Alexander W. Terrell
| Alexander W. Terrell | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | Alexander Watkins Terrell November 23, 1827 Patrick County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | September 9, 1912 Mineral Wells, Texas, U.S. |
| Resting place | Texas State Cemetery |
| Alma mater | University of Missouri |
| Occupation | Lawyer, planter, diplomat |
| Spouse(s) | Ann Elizabeth Boulding Sarah D. Mitchell |
| Children | 8 |
| Parent(s) | Christopher Joseph Terrell Susan Kennerly |
Alexander W. Terrell (November 23, 1827 – September 9, 1912) was an American judge, planter, Confederate veteran and diplomat. He served as the U. S. minister to Turkey and a Confederate military officer.
Early life
Alexander Watkins Terrell was born on November 23, 1827 in Patrick County, Virginia.[1][2] His father was Christopher Joseph Terrell and his mother, Susan Kennerly.[1] His Quaker family moved to Boonville, Missouri in 1831.[1]
Terrell graduated from the University of Missouri and was admitted to the bar in 1849.[1]
Career
Terrell practiced law in St. Joseph, Missouri.[1] In 1852, he moved to Austin, Texas.[2][3] He served as a district court judge from 1857 until 1863.[1][3]
On July 4, 1861, Terrell gave a speech on the Texas State Capitol in defense of the Confederate States of America.[4] He drew a parallel between George Washington and the secession of the Confederacy.[4]
When his term as judge came to an end, Terrell joined the First Texas Cavalry Regiment of the Confederate States Army as major.[1][3] He fought in several major battles as part of the Red River Campaign including the Mansfield, Louisiana, in the spring of 1864.[5] In 1865, he obtained the rank of brigadier general, but the war ended before his promotion was officially confirmed.[1]
Terrell briefly chose to flee to Mexico after the war.[1] He returned to Texas, where he practised the law in Houston.[1] Subsequently, he spent time on his plantation in Robertson County, Texas.[1]
After Reconstruction, he served in both the Texas Senate and House of Representatives, serving sixteen years in the state legislature.[1] From 1893 until 1897, he was minister plenipotentiary to the Ottoman Empire during U.S. President Grover Cleveland's second administration.[1][2] From 1909 to 1911, he was a member of the University of Texas board of regents. He also served as the president of the Texas State Historical Association.
Personal life
Terrell married Ann Elizabeth Boulding.[1] They had five children.[1] After she died in 1860, he married Sarah D. Mitchell.[1] They had three children.[1]
Death and legacy
Terrell died on September 9, 1912 in Mineral Wells, Texas.[2][3] He was buried at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin, Texas.[1] Terrell County, Texas is named in his honor.[1]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Winters, John D. The Civil War in Louisiana. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1963. ISBN 0-8071-0834-0, pp. 340-347
- Sources
- Lone Star Junction biography
- Allardice, Bruce S. Confederate Colonels: A Biographical Register. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 2008. ISBN 978-0-8262-1809-4.
- Allardice, Bruce S. More Generals in Gray. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1995. ISBN 0-8071-3148-2 (pbk.).
- Winters, John D. The Civil War in Louisiana. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1963. ISBN 0-8071-0834-0.
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- 1827 births
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- Confederate States Army generals
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- University of Missouri alumni
- Ambassadors of the United States to the Ottoman Empire
- People from Patrick County, Virginia
- American Quakers
- Missouri lawyers
- Members of the Texas House of Representatives
- Texas State Senators
- People from St. Joseph, Missouri
- American planters
- 19th-century American politicians
