Edgar Allan

Edgar Allan (February 26, 1842 – October 28, 1904), emigrated from England to become a U.S. soldier during the American Civil War, then settled in Virginia, where he became a lawyer, a farmer and a leading Republican politician. He served in the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1868 as well as one term in the Virginia Senate. Allan also served as the Commonwealth's attorney for Prince Edward County, held various offices in the Grand Army of the Republic and briefly served as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Early and family life

Born in Birmingham, England, to John Allan and his wife Ann Allan, Edgar Allan was literate and became a typesetter. However, he decided to emigrate to the United States.

On February 6, 1867, he married Kentucky native Mary Edna Land, with whom he had three daughters and a son.

Military Allan emigrated to the United States in 1863 and some months later volunteered to enlist in the 7th Michigan Cavalry, led by George Armstrong Custer. Wounded at the Battle of Shepherdstown in late 1864, Allan returned to service before being discharged at the war's end, but would suffer the effects the rest of his life.

Career

After the war, Allan moved to Prince Edward County, and bought a farm. He read law and was admitted to the Virginia bar, then moved to the Prince Edward County seat, Farmville.

After the redistricting following the 1870 census (conducted by the 1870/71 legislature), Prince Edward County was combined with Amelia and Cumberland Counties as a senatorial district (rather than with Charlotte County). In 1874 voters elected Allan to replace John Robinson in representing this district in the Virginia Senate. C. W. Bliss was elected to replace Allan in 1877.

Allan was active in Virginia's Republican Party (and later the Readjuster Party), as well as Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). He attended most Republican state conventions, as well as made many speaking tours during campaign season, and sat on the city, county, and district Republican executive committees. Allan became commander of the GAR's Philip Kearny Post in Richmond (1885–1886), junior vice-commander of the national GAR (1886), and was commander-in-chief of the GAR Constitutional Centennial in 1887. Thus, in his final years, he was referred to as "General Allan" rather than "Yankee Allan." He was buried in Glenwood Cemetery in Washington, D.C.