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
Religion Religious Society of Friends
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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Nichols, Irby C., Jr. (June 15, 2010). "TERRELL, ALEXANDER WATKINS". Handbook of Texas Online. Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Judge A. W. Terrell Died Suddenly At Mineral Wells.". The Houston Post (Houston, Texas). September 10, 1912. p. 1. Retrieved December 28, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Judge Terrell Dies At Mineral Wells. Was Author of Terrell Election Law and One Time Ambassador to Turkey.". The Liberty Vindicator (Liberty, Texas). September 13, 1912. p. 4. Retrieved December 28, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 Lang, Andrew F. (July 2010). "Memory, the Texas Revolution, and Secession: The Birth of Confederate Nationalism in the Lone Star State". The Southwestern Historical Quarterly 114 (1): 20–35. Retrieved December 28, 2015 – via JSTOR. (registration required (help)).
  5. ↑ Winters, John D. The Civil War in Louisiana. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1963. ISBN 0-8071-0834-0, pp. 340-347
Sources
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