William A. Lake
William Lake | |
|---|---|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Mississippi's 4th district | |
| In office March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857 | |
| Preceded by | Wiley P. Harris |
| Succeeded by | Otho R. Singleton |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Augustus Lake January 6, 1808 near Cambridge, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | October 15, 1861 (aged 53) Hopefield, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Political party | Know Nothing |
| Education | Washington and Jefferson College (BA) |
William Augustus Lake (January 6, 1808 – October 15, 1861) was an American lawyer and politician who served one term as a U.S. Representative from Mississippi from 1855 to 1857.
Biography
[edit]Born near Cambridge, Maryland on January 6, 1808, Lake pursued classical studies and was graduated from Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, in 1827. He served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates in 1831, after which he moved to Vicksburg, Mississippi. According to a history of notable 19th-century Vicksburg lawyers, "Marylander William A. Lake began practicing in Vicksburg in 1835 and soon reached a prominent position of leadership."[1] He served as member of the Mississippi State Senate in 1848, and "became a statewide figure. With a wide reputation as a lawyer, Major William Lake was polished, agreeable and popular."[1] When Zachary Taylor visited Vicksburg in 1849, he was welcomed with a speech by Lake.[2]
Congress
[edit]Lake was elected as an American Party candidate to the Thirty-fourth Congress (March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1856 to the Thirty-fifth Congress. He served in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1859 to 1861, and was its Speaker in the January 1861 session.[3]
Later career and death
[edit]He then resumed the practice of law. He was a candidate for the Confederate Congress in 1861 and, during the canvass was killed in a duel by his opponent, Colonel Chambers, of Mississippi, October 15, 1861, at Hopefield, Arkansas, opposite Memphis, Tennessee. He was interred in the City Cemetery, Vicksburg, Mississippi.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Everett, Frank E. Jr. (1963-07-01). "Vicksburg Was Center for Famous Lawyers". The Vicksburg Post. p. 122. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
- ^ "Zachary Taylor Visited in 1849". The Vicksburg Post. 1963-07-01. p. 124. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
- ^ Rowland, Dunbar (1907). Mississippi: Comprising Sketches of Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form. Southern Historical Publishing Association. p. 84.
- United States Congress. "William A. Lake (id: L000026)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
- 1808 births
- 1861 deaths
- American politicians killed in duels
- Deaths by firearm in Arkansas
- Know-Nothing members of the United States House of Representatives from Mississippi
- Members of the United States House of Representatives from Mississippi
- Mississippi Know Nothings
- People from Dorchester County, Maryland
- Members of the Maryland House of Delegates
- Speakers of the Mississippi House of Representatives
- Mississippi state senators
- Members of the United States House of Representatives who owned slaves
- Politicians killed in the American Civil War
- Civilians killed in the American Civil War
- 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives
- 19th-century members of the Maryland General Assembly
- 19th-century members of the Mississippi Legislature