James Pinckney Scales (1830/31 – 1866) was a lawyer and state legislator in Mississippi. He served in the Mississippi House of Representatives including as the 29th Speaker of the House. He was from a prominent family. He was a Confederate officer during the American Civil War.[1]
He lived in Carrollton, Mississippi.[2] In September 1858 he received the Democratic nomination to fill a vacancy for Carroll County in the Mississippi House of Representatives.[10] He served that term from November 7, 1859 to February 11, 1860.[11] He was re-elected and served between 1860 and 1861.[12] He served in a third session beginning on November 5, 1861 at age 30.[11][13] He was elected Speaker on the first day of the session aged 30[2] or 31.[14] He wrote to governor John J. Pettus on November 25, 1862.[9][15]
Scales died in 1866 and was buried on April 2, 1866, in Evergreen Cemetery.[16]
Scales married Kate Lewis on April 24, 1860.[17] He was widowed before 1861.[2][16] He remarried before his death, and his second wife survived him alongside two children.[8][16]
