Pettus, John J.

The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans: Volume IIV, PSubmitted to the site by Darleen Brown.
 
PETTUS, John J., governor of Mississippi, was born in Wilson county, Tenn., in 1813; son of John and Alice T. (Winston) Pettus. He was educated in Limestone county, Ala., where he also prepared for the law. He engaged in practice in Sumter county, and subsequently removed to Kemper county, Miss., where he became a planter. He served in both brunches of the state legislature; was governor of Mississippi, 1860-62, and convened a special meeting of the legislature in 1862 to provide for additional troops for the Confederate army. He was a brigadier-general in the Confederate army, 1863-65, and after the war removed to Arkansas, where he died in 1867.