William Thomas Ellis (July 24, 1845 – January 8, 1925) 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 ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Early life and family

William Ellis was born near Knottsville, Kentucky, on July 24, 1845."Ellis, William Thomas". ''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress'' He was one of two sons born Luther R. and Mary M. (Kellum) Ellis.''Biographical Cyclopedia'', p. 199 Ellis was educated in the common schools until age sixteen. On October 5, 1861, he enlisted as a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

in the First Kentucky Confederate Cavalry.''Biographical Cyclopedia'', p. 197 This unit became a part of the

Orphan Brigade The Orphan Brigade was the nickname of the First Kentucky Brigade, a group of military units recruited from Kentucky to fight for the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. The brigade was the largest Confederate unit to be ...

. Ellis eventually rose to become a

non-commissioned officer A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...

in command of scouts. He served until the end of the war and mustered out on April 21, 1865. After the war, Ellis resumed his studies at Pleasant Valley Cemetery in Daviess County. To defray the cost of his education, he worked during the summer months. He studied law, supporting himself by serving as principal of Mount Etna Academy in Ohio County in 1867 and 1868.

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 1868, he attended a course of lectures at

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

before commencing practice in

Owensboro Owensboro is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Daviess County, Kentucky, United States. It is the fourth-largest city in the state by population. Owensboro is located on U.S. Route 60 and Interstate 165 about southwest of Lou ...

in 1870. On October 20, 1871, Ellis married Alice Coffey. Coffey died in 1872, and on November 2, 1876, Ellis married Mattie B. Miller.

Political career

In August 1870, Ellis was elected county attorney for Daviess County. He was re-elected to this position in 1874. He served as a Democratic

presidential elector The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of appointing the president and vice president. Each state and the District of Columbia appo ...

for the ticket of

Samuel J. Tilden Samuel Jones Tilden (February 9, 1814 – August 4, 1886) was an American politician who served as the 25th Governor of New York and was the Democratic candidate for president in the disputed 1876 United States presidential election. Tilden was ...

and

Thomas Andrews Hendricks Thomas Andrews Hendricks (September 7, 1819November 25, 1885) was an American politician and lawyer from Indiana who served as the 16th governor of Indiana from 1873 to 1877 and the 21st vice president of the United States from March until his ...

in the

1876 presidential election The 1876 United States presidential election was the 23rd quadrennial United States presidential election, presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 7, 1876, in which Republican Party (United States), Republican nominee Rutherford B. Haye ...

. He unsuccessfully sought election to the Fiftieth Congress in 1886. Ellis was elected to represent Kentucky's Second District in the

U.S. House of Representatives 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 ...

in 1888. He was twice re-elected, serving in the Fifty-first, Fifty-second, and Fifty-third Congresses (March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1895). While he was away from his law practice on congressional business, the firm's business was handled by his law partners, one of whom was future Congressman

William N. Sweeney William Northcut Sweeney (May 5, 1832 – April 21, 1895) was a United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative from Kentucky. Born in Liberty, Kentucky, Sweeney attended the common schools and Bethany College (West Virginia), Bethan ...

. During the Fifty-second and Fifty-third Congresses, he chaired the Committee on Revision of the Laws. A

Free Silver Free silver was a major economic policy issue in the United States in the late 19th-century. Its advocates were in favor of an expansionary monetary policy featuring the unlimited coinage of silver into money on-demand, as opposed to strict adhe ...

supporter, he served on the Banking and Currency Committee and was critical of

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...

sound money In macroeconomics, hard currency, safe-haven currency, or strong currency is any globally traded currency that serves as a reliable and stable store of value. Factors contributing to a currency's ''hard'' status might include the stability and r ...

position.''Biographical Cyclopedia'', p. 198 He did not seek re-election in 1894.

Later life and death

After his service in Congress, Ellis returned to his law practice. He was a delegate to the

1896 Democratic National Convention The 1896 Democratic National Convention, held at the Chicago Coliseum from July 7 to July 11, was the scene of William Jennings Bryan's nomination as the Democratic presidential candidate for the 1896 U.S. presidential election. At age 36, B ...

. He also engaged in literary pursuits. Ellis died in

Owensboro, Kentucky Owensboro is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Daviess County, Kentucky, United States. It is the fourth-largest city in the state by population. Owensboro is located on U.S. Route 60 and Interstate 165 about southwest of Lou ...

, on January 8, 1925, and was interred in

Rosehill Elmwood Cemetery Rosehill Elmwood Cemetery is located at 1300 Old Hartford Road Owensboro Daviess County Kentucky. There are about 55,000 interments. It is officially recognized as a historical landmark by the state of Kentucky. Notable people buried in the ceme ...

References

Bibliography

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellis, William Thomas 1845 births 1925 deaths Confederate States Army soldiers Harvard Law School alumni Kentucky lawyers Orphan Brigade People from Daviess County, Kentucky Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Kentucky 19th-century American lawyers