Terms of Service top

Chamber	District	Dates of Service	Legislatures	Party	City/County	Note	Counties in District
H	55	Nov 4, 1861 - Nov 2, 1863	9th		Austin / Travis		Travis
S	25	Nov 7, 1859 - Mar 13, 1861	8th (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7)		Webberville / Travis		Bastrop, Burnet, Travis

(1) "When he [Hamilton] returned to Texas in the spring of 1861 he won a special election to the state Senate." Handbook of Texas Online.
(2) Nathan G. Shelley, in special election 3/25/1861, sworn in 9th Legislature, succeeded to the unexpired term of Eggleston D. Townes, resigned 3/13/1861. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(3) "On the 25th, an election was to be held for a successor, in the State Senate, to M.E.D. Townes, Senator representing the District of Bastrop, Travis, and Burnet counties." Galveston Weekly News, 4/2/1861, p. 1, crediting Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
(4) "Our late Representative in Congress, Hon. A.J. Hamilton, was elected State Senator for the Austin district, last Monday [8/25/1861] . . . Judge Towns [sic], resigned." Civilian and Gazette. Weekly. (Galveston, Texas), 4/2/1861, p. 2, crediting Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
(5) Listed on the "Democratic Ticket" for Senator in The Campaign Intelligencer (Austin City, Texas), 7/16/1859, p. 2, crediting Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
(6) 8th Legislature, Regular Session - Roll of Senators elected since the last adjournment, oath of office administered, 11/7/1859, p. 2. Senate Journal.
(7) 8th Legislature - One of 15 newcomers to the Senate, 8th Regular Session, p. 302. The Texas Senate: Volume I, Republic to Civil War, 1836-1861, 1990.

Biographical Notes and Resources top

Biographical Sketches

• Biographical sketch, Eggleston Dick Townes, born 1817 and died 1864; mentioned in sketches of son John Charles Townes and father John Leigh Townes. History of Alabama and Dictionary of Alabama Biography, 1921, by Thomas McAdory Owen, Mrs. Marie (Bankhead) Owen, Volume 4, pp. 1678-1679. Google Books.

Other Resources

• Birth date 6/5/1817, death date 8/31/1864. Application of grandson John Charles Townes, U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970. Ancestry.com.
• Brief biographical information included in sketches of son John Charles Townes (referred to as "Judge Dick Townes") and grandsons Edgar Eggleston Townes and John C. Townes, Jr., Volume III, pp. 1297-1298; and sketch of son John Charles Townes, Volume IV, pp. 1606-1607. "He [Eggleston D. Townes] moved to Texas in 1856, settling in Travis County . . . his death occurred August 30, 1864." A History of Texas and Texans, 1914.
• "Flournoy and the Minnikin [Judge] Townes . . .", State Gazette (Austin, Texas), 10/6/1860, p. 1, crediting Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).

Photographs

• Photograph. Eggleston Townes, 8th Legislature, Texas Album of the Eighth Legislature

Committee Information top

9th R.S. - 1861 Education (Chair)  Finance   Institutions for the Blind, Deaf, and Dumb and Lunatic Asylum (Co-Chair)  Judiciary

8th R.S. - 1859 Apportionment   Claims and Accounts   Education   Enrolled Bills   Internal Improvements   Judiciary   Public Grounds and Public Buildings   Public Lands   Roads, Bridges and Ferries   State Affairs