William Brainerd Spencer (February 5, 1835 – February 12, 1882) was an attorney and politician of the

planter class The planter class, known alternatively in the United States as the Southern aristocracy, was a racial and socioeconomic caste of pan-American society that dominated 17th and 18th century agricultural markets. The Atlantic slave trade permitted ...

, elected as

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

in 1876, in a contested election decided in his favor and against the Republican Party candidate. That year the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

regained control of the Louisiana state legislature. He resigned when appointed in 1877 as Associate Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court, serving until 1880. After that he resumed the practice of law.

Early life, education and marriage

Born on "Home Plantation," in

Catahoula Parish, Louisiana Catahoula Parish (french: Paroisse de Catahoula) is a parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 10,407. Its seat is Harrisonburg, on the Ouachita River. The parish was formed in 1808, shortly after the ...

, Spencer received his early schooling under private tutors. His parents were slaveholders. He was graduated from Centenary College, Jackson, Louisiana, in 1855 and from the law department of the University of Louisiana at New Orleans (now

Tulane University Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into a comprehensive pub ...

) in 1857. He married Henrietta Elam, sister of

Joseph Barton Elam Joseph Barton Elam, Sr. (June 12, 1821 – July 4, 1885), was a two-term Democratic Party (US), Democratic U.S. representative for Louisiana's 4th congressional district, whose service corresponded with the administration of U.S. President Ru ...

, who would later serve in the United States Congress.

Career

Spencer was admitted to the bar in 1857 and commenced practice in

Harrisonburg, Louisiana Harrisonburg is a village in and the parish seat of Catahoula Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 348 as of the 2010 census, down from 746 in 2000. Riley J. Wilson, who held Louisiana's 5th congressional district seat from 1 ...

. He served in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

, with the rank of captain, until 1863, when he was captured. He was held as a prisoner of war at

Johnson's Island Johnson's Island is a island in Sandusky Bay, located on the coast of Lake Erie, from the city of Sandusky, Ohio. It was the site of a prisoner-of-war camp for Confederate officers captured during the American Civil War. Initially, Johnso ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, until the close of the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. After returning to Louisiana, Spencer resumed the practice of law in Vidalia, in 1866. He successfully contested as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

a special election against Republican

Frank Morey Frank Morey (July 11, 1840 – September 22, 1890) was an American planter, politician, and soldier in the Union Army (1861–1865), reaching the rank of colonel; afterward he moved to Louisiana, where he became a planter and sold insurance ...

. He was elected to the Forty-fourth Congress and served from June 8, 1876, to January 8, 1877, when he resigned to accept a judicial appointment. Spencer was appointed Associate Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court on January 9, 1877, which position he held until his resignation April 3, 1880. He again resumed the practice of law in

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

. According to his tombstone, he died in Cordóba,

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, April 29, 1882. He was interred in Magnolia Cemetery,

Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, it is the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana's most populous parish—the equivalent of counties ...

in 1882.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Spencer, William Brainerd 1835 births 1882 deaths Justices of the Louisiana Supreme Court Centenary College of Louisiana alumni Tulane University Law School alumni Confederate States Army officers Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Louisiana 19th-century American politicians People from Catahoula Parish, Louisiana People from Vidalia, Louisiana Burials at Magnolia Cemetery (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) 19th-century American judges