William H. Wharton
Encyclopedia
William Harris Wharton was an early colonist, political leader and orator in Texas
.
Wharton was born in Virginia
and was raised by an uncle following the deaths of his parents. He graduated from the University of Nashville
and was admitted to the Tennessee
bar in 1826. Wharton moved to Texas, and on December 5, 1827, married Sarah Ann Groce, the daughter of a wealthy landowner. Their only child was a son, John A. Wharton
(1828–1865), who served in the American Civil War
as a Confederate
major general
. They established a farm known as "Eagle Island Plantation."
Wharton served as a delegate to the Convention of 1832
from the District of Victoria
. Following that convention's unsuccessful attempts to form a new state separate from Coahuila y Tejas
(then a part of Mexico
), he served as president of the follow-up Convention of 1833
and openly advocated complete independence from Mexico, in contrast to the moderate view held by Stephen F. Austin
. He later served as a delegate from the District of Columbia
to the Texas Consultation of 1835.
Wharton entered military service during the Texas Revolution
, serving as a colonel
and judge advocate general
. He participated in the siege of San Antonio de Bexar
. Shortly thereafter, he was appointed as one of three commissioners to the United States
to secure aid for the Texian
s. After the revolution resulted in the formation of the Republic of Texas
in 1836, Wharton supported Austin's unsuccessful candidacy for president, losing to Sam Houston
. Wharton served as a member of the new republic's Senate from the District of Brazoria
in 1836. In November, President Houston appointed Wharton as minister
to the United States, hoping to secure political recognition and possible annexation. Returning to Texas in 1837 by sea, Wharton was captured by a Mexican ship and carried to Matamoros
, where he was imprisoned. He escaped (allegedly by wearing a nun
's habit
) and returned to Texas to be re-elected to the Texas Senate in 1838. He introduced the Texas "Lone Star" flag
to Congress on December 28, and may have designed it.
Wharton accidentally shot and killed himself while dismounting from his horse near Hempstead
in Waller County, Texas on March 14, 1839. He was buried at Restwood Memorial Park in Clute, Texas
.
Both Wharton County, Texas and its county seat Wharton, Texas
are named for him and his brother John Austin Wharton
, a fellow Texas politician.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Wharton was born in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and was raised by an uncle following the deaths of his parents. He graduated from the University of Nashville
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
and was admitted to the Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
bar in 1826. Wharton moved to Texas, and on December 5, 1827, married Sarah Ann Groce, the daughter of a wealthy landowner. Their only child was a son, John A. Wharton
John A. Wharton
John Austin Wharton was a lawyer, plantation owner, and Confederate general during the American Civil War. He is considered one of the Confederacy's best tactical cavalry commanders.-Early life:...
(1828–1865), who served in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
as a Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
. They established a farm known as "Eagle Island Plantation."
Wharton served as a delegate to the Convention of 1832
Convention of 1832
The Convention of 1832 was the first political gathering of colonists in Mexican Texas. Delegates sought reforms from the Mexican government and hoped to quell the widespread belief that settlers in Texas wished to secede from Mexico...
from the District of Victoria
Victoria, Texas
Victoria is a city in and the seat of Victoria County, Texas, United States. The population was 60,603 at the 2000 census. The three counties of the Victoria Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 111,163 at the 2000 census,...
. Following that convention's unsuccessful attempts to form a new state separate from Coahuila y Tejas
Coahuila y Tejas
Coahuila y Tejas was one of the constituent states of the newly established United Mexican States under its 1824 Constitution.It had two capitals: first Saltillo, and then Monclova...
(then a part of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
), he served as president of the follow-up Convention of 1833
Convention of 1833
The Convention of 1833 , a political gathering of settlers in Mexican Texas, was a successor to the Convention of 1832, whose requests had not been addressed by the Mexican government...
and openly advocated complete independence from Mexico, in contrast to the moderate view held by Stephen F. Austin
Stephen F. Austin
Stephen Fuller Austin was born in Virginia and raised in southeastern Missouri. He was known as the Father of Texas, led the second, but first legal and ultimately successful colonization of the region by bringing 300 families from the United States. The capital of Texas, Austin in Travis County,...
