Henry Wharton Conway was a delegate to the United States House of Representatives

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 from the Arkansas Territory

Arkansas Territory

The Territory of Arkansas, initially organized as the Territory of Arkansaw, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1819 until June 15, 1836, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Arkansas.-History:The...

.

Henry Wharton Conway was born on March 18, 1793, near Greeneville, Tennessee

Greeneville, Tennessee

Greeneville is a town in Greene County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 15,198 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Greene County. The town was named in honor of Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene. It is the only town with this spelling in the United States, although there...

 in Greene County, Tennessee. Conway was educated by private tutors. He was commissioned as an Ensign

Ensign (rank)

Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....

 in the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 during the War of 1812

War of 1812

The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...

 and was promoted to Lieutenant

Lieutenant

A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...

 in 1813.

In 1817, Conway became a clerk in the U.S. Treasury and served in that position until he moved to the Missouri Territory

Missouri Territory

The Territory of Missouri was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 4, 1812 until August 10, 1821, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Missouri.-History:...

 in 1818. In 1820, he moved to the Arkansas Territory.

In Arkansas, he was appointed as receiver of public moneys and served in that position in 1820 and 1821. He was elected as a delegate to the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, and Twentieth Congresses.

Conway was mortally wounded on October 29, 1827, during a duel

Duel

A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with agreed-upon rules.Duels in this form were chiefly practised in Early Modern Europe, with precedents in the medieval code of chivalry, and continued into the modern period especially among...

 near Napoleon, Arkansas

Napoleon, Arkansas

Napoleon is a ghost town in Desha County, Arkansas, United States, near the confluence of the Arkansas and Mississippi rivers. Once the county seat of Desha County, Napoleon was flooded when the banks of the Mississippi River burst through and destroyed the once-thriving river port town.The town...

 with Robert Crittenden

Robert Crittenden

Robert Crittenden was Governor of Arkansas Territory and co-founder of Rose Law Firm. Robert Crittenden was born near Versailles, Kentucky....

 who was Secretary of the Arkansas Territory. Conway lingered for a couple of weeks after the duel but succumbed to his wounds.

Henry Wharton Conway died on November 9, 1827. He is buried in the Arkansas Post

Arkansas Post, Arkansas

Arkansas Post, Arkansas is an unincorporated community in Arkansas County, Arkansas, United States. The community is located at the end of Arkansas Highway 169.....

 cemetery.

Conway was the brother of Governor James Sevier Conway

James Sevier Conway

James Sevier Conway was a Democratic Governor of the State of Arkansas, the first elected governor of the state....

 and Governor Elias Nelson Conway

Elias Nelson Conway

Elias Nelson Conway was the fifth Governor of Arkansas.Elias Nelson Conway was brother to James Sevier Conway, the first governor of Arkansas. He and his family moved to Missouri. Conway attended Bonne Femme Academy in Boone County, Missouri.In 1833 Conway moved to Little Rock, Arkansas...

. He was first cousin to Senator Ambrose Hundley Sevier

Ambrose Hundley Sevier

Ambrose Hundley Sevier was a Democratic member of the United States Senate from Arkansas.Ambrose Hundley Sevier was born near Greeneville, Tennessee in Greene County, Tennessee. Sevier moved to Missouri in 1820 and to Little Rock, Arkansas in 1821.In Arkansas he became clerk of the Territorial...

 and Governor Henry Massey Rector

Henry Massey Rector

Henry Massey Rector was the sixth Governor of the state of Arkansas.Henry Massey Rector was born near Louisville, Kentucky. Rector was educated by his mother and attended one year of school at Louisville. He moved to Arkansas in 1835. Rector served as U.S...

. He was also third cousin to Confederate General and Virginia Governor James Lawson Kemper.