William Watts (December 20, 1817 – May 1, 1877) was a nineteenth-century American lawyer, soldier and politician from

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. As a politician, Watts served in the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

and was elected to the

Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1850 The Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1850 was an assembly of elected delegates chosen by the voters to write the fundamental law of Virginia. It is known as the Reform Convention because it liberalized Virginia political institutions. Backgro ...

Early life

Watts was born in

Campbell County, Virginia Campbell County is a United States county situated in the south central part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Located in the Piedmont region of Virginia, Campbell borders the Blue Ridge Mountains. The county seat is Rustburg. Grounded on a ...

in 1817. He was educated at

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

where he attained an M.D. in 1840, and a Bachelor of Laws in 1841-42.

Career

As an adult, Watts began a law practice Roanoke County in 1842. Watts was the president of the Branch Bank of Virginia from 1850-61. In 1850, Watts was elected to the

. He was one of three delegates elected from the Valley delegate district made up of his home district of Roanoke County as well as Botetourt, Alleghany and Bath Counties. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, Watts 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 ...

. Initially being commissioned as Major in the 19th Virginia Infantry; in 1862 he transferred to the 28th Virginia Infantry and later became Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel. For many years, Watts served as a director of the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad formed by

William Mahone William Mahone (December 1, 1826October 8, 1895) was an American civil engineer, railroad executive, Confederate States Army general, and Virginia politician. As a young man, Mahone was prominent in the building of Virginia's roads and railroa ...

. Watts served in the Virginia House of Delegates 1875-77.

Death

William Watts died in Roanoke County on May 1, 1877. Pulliam 1901, p. 114

References

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Watts, William Democratic Party members of the Virginia House of Delegates 1817 births 1877 deaths People from Campbell County, Virginia People from Roanoke County, Virginia University of Virginia School of Medicine alumni People of Virginia in the American Civil War Confederate States Army officers 19th-century American politicians University of Virginia School of Law alumni