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List of U.S. counties named after prominent Confederate historical figures

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Map of the counties named after prominent Confederate historical figures tabulated below.

This is a list of U.S. counties named after prominent Confederate historical figures. The counties are named primarily for Confederate politicians and military officers. Most counties are located in former Confederate States, whilst five counties are located in what was the Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma), a territory that was aligned and controlled by the Confederacy. Four further counties are in Border States (three in Kentucky and one in Missouri). Four counties are located in a Union State (Kansas) whilst two further counties are in New Mexico; which consisted of two territories, one of which was controlled by the Union and one by the Confederacy until the Union gained control of both. Though Tennessee, a former Confederate state, doesn’t have any counties directly named after any Confederate leaders, Tennessee does have some counties named after relatives of some Confederate leaders, some of which have the same last name, such as Cheatham County, Tennessee. There are 120 counties in total.

The most common Confederacy-related county names are "Lee County" (for Robert E. Lee) with eight examples, and "Jeff Davis County" or "Jefferson Davis County" (for Jefferson Davis) with four examples. Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar has three counties named after him whilst David Rice Atchison, Patrick Cleburne, Alexander Stephens, and Henry A. Wise, have two counties each named after them. There are also two "Johnson County" examples however one of them, in rural Southeast Georgia is named for Herschel V. Johnson and the other, in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex is named for Col. Middleton Tate Johnson Sr. Some counties are named after individuals who were closely related to Confederate leaders such as Hardeman County, Tennessee (named after the father of Confederate brigadier general William Polk Hardeman) and Lee County, Virginia (named after the father of Confederate general-in-chief Robert E. Lee).

