John Marshall Stone (30 April 1830-26 March 1900) was the Democratic Governor of Mississippi from 29 March 1876 to 2 January 1882 (succeeding Adelbert Ames and preceding Robert Lowry) and from 13 January 1890 to 20 January 1896 (succeeding Lowry and preceding Anselm J. McLaurin).
Biography[]
John Marshall Stone was born in Milan, Tennessee in 1830, and he lived in Jacks Creek before settling in Tishomingo County, Mississippi in 1855. He served as a railroad agent in Iuka before serving in the Confederate 2nd Mississippi Infantry Regiment at the start of the American Civil War and holding a brigade command under Henry Heth. After the war, Stone returned to Tishomingo County, and, with the help of the white supremacist Red Shirts, Stone was elected Governor in 1875 and served from 1876 to 1882 and from 1890 to 1896. He reduced Black voter participation by 90% through poll taxes, literacy tests, and limiting Black voting to local leaders and ministers. He served as President of Mississippi State University from 1899 until his death in 1900.