b. 1826 – Alabama
Governor: 1863–1865
It is unknown if Murrah was born in Alabama in 1826 or in South Carolina in 1827. Reared in an orphanage, he graduated from Brown University and practiced law in Alabama before moving to Texas. After an unsuccessful run for the legislature in 1855, he ran again in 1857 and won.
As governor, Murrah wanted troops in the state militia, particularly those in frontier counties, to be exempt from Confederate service; however, he eventually conceded and urged Texans to sacrifice in defense of liberty. When he realized Union forces would occupy Texas, he vacated the office and fled to Mexico, where he later died.