With apologies to Edward Hazzard East

One lesson I have already learned in doing this Governors thing is the value of doing your research before leaving the house. I guess I naively thought that the cemeteries would be proud to be the final resting place of a Governor or at the very least be aware that there was one buried there. My first trip taught me this lesson as I aimlessly drove around looking for something (not sure what exactly) that might point me in the direction of the grave for which I searched. After searching it occurred to me the value of being prepared and of not being afraid of asking for directions which is what I ended up doing...having said all of this I must now admit one other way I was unprepared and that was in the fact that I hadn't mapped all of the Governor's graves out before making my very first trip.

Me...making a map.

Much to my shock upon completion of this map making task I discovered that not five but six Governors are buried at Mt. Olivet...so after a little research I was able to return and complete this cemetery. Strangely, not only did I overlook this individual in my first trip but the state of Tennessee continues to overlook him and you'll see why in my write up below.

#21

Name: Edward Hazzard East

Birth: 1 October 1830
Death: 12 November 1904
Age at Death: 74 years, 1 month,11 days old
Interment: Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Nashville, TN
Term in Office: March 4, 1865 – April 5, 1865
Pollitical Party: Republican

Edward Hazzard East, who went by E.H., was born in 1830 and attended Lebanon Law School.  An opponent of secession E.H. was chosen as Secretary of State by  Millitary Governor, Andrew Johnson. Following Johnson's innaguaration as Vice President on March 4, 1865, E.H. filled the vacant Governorship until the elected Governor, William G. Brownlow, was seated. Serving only one month and one day his is the shortest term of any Tennessee Governor. Since he was an 'acting Governor' and not an elected or seated Governor the Tennessee State official website does not acknowledge his Governorship. Following the Civil War he would continue practicing law, arguing cases before the Supreme Court and serve as an original trustee for Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. He would die on November 12, 1904.