Background
Field, Scott was born on January 26, 1847 in Canton, Mississippi
Field, Scott was born on January 26, 1847 in Canton, Mississippi
He attended the McKee School in Madison County, Mississippi. After the war, Field attended the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, where he graduated in 1868.
Later, he served in Major General West.H. Jackson’s division, Forrest"s Command, composed of Ross"s Texas Brigade and Armstrong"s Tennessee Brigade (cavalry). According to Civil Engineer Holmes in an affidavit in Field"s pension application, Field served in the Atlanta Campaign of 1864 commanded by John Bell Hood. He returned to Mississippi and taught school for two years while studying law.
Field was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1871.
Scott Field moved to Calvert, Texas in 1872 and opened a private law practice. He was the prosecuting attorney of Robertson County, Texas 1878–1882.
Field also served in the Texas Senate 1887–1891 and was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1892. During his term in the Texas State Senate, he was the lead sponsor of a law to ban convict labor, a practice thought of as a second incarnation of slavery, as it routinely involved rounding up minorities on false misdemeanor charges and putting them to work during harvest season.
Field was elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-eighth and Fifty-ninth Congresses (March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1907).
He was not a candidate for reelection in 1906 to the Fiftieth Congress. After leaving Congress, he resumed the practice of law until 1913, when he engaged in extensive agricultural pursuits. Soldier"s Application for a Confederate Pension, #49968, State of Texas, was filed by Scott Field, Senior, July 13, 1931.
lieutenant was approved the same date.
In the application, Field stated that he had enlisted from Canton, Mississippi and served from September 1863 until the end of the war. The application contains a letter from Joe Y. McNutt, County Judge of Robertson County, to the Honorary
Georgia H. Sheppard, Comptroller of Public Accounts, Austin, Texas, July 11, 1931, stating that Field was completely blind and aided by an attendant.
McNutt testified to Field"s character and stated that Field had suffered financial reverses in recent years.
During the American Civil War, Field enlisted in the Confederate States Army as a member of the Harvey Scouts.
Married Lucy Garrett, Calvert, Texas.