. He later served as a delegate from the District of Columbia
West Columbia, Texas
West Columbia is a city in Brazoria County in the U.S. state of Texas within 50 miles of Eastern Columbia. The population was 4,255 at the 2000 census....
to the Texas Consultation of 1835.
Wharton entered military service during the Texas Revolution
Texas Revolution
The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was an armed conflict between Mexico and settlers in the Texas portion of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. The war lasted from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836...
, serving as a colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
and judge advocate general
Judge Advocate General's Corps
Judge Advocate General's Corps, also known as JAG or JAG Corps, refers to the legal branch or specialty of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, and Navy. Officers serving in the JAG Corps are typically called Judge Advocates. The Marine Corps and Coast Guard do not maintain separate JAG Corps...
. He participated in the siege of San Antonio de Bexar
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
. Shortly thereafter, he was appointed as one of three commissioners to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to secure aid for the Texian
Texian
Texian is an archaic, mostly defunct 19th century demonym which defined a settler of current-day Texas, one of the southern states of the United States of America which borders the country of Mexico...
s. After the revolution resulted in the formation of the Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
in 1836, Wharton supported Austin's unsuccessful candidacy for president, losing to Sam Houston
Sam Houston
Samuel Houston, known as Sam Houston , was a 19th-century American statesman, politician, and soldier. He was born in Timber Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, of Scots-Irish descent. Houston became a key figure in the history of Texas and was elected as the first and third President of...
. Wharton served as a member of the new republic's Senate from the District of Brazoria
Brazoria, Texas
Brazoria is a city of Brazoria County in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 2,787.Brazoria was originally founded as a port for Stephen F...
in 1836. In November, President Houston appointed Wharton as minister
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to the United States, hoping to secure political recognition and possible annexation. Returning to Texas in 1837 by sea, Wharton was captured by a Mexican ship and carried to Matamoros
Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern part of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from Brownsville, Texas, in the United States. Matamoros is the second largest and second...
, where he was imprisoned. He escaped (allegedly by wearing a nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
's habit
Religious habit
A religious habit is a distinctive set of garments worn by members of a religious order. Traditionally some plain garb recognisable as a religious habit has also been worn by those leading the religious eremitic and anachoritic life, although in their case without conformity to a particular uniform...
) and returned to Texas to be re-elected to the Texas Senate in 1838. He introduced the Texas "Lone Star" flag
Flag of Texas
The Flag of the State of Texas is defined by law as follows:The Texas flag is known as the "Lone Star Flag" . This flag was introduced to the Congress of the Republic of Texas on December 28, 1838, by Senator William H. Wharton...
to Congress on December 28, and may have designed it.
Wharton accidentally shot and killed himself while dismounting from his horse near Hempstead
Hempstead, Texas
Hempstead is a city in Waller County, Texas, United States. The community, located at the junctions of U.S. Highway 290, Texas State Highway 6, and Texas State Highway 159, is around fifty miles northwest of Downtown Houston. The population was 4,691 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of...
in Waller County, Texas on March 14, 1839. He was buried at Restwood Memorial Park in Clute, Texas
Clute, Texas
Clute is a city in Brazoria County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 10,424. The city gained some fame with the discovery of a fossilized mammoth named Asiel...
.
Both Wharton County, Texas and its county seat Wharton, Texas
Wharton, Texas
Wharton is a city in Wharton County, Texas, United States. The population was 9,237 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Wharton County and is located on the Colorado River of Texas just south of U.S...
are named for him and his brother John Austin Wharton
John Austin Wharton (1806-1838)
John Austin Wharton was distinguished as a statesman, lawyer and a soldier. He served as Adjutant General at the Battle of San Jacinto. In a eulogy at his grave, Republic of Texas President David G...
, a fellow Texas politician.