Governor Thomas Overton Moore Political party Democratic Party Party Democratic Party Nationality American Died June 25, 1875 | Succeeded by Benjamin W. Pearce Role Politician Preceded by William F. Griffin Name Henry Hyams Resting place New Orleans | |
Spouse(s) Laurel Matilda (Smith) Hyams | ||
Henry M. Hyams (March 4, 1806 - June 25, 1875) was an American lawyer, planter and Democratic politician. He served as the 7th Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana from 1862 to 1864 under Governor Thomas Overton Moore during the American Civil War, when Louisiana joined the Confederate States of America. He was an advocate of slavery in the United States.
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Early life
Henry M. Hyams was born on March 4, 1806 in Charleston, South Carolina. His father was Samuel Myers Hyams (1766-1843) and his mother, Miriam Levy (1780-1821). His cousin was Judah P. Benjamin (1811–1884).
Career
Hyams worked for the Canal Bank in Donaldsonville, Louisiana. He was admitted to the Louisiana bar in 1830, and he joined the law firm Dunbar and Elgee in Alexandria, Louisiana, becoming one of the first Jews living in Alexandria. He also operated a plantation.
Hyams moved to New Orleans, Louisiana in 1853, where he practised the law. He then served as a clerk of the District Court of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana. He was elected to the Louisiana State Senate as a Democrat in 1855. He then served as the Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana from 1862 to 1864.
Hyams supported slavery. Indeed, as early as the 1830s, he joined a vigilante to defend the institution of slavery.
Personal life and death
Hyams was an observant Jew. He married Laurel Matilda Smith (1817-1875), the daughter of Dr. Isaac Ambrose Smith and Elizabeth Ravencamp Ingraham. He had thirteen children, including the following three sons (and well-known granddaughter):
Hyams died on June 25, 1875 in New Orleans, Louisiana. His funeral was held by Rabbi James Koppel Gutheim, and he was buried in Lafayette Cemetery in New Orleans. His obituary in The Times-Picayune described him as "a standard-bearer of the ancient regime."