| Jeptha Vining Harris | |
| Birth Date: | May 28, 1839 |
| Death Date: | 1914 (Aged 74/75) |
| Birth Place: | Abbeville County, South Carolina |
| Death Place: | Key West, Florida |
| Placeofburial: | Key West, Florida |
| Allegiance: | Confederate States of America |
| Branch: | Confederate States Army Confederate States Navy |
| Rank: | Assistant Surgeon |
| Battles: | American Civil War |
| Laterwork: | Doctor, customs collector, school superintendent |
Jeptha Vining Harris (May 27, 1839 – 1914) was an assistant surgeon for the Confederate States Army and Confederate States Navy during the American Civil War. After the Civil War, he was a customs collector, doctor and school superintendent at Key West, Florida.
Jeptha Vining Harris was born on May 27, 1839, in the Abbeville District of South Carolina.[1] He was the sixth child of James Walton Harris and Martha Watkins Harris.[2] James Walton Harris was the first child of Jeptha Vining Harris of Georgia and Sarah Hunt Harris.[3]
Jeptha V. Harris grew up in North Carolina and Mississippi.[4] Harris was the nephew of Jeptha Vining Harris (Mississippi general), a Mississippi militia (Confederate) brigadier general during the American Civil War (Civil War) and Mississippi State Senator.[5] [6] He was the grandson of Jeptha Vining Harris (Georgia general) and Sarah (Hunt) Harris.[5] [6] The elder Jeptha Vining Harris was a Georgia militia general during the War of 1812, prominent lawyer, planter and member of the Georgia House of Representatives.[5] [6]
Harris received his college and medical education at the University of Mississippi, graduating in 1859.[7] [8]
Jeptha V. Harris married Mary Louise Perkins of Lowndes, Mississippi on March 5, 1861.[1] They had the following children: Marian Harris, Jeptha Vining Harris, Jr., Louis Allen Harris and Martha Watkins Harris.[9] Both sons were lawyers.[9]
Soon after he completed college and medical school, Harris served as an assistant surgeon in the Confederate States Army and Confederate States Navy during the American Civil War.[4]
After the Civil War, Harris and his family moved to Key West, Florida, where he became customs collector and lived in the Customs House.[4] He also resumed his medical practice.[4]
Harris was interested in promoting and improving public education. Because of this interest, he became school superintendent at Key West.[4] Harris School, which was built at Key West in 1909, was named for him.[4]
Doctor Jeptha Vining Harris died November 16, 1916, and is buried in Key West Cemetery, Key West Florida.[4]