Tupper, T. C., 1809-1866

Tullius Cicero Tupper was a general in the Mississippi militia during the Civil War.

Born in Barnard, Vermont, on February 9, 1809, Tupper was educated in the north and graduated from the University of Vermont before moving to Canton, Mississippi. He practiced law in Mississippi and became involved in newspaper publishing, running the Canton Herald in the 1830s. He became highly respected over the next two decades, serving as an advisor to Mississippi governor John J. Pettus during the secession crisis in 1860 and 1861.

In 1862, Tupper received a commission as major general in the Mississippi militia, tasked with organizing and improving state forces at a time when most able-bodied Mississippi men who wanted to volunteer for military service were serving in the Confederate army. Tupper clashed with Pettus over the use of the state militia. He preferred to allow militia troops to return home following training and only be called into service during emergency situations. The governor wished to keep the militia units on active duty and in garrison. Additionally, Tupper resisted efforts by Confederate officials to control state military forces. In 1863, Tupper resigned his commission and spent the rest of the war at home.

Tupper died on August 14, 1866. He was married to Mary Harding Drane and had five children. He is buried in Canton City Cemetery, Canton, Mississippi.

(Wikipedia; FindaGrave)

T. C. Tupper belonged to the following social groups: