William Nathan Harrell Smith (September 24, 1812 – November 14, 1889) was an American politician and lawyer who served as a

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

from

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

, and as the Chief Justice of the

North Carolina Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of North Carolina is the state of North Carolina's highest appellate court. Until the creation of the North Carolina Court of Appeals in the 1960s, it was the state's only appellate court. The Supreme Court consists ...

Biography

William N. H. Smith was born in

Murfreesboro, North Carolina Murfreesboro is a town in Hertford County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,835 at the 2010 census. The town is home to Chowan University. Geography Murfreesboro is located in northwestern Hertford County on high ground sou ...

, September 24, 1812, and attended the common schools in Murfreesboro, N.C.,

Kingston, Rhode Island Kingston is a village and a census-designated place within the New England town, town of South Kingstown, Rhode Island, South Kingstown in Washington County, Rhode Island, Washington County, Rhode Island, United States, and the site of the mai ...

, and

Colchester, Connecticut Colchester is a New England town, town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 15,555 at the 20 ...

and

East Lyme, Connecticut East Lyme is a New England town, town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 18,693 at the 2020 ...

. He graduated from

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

in 1834 and from

Yale Law School Yale Law School (YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824. The 2020–21 acceptance rate was 4%, the lowest of any law school in the United ...

in 1836, and was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

and commenced practice in Murfreesboro, N.C., in 1839. Smith held several local offices, including being a member of the State House of Commons in 1840, 1858, 1865, and 1866. He also served in the

State Senate In the United States, the state legislature is the legislative branch in each of the 50 U.S. states. A legislature generally performs state duties for a state in the same way that the United States Congress performs national duties at ...

in 1848; was solicitor (prosecutor) of the first judicial district of North Carolina for eight years, and was elected as an

Opposition Party In politics, the opposition comprises one or more political parties or other organized groups that are opposed to the government (or, in American English, the administration), party or group in political control of a city, region, state, coun ...

candidate to the

Thirty-sixth Congress The 36th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1859, ...

(March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1861). He was unsuccessful candidate (backed by the American Party and many Democrats) for

Speaker Speaker most commonly refers to: * Speaker, a person who produces speech * Loudspeaker, a device that produces sound ** Computer speakers Speaker, Speakers, or The Speaker may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * "Speaker" (song), by David ...

.OurCampaigns.com
/ref> He served in the

Confederate Congress The Confederate States Congress was both the provisional and permanent legislative assembly/legislature of the Confederate States of America that existed from February 1861 to April/June 1865, during the American Civil War. Its actions were, ...

in 1862–1865, and was delegate to the

Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 18 ...

at New York City in 1868. He served as counsel for Governor W. W. Holden in his 1871

impeachment trial An impeachment trial is a trial that functions as a component of an impeachment. Several governments utilize impeachment trials as a part of their processes for impeachment. Differences exist between governments as to what stage trials take place ...

, and was chief justice of the

from 1878 to 1889. Smith died in

Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...

, November 14, 1889, and his remains were interred in

Historic Oakwood Cemetery Historic Oakwood Cemetery was founded in 1869 in Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital of North Carolina, near the North Carolina State Capitol in the city's Historic Oakwood neighborhood. Historic Oakwood Cemetery contains two special ar ...

References

External links

North Carolina Historical Marker
* 1812 births 1889 deaths People from Murfreesboro, North Carolina Opposition Party members of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina Deputies and delegates to the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States Members of the Confederate House of Representatives from North Carolina North Carolina Oppositionists Democratic Party members of the North Carolina House of Representatives Democratic Party North Carolina state senators Chief justices of the North Carolina Supreme Court North Carolina lawyers Yale Law School alumni Yale College alumni 19th-century North Carolina state court judges 19th-century American lawyers Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the North Carolina General Assembly {{NorthCarolina-politician-stub