1870 election

The 1870 United States elections occurred in the middle of Republican President Ulysses S. Grant's first term, during the Third Party System.

In 1870, the 15th Amendment added a guarantee of African American voting rights to the US Constitution.

Office of Mayor

Local attorney William Lynn Cochran qualified for office and was elected mayor of the town - a position he held until his death on September 22, 1875. A childhood illness rendering him unfit for military duty, he was commissioned CSA Major in the Quatermaster's Department.

Context: Many former officials didn't attempt to run for office again during this time period since there was a general understanding that ex-Confederates were barred by the 14th Amendment disqualification clause. However, in 1872, Congress passed the Amnesty Act, which removed the possibility of Section 3 disqualification for most former Confederate officials (except high-profile leaders like Jefferson Davis).