Harris Flanagin (November 3, 1817 – October 23, 1874) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 7th governor of Arkansas from 1862 to 1864, and in exile from 1864 to 1865. Prior to this he was a Confederate States Army officer who commanded infantry in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.

Early life and education

Flanagin was born in the Roadstown section of Hopewell Township, Cumberland County, New Jersey, to James, a farmer and cabinetmaker, and Mary (née Harris) Flanagin. He was educated at a Quaker school in New Jersey and then went on to teach at Clermont Seminary in Frankford (present-day Philadelphia). Soon after he moved to Illinois, where he again tried teaching and while at this work studied law. In 1838 Flanagin moved to Arkansas, settling first at Pine Bluff, then Little Rock, then Clark County in 1839, and Arkadelphia in 1842. He served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1842 to 1844 and the Arkansas Senate from 1848 to 1850. He was married on July 3, 1851, to Miss Martha Eliza Nash of Lafayette County. During the American Civil War Flanagin was promoted to colonel, commanding the 2nd Arkansas Mounted Rifles.

Governor of Arkansas

In 1862, Flanagin was elected governor of Arkansas and resigned from the Army to take office. His administration dealt primarily with war related measures and maintaining order and continuing government while undergoing an invasion. The government was faced with shortages of critical items, rising prices, care of fallen soldier's families, and related problems. During the American Civil War, the state government was forced to suspend the collection of taxes and financed the war with paper "war bonds". When on September 10, 1863, the capital of Little Rock fell to Union forces and Arkansas's state government fled the city, he seized as many government documents as he could and reestablished the capital at Washington, Arkansas. While governor Flanagin remained in Confederate controlled southwest Arkansas, a Union administration under provisional governor Isaac Murphy was inaugurated April 18, 1864, in the Arkansas State House at Little Rock.

Later life and death

After the American Civil War, Flanagin returned the state archives and resumed his law practice in Arkadelphia. He died and is buried at Rose Hill Cemetery, Arkadelphia.

Electoral history

1862 Arkansas gubernatorial election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Harris Flanagin	18,139	69.06
	Independent Democrat	Henry M. Rector (incumbent)	7,419	28.25
	Independent	John S. H. Rainey	708	2.7
Total votes			26,266	100.0

See also

• List of Freemasons
• List of governors of Arkansas
• List of people from New Jersey