# Jo Abbott > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Jo_Abbott > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Jo_Abbott.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo_Abbott > Source revision: 1357117377 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Joseph B. "Jo" Abbott** (January 15, 1840 – February 11, 1908) was a lawyer, judge, Confederate Army officer, member of the [Texas House of Representatives](/source/Texas_House_of_Representatives) and a member of the [United States House of Representatives](/source/United_States_House_of_Representatives) from [Texas](/source/Texas). The city of [Abbott, Texas](/source/Abbott,_Texas), is named for him.[1] ## Biography Joseph B. Abbott[2] was born January 15, 1840, to William and Mary (*[née](/source/N%C3%A9e)* McMillan) Abbott in [Morgan County, Alabama](/source/Morgan_County,_Alabama), near [Decatur](/source/Decatur,_Alabama), and attended the public schools. His parents were both born near [Petersburg, Virginia](/source/Petersburg,_Virginia). His father William had been a soldier in the [War of 1812](/source/War_of_1812), and was stationed at [Norfolk, Virginia](/source/Norfolk,_Virginia).[3] Abbott moved with his parents to [Freestone County, Texas](/source/Freestone_County,_Texas), in 1853.[4] He was educated by the scholar [Franklin Laughlin Yoakum](/source/Franklin_Laughlin_Yoakum),[3] the father of [Benjamin Franklin Yoakum](/source/Benjamin_Franklin_Yoakum)[5] and the president of [Larissa College](/source/Larissa_College),[6] and George F. Allison, who operated a classical school in Freestone County. He began to [read law](/source/Read_law) in 1859 and continued in this practice until the beginning of the [American Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War).[3] Abbott entered into service of the [Confederate Army](/source/Confederate_States_Army) in the Civil War as a junior second lieutenant, eventually becoming a first lieutenant in Company B of the [Twelfth Texas Cavalry Regiment](/source/Twelfth_Texas_Cavalry_Regiment).[2][7] He fought in at least half a dozen battles[8] including the [Battle of Cotton Plant](/source/Battle_of_Cotton_Plant), the [Battle of Pleasant Hill](/source/Battle_of_Pleasant_Hill), and the [Battle of Yellow Bayou](/source/Battle_of_Yellow_Bayou), in which he was wounded and disabled for many months. He later rejoined his command and remained with it until the end of the war.[3] After the end of the war he resumed his studies of law and entered the office of [Lochlin J. Farrar](/source/Lochlin_J._Farrar) in [Springfield, Limestone County, Texas](/source/Springfield,_Limestone_County,_Texas),[8] and received instructions from D. W. Pendergast. Abbott was admitted to the bar by [Robert S. Gould](/source/Robert_S._Gould), who became a [chief justice](/source/List_of_chief_justices_of_Texas) of the [Texas Supreme Court](/source/Supreme_Court_of_Texas).[3] After he became licensed in October 1866, he began to practice law in Springfield[4] as a partner of Farrar.[8] He moved to [Hill County](/source/Hill_County,_Texas) in 1867, where he taught a school for five months. He returned to his legal profession after the county court system was organized in 1868. On December 15, 1868, he married Rowena Sturgis of Hillsboro, daughter of James W. L. and Martha Sturgis.[3] He was a member of the [Texas House of Representatives](/source/Texas_Legislature) from 1870 to 1873[9] He was appointed a district judge in the Twenty-eighth judicial district by Governor [Oran M. Roberts](/source/Oran_M._Roberts). In 1880, he was elected for a full four-year term for that position. In 1886, he was elected as a [Democrat](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) to the [United States House of Representatives](/source/United_States_House_of_Representatives), and served in that capacity through the end of Fifty-Fourth Congress in 1897.[10] Upon leaving Congress, he resumed his legal career in Hillsboro, Texas, where he died on February 11, 1908.[7] ## References 1. Sullins, Virginia. ["Abbott"](https://www.texasalmanac.com/places/abbott). *[Texas Almanac](/source/Texas_Almanac)* 1. ["Abbott, J. B."](https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-soldiers-detail.htm?soldierId=CF468379-DC7A-DF11-BF36-B8AC6F5D926A). *Civil War Soldiers*. [National Park Service](/source/National_Park_Service) 1. [*A Memorial and Biographical History of Johnson and Hill Counties, Texas*](https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth46829/), Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company. 1892. pp. 225–227. Retrieved November 29, 2023. – via [University of North Texas Libraries](/source/University_of_North_Texas_Libraries). 1. Orozco-Vallejo, Mary M. (February 1, 1996). ["Yoakum, Benjamin Franklin (1859–1929)"](https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/yoakum-benjamin-franklin). *The [Handbook of Texas](/source/Handbook_of_Texas) Online*. Texas State Historical Association. 1. Kemp, Louis Wiltz (February 1, 1996). ["Yoakum, Franklin Laughlin (1819–1891)"](https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/yoakum-franklin-laughlin). *The [Handbook of Texas](/source/Handbook_of_Texas) Online*. Texas State Historical Association. 1. *Who Was Who in American History – the Military*. [Chicago](/source/Chicago): [Marquis Who's Who](/source/Marquis_Who's_Who). 1975. p. 1. ISBN 0837932017. LCCN 75029616. [OCLC 2143230](https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/2143230) 1. Hooker, Anne W. (November 1994). ["Abbott, Joseph (1840–1908)"](https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/abbott-joseph). *The [Handbook of Texas](/source/Handbook_of_Texas) Online*. Texas State Historical Association. 1. ["Joseph "Jo" Abbott"](https://lrl.texas.gov/legeLeaders/members/memberDisplay.cfm?memberID=4399). *Texas Legislators: Past & Present*. Legislative Reference Library of Texas. 1. Leonard, John William & Marquis, Albert Nelson (eds.) (1908). *Who's who in America*. Vol. 5. [Chicago](/source/Chicago): [Marquis Who's Who, Inc.](/source/Marquis_Who's_Who,_Inc.). p. 5. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jo Abbott](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo_Abbott) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo_Abbott?action=history)). 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