G. A. Henry

Biography

Gustavus Adolphus Henry (1804-1880) was a Whig Party leader and a law school classmate of future Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Henry, nicknamed the “Eagle Orator of Tennessee,” ran for governor of Tennessee in 1853, an election he lost to Democrat Andrew Johnson. During the Civil War, he served for three years in the Confederate Senate.

He was also one of the prominent Clarksville-area figures associated with the Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville Railroad during its formative years. A lawyer, politician and local booster, Henry was among the men who promoted the railroad as a vital link between Clarksville, Louisville and Memphis. He served as a director of the company and was later connected with its leadership during the difficult years when the railroad struggled to complete its line and remain financially stable.

Henry’s name was closely tied to the railroad’s early identity. One of the Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville’s first locomotives was named G.A. Henry, reflecting his importance to the enterprise and to the region’s transportation ambitions. His broader prominence in Middle Tennessee was also reflected during the Civil War, when nearby Fort Henry was named in his honor.