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

United States Senator The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...

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 Samue ...

. Ward was raised in

Madison County, Alabama Madison County is a County (United States), county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census, the population was 388,153, and according to a 2023 population estimate the ...

. He attended an academy in

Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is the List of municipalities in Alabama, most populous city in the U.S. state of Alabama. The population of the city is estimated to be 241,114 in 2024, making it the List of United States cities by population, 100th-most populous ...

, taught school and studied law. In 1836 he settled in

Bowie, Texas Bowie ( ) is a town in Montague County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,448 at the 2020 census. History On July 22, 1881, Bowie was incorporated as a town in Montague County, United States. (A separate Bowie County includes Texa ...

, moving to

Clarksville, Texas Clarksville is a city in and the county seat of Red River County, Texas, Red River County, Texas, United States, in the northernmost part of the Piney Woods region of East Texas. As of the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census, the city popula ...

in 1845 and later to

Jefferson, Texas Jefferson is a city and county seat of Marion County, Texas, in Northeast Texas. It has a population of 1,875 as of the 2020 United States census. History Almost every commercial building and house on the main arterial road in Jefferson has a h ...

Career

Ward served in the seventh and eighth congresses of the

Republic of Texas The Republic of Texas (), or simply Texas, was a country in North America that existed for close to 10 years, from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846. Texas shared borders with Centralist Republic of Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande, an ...

and later in the state senate as a Democrat from 1849 to 1850. This was followed by unsuccessful campaigns for

lieutenant governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

in 1851 and

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

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 a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

. 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, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

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 members of the Texas Legislature 19th-century United States senators