. He did not seek re-election and returned to his law practice.

Congress

In 1876, Cravens was elected as an Independent Democrat to the Forty-fifth Congress, winning a contested three-way race with 37% of the vote. His margin of victory was fewer than 300 votes over second-place candidate John McClure.

In 1878, he was reelected as a Democrat to the 46th Congress, then won a third term in 1880 with 58% of the vote, defeating former congressman Thomas Boles

In 1882, Cravens lost in the Democratic primary to local judge John H. Rogers. In all, Cravens served in Congress from March 4, 1877, until March 3, 1883.

Later career

He then resumed the practice of law in Clarksville, Arkansas.

He remained active in politics, being mentioned for various offices, including governor and a return to Congress. In 1889, he won election as a local circuit court judge, serving from 1890 until 1894.

Death

Cravens died in Fort Smith, Arkansas on April 8, 1914, (age 83 years, 152 days) and is interred at Oakland Cemetery, Clarksville, Arkansas.

References

1. Priest, Sharon (1998). Runnells, Jonathan (ed.). Historical Report of the Arkansas Secretary of State. Office of the Arkansas Secretary of State. p. 232. ISBN 9780313302121. OCLC 40157815.
2. "SOS" (1998), p. 231.
3. "SOS" (1998), p. 234.
4. "SOS" (1998), pp. 228–229.
5. "SOS" (1998), p. 229.
6. "SOS" (1998), p. 227.
7. "SOS" (1998), pp. 229–230.
8. "Jordan E. Cravens". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
9. "SOS" (1998), p. 232.
10. "Congress slaveowners", The Washington Post, 2022-01-19, retrieved 2022-07-11
11. "Jordan E. Cravens". Children of Nehemiah Cravens & Sophia Thompson. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
12. Langford, Ella Molley (1921). Johnson County, Arkansas: the First Hundred Years. Clarksville, AR: Clarksville Historical Society. p. 173.
13. William H. Pruden III. "Biography of Jordan Edgar Cravens". Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
14. William H. Pruden III. "Biography of Jordan Edgar Cravens". Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
15. William H. Pruden III. "Biography of Jordan Edgar Cravens". Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
16. "Jordan E. Cravens". Govtrack US Congress. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
17. William H. Pruden III. "Biography of Jordan Edgar Cravens". Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
18. William H. Pruden III. "Biography of Jordan Edgar Cravens". Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
19. "Jordan E. Cravens". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved 21 June 2013.

External links

• United States Congress. "Jordan E. Cravens (id: C000885)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on 2009-05-13

• "Jordan E. Cravens". Find a Grave. Retrieved 2009-05-13.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

v t e Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arkansas
Territory Bates Conway Sevier At-large Yell Cross Yell Newton Johnson Hynes Breckinridge
1st district Greenwood Hindman Roots Hanks Hodges Gause Dunn Cate Featherstone Cate McCulloch Macon Caraway Driver Gathings Alexander Lincoln Berry Crawford 2nd district Warren Rust Warren Rust Hinds Elliott A. A. C. Rogers O. P. Snyder Slemons Jones Breckinridge Little Brundidge W. Oldfield P. Oldfield Miller Mills Tucker Bethune T. Robinson Thornton V. Snyder Griffin Hill 3rd district Boles Edwards Boles Wilshire Gunter Wilshire J. Cravens J. H. Rogers McRae Dinsmore Floyd Tillman Fuller Ellis Fulbright Trimble Hammerschmidt T. Hutchinson A. Hutchinson Boozman Womack 4th district Gunter Peel J. H. Rogers W. Terry Reid Little W. B. Cravens O. Wingo E. Wingo W. B. Cravens W. F. Cravens Tackett Harris Pryor Thornton Anthony Dickey Ross Cotton Westerman 5th district Peel Dinsmore Reid Jacoway Ragon D. Terry Hays Alford 6th district Neill Brundidge J. Robinson S. Taylor C. Taylor Sawyer Reed Glover McClellan W. Norrell C. Norrell 7th district Wallace Goodwin Parks Kitchens Harris

• 1830 births
• 1914 deaths
• People from Madison County, Missouri
• American people of English descent
• Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Arkansas
• Democratic Party members of the Arkansas House of Representatives
• Democratic Party Arkansas state senators
• Arkansas state court judges
• Arkansas lawyers
• People from Clarksville, Arkansas
• 19th-century American lawyers
• Confederate States Army officers
• People of Arkansas in the American Civil War
• Members of the United States House of Representatives who owned slaves
• 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives
• 19th-century members of the Arkansas General Assembly