Thomas Dickens Arnold

Thomas Dickens Arnold (3 May, 1798 - 26 May, 1870) was an American politician that represented Tennessee's second and first districts in the United States House of Representatives. He was born in Spotsylvania County, Virginia on May 3, 1798. He moved with his parents to Knox County, Tennessee in 1808. At the age of fourteen, he enlisted as a drummer boy in the War of 1812. He taught school in Knox and Grainger Counties. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1820, and commenced practice in Knoxville, Tennessee.

He was elected as an Anti-Jacksonian by Tennessee's 2nd district to the Twenty-second United States Congress, which had lasted from March 4, 1831 to March 3, 1833. In 1836, he was made a brigadier general of the Tennessee Militia. He moved to Greeneville, Tennessee and was elected as a Whig by Tennessee's 1st district to the Twenty-seventh Congress, which lasted from March 4, 1841 to March 3, 1843. During the Twenty-seventh Congress, he served as chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Claims. He was not a candidate for re-election to the Twenty-eighth Congress. He resumed the practice of law in Greeneville and died while attending court in Jonesborough, Tennessee on May 26, 1870. He was interred in Oak Grove Cemetery in Greeneville.

Assassination attempt

During his first term as a U.S. Represenatative, an attempt to assassinate Thomas Dickens Arnold was made by Morgan A. Heard on May 14, 1832, as he descended the west steps of the Capitol.

According to the book "Journal of a Residence and Tour in the United States", U.S. Representative William Stanbery wrote to the Speaker of the House that fellow Representative Samuel Houston had attacked and severely wounded him, confining him to his bed. Sam Houston, being brought to the House to be reprimanded by the Speaker, sent a letter stating that he thought it was a "mode of punishment unknown to our laws," and that "if he were to "submit in silence to such a sentence, it might imply that he recognized the authority of the House to impose it."

Upon Houston being only lightly reprimanded after being found guilty for assault, Thomas Dickens Arnold commented that "he believed the letter and the threat preceding it, were intended to overawe the House, which had, by its own act, virtually invoked insult and outrage from every ruffian in the land; and that the decision in the case of Houston amounted to a call, an invitation to all ruffians and assassins that could be collected, and were propelled by a secret power that was irresistible."

In May, Morgan A. Heard assaulted Thomas Arnold, intending to strike a blow to his head with a large stick. Several days before he had threatened to "whip" Thomas Arnold for his comments on his friend, Samuel Houston. When Thomas Arnold dodged the blow, Morgan A. Heard withdrew a large duelling pistol and lacerated his arm. Thomas Arnold had knocked Heard down several times with a light sword-cane before Heard ran off. Both Sam Houston and Morgan A. Heard were afterward indicted by Washington County for assault with attempt to kill.

External links

* [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=A000297 Thomas Dickens Arnold's entry at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress] .
* [http://www.earlyrepublic.net/abdy2/ch17.htm Chapter 17 of "Journal of a Residence and Tour in the United States", written by Edward S. Abdy, at earlyrepublic.net] .
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6910271 Profile page for Thomas Dickens Arnold] on the Find-A-Grave web site