Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/424

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WICKHAM


WIGFALL


Baltimore, Md.. aiul of William and Ann Maria (Rodgers) Pinkuey. lie was educated under pri- vate tutors and in Baltimore college ; employed in a banking-house, studied Ian- at Harvard, and was admitted to the bar in 184C, beginning prac- tice in Baltimore. He was a representative in the state legislature, 1847-48; the Democratic candidate for congress in 1851 and 1857, unsuc- cessfully contesting the seat in the latter year ; comptroller of the state, 1854-55 ; a delegate to the Democratic national convention, 1868, and appointed U.S. senator from Maryland to succeed Reverdy Johnson (q.v.), serving July 14, 1868- March 4, 1869. He was governor of Maryland, 1871-74, and U.S. senator, 1875-81, serving on the commissions to select a site for the naval observatory and to frame a code of laws for the government of the District of Columbia. He was mayor of Baltimore, 1881-83 ; attorney-general of Maryland, 1887-91, and head of the law depart- ment of Baltimore from Slarch, 1900. Governor Whyte was twice married, first, in 1847. to Louise D., daughter of Levi Hollingsworth, and secondly, April 27, 1902, to Mary, daughter of William McDonald and widow of Raleigh Thoimis. He received the honorary degree of LL.D. from the University of Maryland, 1874, and was a delegate to an American conference, held in the interest of commercial advancement.

WICKHAM, Williams Carter, soldier, was born in Richmond, Va., Sept. 21, 1820 ; grandson of John Wickham, a celebrated lawyer of Rich- mond. He attended the University of Virginia ; studied law ; was a state senator, and a leader of the Whig party. In 18G1 he joined the Confed- erate army as captain, and was assigned to the 4th Virginia cavalry, Colonel Chamberlayne ; was promoted colonel and served in Fitzhugh Lee's brigade. Stuart's cavalry. Army of Northern Virginia at the second Bull Run, Antietam, Fred- ericksburg, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. He commanded a brigade made up of the 1st, 2d, 3d and 4tii Virginia cavalry, Fitzhugh Lee's division under Gen. J. E. B. Stuart, in the defence of Richmond against General Grant's army and again.st the raids of Sheridan at Trevilian Station, June 11, 1864. In the Shenandoah, he covered the Confederate retreat tlirough Winchester, and at Cedar Creek, Oct. 19, 1864, his brigade was the first in Rosser's division. He was promoted brigadier-general and resigned from the army to take his seat in the 2d Confederate congress, where he served. 1864-G5. He supported General Grant for the Presidency ; was a Republican state senator, 1882-84, and vice-president and receiver of the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad. He died in Richmond, Va., July 23, 1888.

WICKLIFFE, Charles A., cabinet oflticer, was born in Bardstown, Ky., June 8, 1788; son of


Charles "VVicklifTe. His mother was a sister of Col. John Hardin (q.v.). His father removed in 1784 from Virginia to Kentucky. Charles A. Wickliffe attended the Bardstown grammar school ; studied law under his kinsman. Gen. Martin D. Hardin (q.v.); was admitted to the bar in 1809, and commenced practice in Bards- town. He enlisted as a volunteer in the war of 1812 ; was appointed aide-de-camp to General Winlock, and later to Gen. Samuel Caldwell at the battle of the Thames, Oct. 5, 1813. He was married in 1813, to Margaret Cripps, grand- daughter of Gov. Isaac Shelby (q.v.) of Kentuck}-. He was a representative from Nelson county in the state legislature, 1812, 1814-23 and 1834, in which last year he served as speaker ; a represen- tative from Kentucky in the 18th-22d congresses, 1823-33, serving as chairman of the committee on public lands ; lieutenant-governor of Kentucky, 1836-39, by which he became president of the senate, and acting governor, 1839-40. He served as postmaster-general by appointment from Pres- ident Tyler, 1841-45, and in the latter year under- took a secret mission for President Polk to Texas ; was a member of the state constitutional conven- tion, 1849, and of the Peace convention, "Wash- ington, D.C., February, 1861. He was re-elected to the 37th congress as a Union Whig, serving, 1861-63 ; and was a delegate to the Democratic national convention at Chicago, 111., 1864. He died in Bardstown. Ky., Oct. 31, 1869.

WIQFALL, Louis Trezevant, senator, was born in Edgefield, S.C, April 21, 1816. Heat- tended the College of South Carolina until 1835, when he participated as lieutenant of volunteers in the Seminole war ; subsequent!}' studied law in the University of Virginia, and practised in Marshall, Texas. He was a representative in the state legislature, 1849-50 ; a delegate from Har- rison to the state convention of 1857 ; state sena- tor, 1857-58 and 1859-60, and was elected as a Democrat U.S. senator from Texas to complete the unexpired term of James Pinckney Hender- son, deceased, and served, March 3, 1861-July 11, 1861, being expelled on the latter date for failure to take his seat at the extra session of the 37th con- gress. He participated as statT-officer to General Beauregard, in the bombardment of Fort Sumter, April 12-13, 1861, demanding the surrender of the fort on the second day from Maj. Robert Anderson ; was commissioned colonel of the 2d Texas regiment, Aug. 28, 1861, and promoted brigadier-general, Oct. 21, 1861, resigning, Feb. 20, 1862. He was a representative from Texas in the Provisional Confederate congress, 1861-32, and senator in the Confederate congress, 1862-66. He subsequently resided in London, England, until 1873. and thereafter in Baltimore. Md. See : " Inside Sumter in '61 " by Capt. James Chester,