Lewis E. Parsons

Lewis E. Parsons (1817-1895) was Alabama's provisional governor during Reconstruction, reinstating all laws passed before January 11, 1861, excluding those dealing with slavery. A Talladega lawyer, he was an early leader of the Alabama Whig and Know-Nothing Parties and served in the state legislature. Parsons was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1865, then denied his seat with other southern representatives by Congress.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division