James Monroe Bankhead James Monroe Bankhead James Monroe Bankhead (1783 - 1856) a U. S. Army officer in the War of 1812, Second Seminole War, and Mexican–American War, who rose to the rank of brevet brigadier general. James Monroe Bankhead was born on May 24, 1783 in Port Royal, in Caroline County, Virginia. Bankhead joined the U. S. Army in 1808, as a captain in the 5th Infantry Regiment. Bankhead and Winfield Scott entered the army on the same day and they remained lifelong friends. Before the War of 1812, Bankhead served in various commands and staff assignments. During the war he was
James Monroe Jefferson continued to serve as a mentor to Monroe, and, at Jefferson's prompting, he befriended another prominent Virginian, James Madison. Monroe resigned from Congress in 1786 to focus on his legal career, and he became an attorney for the state. In 1787, Monroe won election to another term in the Virginia House of Delegates. Though he had become outspoken in his desire to reform the Articles, he was unable to attend the Philadelphia Convention due to his work obligations. In 1788, Monroe became a delegate to the Virginia Ratifying Convention. In Virginia, the struggle over the ratification of the proposed