William Henry Wadsworth (July 4, 1821 – April 2, 1893) was a

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

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

. Born in

Maysville, Kentucky Maysville is a home rule-class city in Mason County, Kentucky, United States and is the seat of Mason County. The population was 8,782 as of 2019, making it the 51st-largest city in Kentucky by population. Maysville is on the Ohio River, north ...

, Wadsworth attended town and county private schools. He studied law and graduated from Augusta College,

Bracken County, Kentucky Bracken County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2010 census, the population was 8,488. Its county seat is Brooksville. The county was formed in 1796. Bracken County is included in the Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-I ...

, in 1841. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1844 and commenced practice in

. He served as member of the

Kentucky State Senate The Kentucky Senate is the upper house of the Kentucky General Assembly. The Kentucky Senate is composed of 38 members elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. There are no term limits for Kentucky Senators. The Kentuc ...

from 1853 to 1856. He served as presidential elector on the Constitutional Union ticket in 1860. Wadsworth was elected as a Unionist to the Thirty-seventh and Thirty-eighth Congresses (March 4, 1861 – March 3, 1865). His vote on the Thirteenth Amendment is recorded as nay. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1864. During 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 ...

Wadsworth served as aide to General Nelson, with the rank of colonel, at the

Battle of Ivy Mountain The Big Sandy Expedition was an early campaign of the American Civil War in Kentucky that began in mid-September 1861 when Union Army, Union Brigadier general (United States), Brig. Gen. William "Bull" Nelson received orders to organize a new bri ...

. He was appointed United States commissioner to

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 ...

, under the treaty of Washington for the adjustment of claims, by President Grant in 1869. Wadsworth was elected as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

to the Forty-ninth Congress (March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1887). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1886. He resumed the practice of law. He died in

, April 2, 1893. He was interred in Maysville Cemetery.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wadsworth, William Henry 1821 births 1893 deaths People from Maysville, Kentucky Kentucky Constitutional Unionists Unionist Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky 1860 United States presidential electors Republican Party Kentucky state senators 19th-century American diplomats Kentucky lawyers Union Army colonels People of Kentucky in the American Civil War 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American lawyers Augusta College (Kentucky) alumni