Representative George Whitfield Crabb

George Whitfield Crabb (February 22, 1804 – August 15, 1846) was a U.S. Representative from Alabama and a prominent state legislator, militia officer, and jurist in the early decades of Alabama’s statehood. He was born in Botetourt County, Virginia, on February 22, 1804, and attended the public schools there. As a young man he lived for a time in Nashville, Tennessee, before moving further south to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, which became the principal base of his public and professional life.

After settling in Alabama, Crabb quickly entered public service. In 1829 he was elected assistant secretary of the Alabama State Senate and simultaneously served as comptroller of public accounts, positions that placed him at the center of the state’s legislative and financial administration during a period of rapid growth and political realignment. His early work in these offices helped establish his reputation as a capable and reliable public official in the young state.

Crabb’s career expanded from civil service into military leadership during the conflicts associated with the removal of Native American tribes from the Southeast. In 1836 he served in the Florida Indian War, commonly associated with the Second Seminole War, and held the rank of lieutenant colonel of the Alabama Volunteers. His active role in organizing and leading volunteer forces during this campaign further enhanced his standing in Alabama public life and contributed to his later prominence in the state militia.

Concurrently with his military service, Crabb advanced in elective office. He served as a member of the Alabama House of Representatives in 1836 and 1837, participating in state legislative deliberations at a time when Alabama was grappling with issues of expansion, infrastructure, and the evolving politics of slavery and states’ rights. He then moved to the upper chamber of the legislature, serving in the Alabama State Senate in 1837 and 1838. His growing influence in state politics was reflected in his election or appointment as a major general of the state militia, a position that led to his being widely known as “Gen. Crabb.”

Crabb’s state-level prominence paved the way for his election to the United States Congress. A member of the Whig Party, he was elected to the Twenty-fifth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Representative Joab Lawler. He took his seat on September 4, 1838, representing Alabama in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was subsequently reelected to the Twenty-sixth Congress and served continuously from September 4, 1838, to March 4, 1841. During his tenure in Congress, he sat as part of the Whig opposition in an era marked by intense national debates over banking policy, federal internal improvements, and the balance of power between the executive and legislative branches. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the Twenty-seventh Congress, ending his federal legislative service in March 1841.

Following his congressional career, Crabb remained active in public affairs. In 1846 he was appointed judge of the county court of Mobile, Alabama, extending his public service into the judicial branch and reflecting the continued confidence placed in his judgment and experience. His time on the bench, however, was brief. Later that year, while away from Alabama, he died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on August 15, 1846. His body was returned to Alabama, and he was interred in Greenwood Cemetery in Tuscaloosa, underscoring his long-standing connection to that community.

Crabb was part of a politically active family that contributed multiple figures to American public life. His brother, Henry Crabb (1793–1827), served as an American judge, and his nephew, Henry A. Crabb, later became known as both an American politician and a filibuster involved in mid-nineteenth-century adventurist expeditions. Through his own service as legislator, militia officer, congressman, and judge, George Whitfield Crabb played a notable role in the political and institutional development of Alabama during the antebellum period.