William Tecumsah Avery
Encyclopedia
William Tecumsah Avery was an American
politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives
for the 10th congressional district
of Tennessee
. He was born in Hardeman County, Tennessee on November 11, 1819. He attended the common schools, graduated from old Jackson College near Columbia, Tennessee
in Maury County, studied law, and was admitted to the bar
. He moved to Memphis, Tennessee
in 1840 and engaged in the practice of law.
He was a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives
in 1843. He was elected as a Democrat
to the Thirty-fifth and Thirty-sixth Congress. He served from March 4, 1857 to March 3, 1861, but he was not a candidate for renomination in 1860. During the Civil War
, he served as a lieutenant colonel
in the Confederate Army. He was a clerk of the criminal court of Shelby County
from 1870 to 1874. He resumed the practice of law in Memphis, Tennessee. He accidentally drowned in Ten Mile Bayou in Crittenden County, Arkansas
, opposite Memphis, on May 20, 1880. He was interred
in Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis.
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...
for the 10th congressional district
Tennessee's 10th congressional district
United States House of Representatives, Tennessee District 10 was a district of the United States Congress in Tennessee. It was lost to redistricting in 1953. Its last Representative was Clifford Davis.-List of representatives:-References:*...
of 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...
. He was born in Hardeman County, Tennessee on November 11, 1819. He attended the common schools, graduated from old Jackson College near Columbia, Tennessee
Columbia, Tennessee
Columbia is a city in Maury County, Tennessee, United States. The 2008 population was 34,402 according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. It is the county seat of Maury County....
in Maury County, studied law, and 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...
. He moved to Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
in 1840 and engaged in the practice of law.
He was a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives
Tennessee House of Representatives
The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional requirements:...
in 1843. 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-fifth and Thirty-sixth Congress. He served from March 4, 1857 to March 3, 1861, but he was not a candidate for renomination in 1860. 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 served 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...
in the Confederate Army. He was a clerk of the criminal court of Shelby County
Shelby County, Tennessee
Shelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the state's largest both in terms of population and geographic area, with a population of 927,644 at the 2010 census...
from 1870 to 1874. He resumed the practice of law in Memphis, Tennessee. He accidentally drowned in Ten Mile Bayou in Crittenden County, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, opposite Memphis, on May 20, 1880. 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 Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis.
External links
- William Avery at Find-A-Grave