William Muhlenberg Hiester (May 15, 1818 – August 16, 1878) was an American political and military leader from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

who served as Democratic Speaker of the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 5th district from 1853 to 1857. He was a member of the Muhlenberg/ Hiester Family political dynasty.

Early life and education

Hiester was born in Reading, Pennsylvania to Dr. Isaac and Mrs. Hester Muhlenberg Hiester. He was the grandson of General

Peter Muhlenberg John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg (October 1, 1746October 1, 1807) was an American clergyman, Continental Army soldier during the American Revolutionary War, and political figure in the newly independent United States. A Lutheran minister, he serve ...

and the great grandson of Henry Muhlenberg. He was the father of Isaac Hiester, uncle of

Hiester Clymer Hiester Clymer (November 3, 1827 – June 12, 1884) was an American political leader from the state of Pennsylvania. Clymer was a member of the Hiester family political dynasty and the Democratic Party. He was the nephew of William Muhlenberg H ...

, and nephew of John Hiester and Daniel Hiester. He graduated from Bristol College in Pennsylvania, studied law at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

and was admitted to the bar. He practiced law in

Erie, Pennsylvania Erie (; ) is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. Erie is the fifth largest city in Pennsylvania and the largest city in Northwestern Pennsylvania with a population of 94,831 ...

and later in Reading with his partner Henry A. Muhlenberg.

Career

Hiester served in the Pennsylvania State Senate as a Democrat from 1853 to 1855 and was Speaker in 1855. In January 1858, he was appointed Secretary of the Commonwealth by

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

William F. Packer. 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 ...

invasion of Pennsylvania by Robert E. Lee in the summer of 1863, Hiester was commissioned a Major in the

Militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

by Governor

Andrew Curtin Andrew Gregg Curtin (April 22, 1815/1817October 7, 1894) was a U.S. lawyer and politician. He served as the Governor of Pennsylvania during the Civil War, helped defend his state during the Gettysburg Campaign, and led organization of the crea ...

and raised 8,000 troops for the state's defense. During the war, Hiester switched to the Republican Party and ran unsuccessfully for the

United States 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 1864. Hiester died in Reading, Pennsylvania and is interred at the Charles Evans Cemetery in Reading.

References

External links

The Political Graveyard
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hiester, William Muhlenberg 1818 births 1878 deaths Burials at Charles Evans Cemetery Hiester family Muhlenberg family Pennsylvania lawyers Harvard Law School alumni Pennsylvania state senators Secretaries of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Politicians from Reading, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Democrats Pennsylvania Republicans American militia officers People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American lawyers