Matthias Ward (October 13, 1805 – October 5, 1861) was a lawyer and

United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from Texas.

Early life

Matthias Ward was born on October 13, 1805, in

Elbert County, Georgia Elbert County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,637. The county seat is Elberton. The county was established on December 10, 1790, and was named for Samuel ...

. Ward was raised in

Madison County, Alabama Madison County is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 388,153, making it the third-most populous county in Alabama. Its county seat is Huntsville. Since the mid-20th cent ...

. He attended an academy in

Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in ...

, taught school and studied law. In 1836 he settled in Bowie, Texas, moving to

Clarksville, Texas Clarksville is a city and county seat of Red River County, Texas, in the United States in the northernmost part of the Piney Woods region of East Texas. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 2,857. Geography Clarksville is located at ...

in 1845 and later to

Jefferson, Texas Jefferson is a city in Marion County, in the U.S. state of Texas's northeastern region. With a population of 1,875 at the 2020 United States census, it is the county seat of Marion. History Almost every commercial building and house on the main ...

Career

Ward served in the seventh and eighth congresses of the Republic of Texas and later in the state senate 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 ...

from 1849 to 1850. This was followed by unsuccessful campaigns for lieutenant governor in 1851 and

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

in 1855. In 1855, he ran with a proslavery and states-right campaign against Lemuel D. Evans. Upon J. Pinckney Henderson’s death in 1858, Ward was appointed to replace him in the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

. He served from September 27, 1858, to December 5, 1859. He failed to secure the nomination to run for the seat in election the next year.

Personal life

Ward died on October 5, 1861, in Warm Springs, North Carolina. He was buried Old Cemetery in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ward, Matthias 1805 births 1861 deaths People from Elbert County, Georgia People from Madison County, Alabama People from Bowie, Texas People from Clarksville, Texas People from Jefferson, Texas Democratic Party United States senators from Texas Democratic Party Texas state senators 19th-century American politicians