William Montgomery Churchwell
Encyclopedia
William Montgomery Churchwell was an American
politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives
.
in Knox County
on February 20, 1826. He attended private schools and Emory and Henry College
in Emory, Virginia
from 1840 to 1843. He studied law, was admitted to the bar
, and commenced practice in Knoxville. He served as one of the judges for Knox County.
He was elected as a Democrat
to the Thirty-second Congress by Tennessee
's 2nd congressional district
, and then by Tennessee's 3rd congressional district
to the Thirty-third Congress after Tennessee had lost a district through reapportionment. He served from March 4, 1851 to March 3, 1855. During the Thirty-third Congress, he was the chairman of the United States House Committee on Revolutionary Pensions.
William Churchwell was later a provost marshal
for the district of east Tennessee
. During the administration of President Buchanan
, he was sent on a secret mission to Mexico
. He served in the Confederate Army as a lieutenant colonel
of the Fourth Tennessee Regiment during the Civil War
. He died in Knoxville, Tennessee on August 18, 1862. He was interred
in Old Gray Cemetery.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician and a member of 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...
.
Biography
He was born near Knoxville, TennesseeKnoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
in Knox County
Knox County, Tennessee
Knox County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. Its 2007 population was estimated at 423,874 by the United States Census Bureau. Its county seat is Knoxville, as it has been since the creation of the county. The county is at the geographical center of the Great Valley of East Tennessee...
on February 20, 1826. He attended private schools and Emory and Henry College
Emory and Henry College
Emory & Henry College, known as E&H, Emory, or the College, is a private liberal arts college located in Emory, Virginia, United States. The campus comprises of Washington County, Virginia, which is part of the mountain region of Southwest Virginia...
in Emory, 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...
from 1840 to 1843. He studied law, was admitted to the bar
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
, and commenced practice in Knoxville. He served as one of the judges for Knox County.
He was elected as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
to the Thirty-second Congress by 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...
's 2nd congressional district
Tennessee's 2nd congressional district
The 2nd congressional district of Tennessee is a congressional district in Tennessee. It currently includes the east central part of the state....
, and then by Tennessee's 3rd congressional district
Tennessee's 3rd congressional district
The 3rd Congressional District of Tennessee is a congressional district in Tennessee. It currently includes a north-south strip in the eastern part of the state. Current Republican Representative Chuck Fleischmann has served since 2011....
to the Thirty-third Congress after Tennessee had lost a district through reapportionment. He served from March 4, 1851 to March 3, 1855. During the Thirty-third Congress, he was the chairman of the United States House Committee on Revolutionary Pensions.
William Churchwell was later a provost marshal
Provost Marshal
The Provost Marshal is the officer in the armed forces who is in charge of the military police .There may be a Provost Marshal serving at many levels of the hierarchy and he may also be the public safety officer of a military installation, responsible for the provision of fire, gate security, and...
for the district of east Tennessee
East Tennessee
East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. East Tennessee consists of 33 counties, 30 located within the Eastern Time Zone and three counties in the Central Time Zone, namely...
. During the administration of President Buchanan
James Buchanan
James Buchanan, Jr. was the 15th President of the United States . He is the only president from Pennsylvania, the only president who remained a lifelong bachelor and the last to be born in the 18th century....
, he was sent on a secret mission to 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 in the Confederate Army as a lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
of the Fourth Tennessee Regiment during the 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...
. He died in Knoxville, Tennessee on August 18, 1862. He was interred
Burial
Burial is the act of placing a person or object into the ground. This is accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing an object in it, and covering it over.-History:...
in Old Gray Cemetery.