Born in Feliciana, Kentucky, James Richard Fleming (1848-ca. 1904) was the son of William Carpenter Fleming and Arlette Davis.
After moving with his family to Tennessee, Fleming enlisted in the Confederate Army in 1861. Following the Civil War, he moved to Columbus, Texas in 1867, where he bought the local newspaper, the Times. Publishing the paper for only one year, Fleming was admitted to the bar in 1870. That same year, he married Mary McLeary Grace, and the couple moved to Comanche County, where Fleming established a law practice. He was appointed a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1875 and as judge of the 12th Judicial District, a position he held until he relocated to Cisco, Texas in 1880. In 1883, Fleming was elected to represent the 29th District in the Texas Senate as well as being appointed commissioner for Texas at the Southern Agricultural and Cotton Exposition in Louisville, Kentucky. Additionally, Fleming served as a delegate to both the state and national Democratic conventions in 1894.
From the description of Fleming, J. R., Papers, 1875-1927 (University of Texas Libraries). WorldCat record id: 774046792