Table

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Place name State Named after
Adair County Oklahoma Colonel William Penn Adair of the First Regiment of Cherokee Mounted Rifles, Cherokee Nation delegate
Alcorn County Mississippi James L. Alcorn, Confederate brigadier general and Governor of Mississippi
Allen Parish Louisiana Henry Watkins Allen, Confederate brigadier general and Governor of Louisiana
Anderson County Kansas Joseph C. Anderson, member of a secret militant group "Southern League" which smuggled weapons south to the Confederacy, also famous for refusing to take an oath of allegiance to the Union, Border Ruffian, Speaker pro Tempore of the Kansas Territorial Legislature
Arlington County Virginia Named in honor of Arlington House, the home of General Robert E. Lee, originally named after Arlington Archeological Site where the family originated
Atchison County Kansas David Rice Atchison, Confederate brigadier general of the Missouri Home Guard, U.S Senator and President pro tempore of the United States Senate
Atchison County Missouri
Bacon County Georgia Confederate soldier Augustus Octavius Bacon, speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives
Baker County Florida Confederate Senator James McNair Baker
Bamberg County South Carolina General Francis Marion Bamberg
Bartow County Georgia Colonel Francis S. Bartow, killed at the First Battle of Manassas, the first brigade commander of the Confederate States Army to die in combat
Beauregard Parish Louisiana General P.G.T. Beauregard, one of the designers of the Confederate Battle Flag
Ben Hill County Georgia Benjamin Harvey Hill, member of the Confederate Senate, U.S Representative and U.S. Senator
Benton County Mississippi Brigadier General Samuel Benton, 34th Mississippi Infantry Regiment, mustered from the same counties from which Benton County was formed in 1870
Bleckley County Georgia Confederate soldier Logan Edwin Bleckley, Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court
Bradford County Florida Captain Richard Bradford, killed in the Battle of Santa Rosa Island, the first Confederate officer from Florida to die in the American Civil War
Brantley County Georgia Confederate soldier Benjamin Daniel Brantley, Georgia state representative
Brewster County Texas Colonel Henry Percy Brewster
Brown County Kansas Albert G. Brown, member of the Confederate Senate, U.S Representative, U.S. Senator and Governor of Mississippi
Bullock County Alabama Colonel Edward Bullock
Camp County Texas Colonel John Lafayette Camp, Texas state senator
Candler County Georgia First Lieutenant Allen Daniel Candler, U.S Representative, Georgia Secretary of State and Georgia Governor
Catron County New Mexico First Lieutenant Thomas B. Catron, U.S Representative, U.S Senator and Mayor of Santa Fe
Chambers County Texas Confederate soldier Thomas Jefferson Chambers, Texas state representative
Chilton County Alabama William Parish Chilton, Alabama Supreme Court Justice and Confederate congressman
Cleburne County Alabama Major General Patrick Cleburne
Cleburne County Arkansas
Coke County Texas Captain Richard Coke, U.S Senator and Governor of Texas
Cook County Georgia General Philip Cook, U.S. Representative
Crisp County Georgia Confederate soldier Charles Frederick Crisp, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Cross County Arkansas Confederate soldier David C. Cross, local politician
Culberson County Texas Lieutenant Colonel David B. Culberson, U.S Representative
Donley County Texas Confederate Soldier Stockton P. Donley and associate justice of the Supreme Court of Texas
Ector County Texas Brigadier General Mathew D. Ector
Elliott County Kentucky Congress of the Confederate States Representative John Milton Elliott, helped organised the Confederate government of Kentucky, U.S Representative
Erath County Texas Major George Bernard Erath, raised a company of the Fifteenth Texas Infantry regiment, Texas state representative and Texas state senator
Evans County Georgia Brigadier General Clement A. Evans, notably commanded infantry in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War, later edited a 12-volume work on Confederate military history, so named, in 1899 and was president of the United Confederate Veterans
Faulkner County Arkansas Captain Sandford C. Faulkner, composer and fiddler known for the "Arkansas Traveler"
Florence County South Carolina Named for its county seat Florence, founded by General William Harllee, president of the Wilmington & Manchester Railroad and South Carolina Lieutenant Governor, who in turn named the town after his daughter Florence Harlee (as Harleesville already existed)
Foard County Texas Major Robert L. Foard
Forrest County Mississippi General Nathan Bedford Forrest
Garland County Arkansas Augustus Hill Garland, member of the Confederate Senate, U.S. Senator, United States Attorney General and Governor of Arkansas
George County Mississippi Colonel James Z. George, Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court and U.S Senator
Glasscock County Texas Confederate soldier George Washington Glasscock, Texas state representative
Graham County North Carolina William Alexander Graham, member of the Confederate Senate, U.S. Senator, United States Secretary of the Navy and Governor of North Carolina
Gray County Texas Peter W. Gray, member of the Confederate House of Representatives for the Houston district
Gregg County Texas Brigadier General John B. Gregg
Greenwood County Kansas Congress of the Confederate States Representative Alfred B. Greenwood, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, U.S Representative
Hale County Alabama Lieutenant Colonel Stephen F. Hale
Hampton County South Carolina Lieutenant General Wade Hampton III, cavalry leader and later governor of South Carolina
Hemphill County Texas Congress of the Confederate States Representative John Hemphill, U.S Senator
Hendry County Florida Captain Francis A. Hendry, local politician
Hoke County North Carolina General Robert Hoke
Hood County Texas Lieutenant General John Bell Hood, commander of Hood's Texas Brigade
Humphreys County Mississippi Benjamin G. Humphreys, Confederate brigadier general and Governor of Mississippi
Jackson County Oklahoma Lieutenant General Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson
