Samuel Bell Maxey (January 23 1825 – April 30 1895) was an American lawyer, Confederate Army brigadier general, and United States Senator from Texas.
Early life and education
Maxey was born in Danville, Kentucky, to John Maxey and Sarah (Bell) Maxey. He attended private schools and read law under the mentorship of a local attorney, gaining admission to the bar in 1848. He subsequently moved to Texas, establishing a practice in La Grange, Fayette County.
Military career
At the outbreak of the American Civil War, Maxey enlisted in the Confederate States Army. He was appointed captain of Company B, 10th Texas Cavalry (the "Cavalry from Ellis County") and later promoted to colonel, commanding the 10th Texas Cavalry Regiment. In February 1864, he was elevated to brigadier general, leading a brigade in the Trans-Mississippi Department. Maxey participated in several engagements, including the Red River Campaign and the battle of Mansfield. He surrendered with the Confederate forces in Texas in June 1865.
Legal and political career
After the war, Maxey returned to his law practice and became involved in Texas politics. He served as a member of the Texas State Senate (1870–1874) and was appointed United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas (1885–1886). In 1886, he was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate, filling the vacancy caused by the death of John H. Reagan. Maxey served a single term from March 4 1887 to March 3 1893, during which he sat on the Committee on Claims and the Committee on Agriculture. He did not seek reelection and returned to private law practice in Dallas.
Business interests and later life
Maxey was active in railroad development and was a director of the Texas & Pacific Railway. He also held interests in agriculture and banking. He died on April 30 1895 in Dallas, Texas, and was interred in Oakwood Cemetery.
Legacy
Maxey is remembered for his dual roles as a Confederate military officer and a postwar U.S. Senator, reflecting the reintegration of former Confederate leaders into national political life. Several Texas locations, including the town of Maxey, Texas (now a ghost town), were named in his honor, though the name is no longer in common usage. His papers are held by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.