# Absalom Tatom

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**Absalom Tatom** (1742 – December 20, 1802) was a [U.S. Congressman](/source/United_States_House_of_Representatives) from [North Carolina](/source/North_Carolina) from 1795 to 1796.

## Biography

Born in North Carolina in 1742, Tatom was a sergeant in the [Greenville, North Carolina](/source/Greenville,_North_Carolina) Militia in 1763; he served in North Carolina Militia during the [American Revolutionary War](/source/American_Revolutionary_War), where he was commissioned [first lieutenant](/source/First_lieutenant#United_States) on September 1, 1775, and promoted to the rank of captain June 29, 1776. He resigned from the [Continental Army](/source/Continental_Army) on September 19, 1776.

On August 15, 1778, Tatom enlisted as assistant quartermaster and keeper of the arsenal in the State service at [Hillsborough, North Carolina](/source/Hillsborough,_North_Carolina); he was contractor for Hillsborough in 1778 and named major of detachment of the North Carolina Light Horse February 12, 1779.

In 1779, Tatom served as clerk of court in [Randolph County](/source/Randolph_County,_North_Carolina); he was elected to the [North Carolina House of Commons](/source/North_Carolina_House_of_Commons), but, because of his county clerk position, was disqualified from service in the legislature. In 1781, Tatom was district auditor for Hillsborough.

Tatom rose in state government; in 1782, he was one of three commissioners appointed by Congress to survey lands granted to Continental soldiers in the western territory (later Tennessee); that same year, he was a private secretary of Governor [Thomas Burke](/source/Thomas_Burke_(governor)) and state [tobacco](/source/Tobacco) agent. The [Continental Congress](/source/Continental_Congress) named him surveyor of North Carolina in May 1785 and was named commissioner to sign State paper money in December 1785.

In 1788, Tatom was a delegate to the convention which considered ratification of the [United States Constitution](/source/United_States_Constitution). In 1794, Tatom was elected as a [Democratic-Republican](/source/Democratic-Republican_Party_(United_States)) to the [4th United States Congress](/source/4th_United_States_Congress) where he served from March 4, 1795, until his resignation on June 1, 1796. Tatom was later a member of the state House of Commons from 1797 to 1802; he died in [Raleigh, North Carolina](/source/Raleigh,_North_Carolina), in December 1802 and is buried in the [Old City Cemetery](/source/City_Cemetery_(Raleigh,_North_Carolina)).

## References

Retrieved on 2009-02-26

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