Jeff Davis County Georgia Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy
Jeff Davis County Texas
Jefferson Davis County Mississippi
Jefferson Davis Parish Louisiana
Johnson County Georgia Herschel V. Johnson, member of the Confederate Senate, U.S vice-presidential candidate in the 1860 United States presidential election, U.S. Senator and Governor of Georgia
Johnson County Texas Colonel Middleton Tate Johnson Sr.
Kenedy County Texas Mifflin Kenedy, known for successfully transporting cotton and other goods for the Confederacy along the Rio Grande river to avoid the Union blockade and allow exports from the Confederacy to Europe
Lamar County Alabama Colonel Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar, U.S Representative, U.S Senator, United States Secretary of the Interior and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Lamar County Georgia
Lamar County Mississippi
Lanier County Georgia Confederate soldier Sidney Lanier, poet, musician and academic often known as the "poet of the Confederacy"
Lea County New Mexico Confederate soldier and guerilla leader Joseph C. Lea, considered the "father of Roswell"
Lee County Alabama General Robert E. Lee
Lee County Arkansas
Lee County Florida
Lee County Kentucky
Lee County Mississippi
Lee County North Carolina
Lee County South Carolina
Lee County Texas
Levy County Florida David Levy Yulee, U.S Representative and U.S Senator who resigned to support the Confederacy, Confederate congressman (according to some sources) and notably arrested and imprisoned at Fort Pulaski for treason after aiding the 1865 escape of Confederate President Jefferson Davis
Loving County Texas Oliver Loving, known for being prevented from returning by the Union to Texas, before he successfully escaped and was commissioned by the Confederate States Army to produce beef and drive cattle along the Mississippi River; the Confederate Government later owed him between $100,000 and $250,000
Lubbock County Texas Colonel Thomas Saltus Lubbock
Maverick County Texas Samuel Augustus Maverick, Confederate diplomat (negotiating the peaceful surrender of Union-aligned federal garrisons from Texas) and one of three commissioners appointed by the Texas Secession Convention
Mayes County Oklahoma Confederate soldier Samuel Houston Mayes of the Second Regiment of Cherokee Mounted Rifles, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation
McCreary County Kentucky Lieutenant Colonel James B. McCreary, U.S Representative, U.S Senator and Governor of Kentucky
McCulloch County Texas Brigadier General Benjamin McCulloch
Ochiltree County Texas Colonel William Beck Ochiltree, 18th Texas Infantry, a prominent figure in the Republic of Texas
Oldham County Texas William Simpson Oldham Sr., pioneer Texas lawyer and Confederate Senator
Parker County Texas Confederate Soldier Isaac Parker, Texas state representative and Texas state senator
Pasco County Florida Samuel Pasco, Confederate soldier and later U.S. Senator
Pender County North Carolina William Dorsey Pender, Confederate soldier mortally wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg
Randall County Texas Brigadier General Horace Randal
Reeves County Texas Colonel George R. Reeves
Reagan County Texas John Henninger Reagan, postmaster general of the Confederacy
Roberts County Texas Colonel Oran Milo Roberts, president of the Texas secession convention, Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court and Governor of Texas
Roger Mills County Oklahoma Colonel Roger Q. Mills, U.S Representative and U.S. Senator
Rogers County Oklahoma Confederate Soldier Clement Vann Rogers of the First Regiment of Cherokee Mounted Rifles, Cherokee judge, member of the Cherokee Senate and delegate to the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention
Schleicher County Texas Captain Gustav Schleicher, U.S Representative
Scurry County Texas General William Read Scurry
Starr County Texas James Harper Starr, director of the postal service of the Trans-Mississippi Department
Stephens County Georgia Alexander Stephens, vice president of the Confederacy
Stephens County Texas
Stone County Mississippi Colonel John Marshall Stone, Governor of Mississippi
Stonewall County Texas Lieutenant General Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson
Sutton County Texas Colonel John S. Sutton
Terrell County Texas Brigadier General Alexander Watkins Terrell, Terrell's Texas Cavalry Regiment
Tift County Georgia Captain Nelson Tift of the Confederate States Navy, U.S Representative and founder of Albany, Georgia
Terry County Texas Colonel Benjamin Franklin Terry, Terry's Texas Rangers
Tom Green County Texas Brigadier General Thomas Green
Toombs County Georgia General Robert Toombs, Secretary of State of the Confederacy
Turner County Georgia Captain Henry G. Turner, associate justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia and U.S Representative
Tyler County Texas John Tyler, President of the United States, Confederate congressman, also noted for presiding over the Virginia Secession Convention and signing the Virginia Ordinance of Secession
Upton County Texas Generals John C. and William F. Upton
Vance County North Carolina Colonel Zebulon Baird Vance, twice governor of North Carolina
Waller County Texas Edward Leonard Waller, delegate for Austin County at the Secession Convention, in the convention Waller supported Texas joining the Confederacy, and co-signed (as the only living signer of the Texas Deceleration of Independence) the Texas Ordinance of Secession, also approving the "Constitution of the Confederate States of America", Mayor of Austin
Walthall County Mississippi General Edward C. Walthall
Wheeler County Georgia Named for Joseph Wheeler, Confederate cavalry general, later joined the U.S. Army, serving in the Spanish–American War and Philippine–American War
Winkler County Texas Colonel Clinton McKamy Winkler
Winston County Alabama Colonel John A. Winston and Governor of Alabama
Wise County Texas General Henry A. Wise and Governor of Virginia
Wise County Virginia
Woodruff County Arkansas Confederate Soldier William E. Woodruff, the first Treasurer of Arkansas and founder of the state's first newspaper the Arkansas Gazette
Young County Texas Colonel William Cooke Young, 11th Texas Cavalry Regiment

See also

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