Louis Trezevant Wigfall
Full Name: Louis Trezevant WigfallDate of birth: April 21, 1816
Date of death: February 18, 1874
Terms of Service top
Chamber | District | Dates of Service | Legislatures | Party | City/County | Note | Counties in District |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
S | 8 | Nov 5, 1857 - Dec 7, 1859 | 7th (4) (5) (6) (7) 8th (1) (2) (3) | Marshall / Harrison | Harrison | ||
H | 11 | Nov 18, 1850 - Nov 3, 1851 | 3rd (8) (9) | Marshall / Harrison | Harrison |
(1) E.A. Blanch, sworn 1/14/1860, succeeded Louis T. Wigfall, resignation announced 12/7/1859. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(2) 8th Legislature, Regular Session - Roll of Senators (holdover senators), 11/7/1859, p. 4. Senate Journal.
(3) Resignation announced, 12/7/1859, p. 107. Senate Journal.
(4) Members of the Seventh Legislature, Biographical Notes - Members, April 1937 issue. Southern Historical Research Magazine, 1937.
(5) Listed in "New Senators elected: Democrats." Roster of 7th Legislature, "Texas Legislature Complete for 1857-8," Civilian and Gazette. Weekly. (Galveston, Texas), 9/8/1857, p. 2, crediting Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
(6) 7th Legislature - Oath of office, 11/5/1857, p. 46. Senate Journal.
(7) Election of L.T. Wigfall for State Senator and Eli T. Craig, William F. Baldwin, and lawyer Pendleton Murrah, for House of Representatives in election of August, 1857 - "the state legislative races were decided in favor of the Democrats . . .," p. 169. A Southern Community in Crisis: Harrison County, Texas, 1850-1880, 1983.
(8) Louis T. Wigfall, sworn 11/18/1850, succeeded Jeremiah Clough, resigned after first 1st Called Session. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(9) Description of Democratic-Whig conflict in Harrison County, subsequent resignations of Representative J.M. Clough (September 1850) and Senator James F. Taylor, re-election of Taylor and election of L.T. Wigfall in November 1850, pp. 160-162. A Southern Community in Crisis: Harrison County, Texas, 1850-1880, 1983.
Terms of Service top
Senate District 8
Nov 5, 1857 - Dec 7, 1859 Legislatures: 7th (4) (5) (6) (7) 8th (1) (2) (3) Home City/County: Marshall / Harrison Counties in district: Harrison |
House District 11
Nov 18, 1850 - Nov 3, 1851 Legislatures: 3rd (8) (9) Home City/County: Marshall / Harrison Counties in district: Harrison |
(1) E.A. Blanch, sworn 1/14/1860, succeeded Louis T. Wigfall, resignation announced 12/7/1859. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(2) 8th Legislature, Regular Session - Roll of Senators (holdover senators), 11/7/1859, p. 4. Senate Journal.
(3) Resignation announced, 12/7/1859, p. 107. Senate Journal.
(4) Members of the Seventh Legislature, Biographical Notes - Members, April 1937 issue. Southern Historical Research Magazine, 1937.
(5) Listed in "New Senators elected: Democrats." Roster of 7th Legislature, "Texas Legislature Complete for 1857-8," Civilian and Gazette. Weekly. (Galveston, Texas), 9/8/1857, p. 2, crediting Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
(6) 7th Legislature - Oath of office, 11/5/1857, p. 46. Senate Journal.
(7) Election of L.T. Wigfall for State Senator and Eli T. Craig, William F. Baldwin, and lawyer Pendleton Murrah, for House of Representatives in election of August, 1857 - "the state legislative races were decided in favor of the Democrats . . .," p. 169. A Southern Community in Crisis: Harrison County, Texas, 1850-1880, 1983.
(8) Louis T. Wigfall, sworn 11/18/1850, succeeded Jeremiah Clough, resigned after first 1st Called Session. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(9) Description of Democratic-Whig conflict in Harrison County, subsequent resignations of Representative J.M. Clough (September 1850) and Senator James F. Taylor, re-election of Taylor and election of L.T. Wigfall in November 1850, pp. 160-162. A Southern Community in Crisis: Harrison County, Texas, 1850-1880, 1983.
Biographical Information top
Selected newspaper articlesBiographical Sketches
- WIGFALL, Louis Trezevant (1816-1874). Senator, TX. Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress.
- Brief sketch and portrait, Louis T. Wigfall, "Election of Wigfall to the United States Senate, 1859," Volume II, pp. 57-58. A Comprehensive History of Texas, 1685 to 1897.
- WIGFALL, LOUIS TREZEVANT (1816-1874). Handbook of Texas Online.
- Railroad promoter, pp. 89-93; biographical sketch, pp. 98-99; political career, pp. 151-153. A Southern Community in Crisis: Harrison County, Texas, 1850-1880, 1983.
- Portrait and biographical sketch. "He killed Thomas Bird in an affray preceding a duel with James P. Carroll in which neither principal was hurt." The Texas Senator, 1978.
Military Service Notes
- Confederate States Army, Colonel, 1st Texas Infantry; Brigadier General in Provisional Army, Wigfall "commanded the Texas Brigade of the Army of Northern Virginia (Hood's Texas Brigade) until February 1862, when he resigned to take a seat in the Confederate Congress." Handbook of Texas Online.
- Biographical sketch, Lewis T. Wigfall, pp. 92-93. Texans Who Wore the Gray, 1907.
- Louis Trezevant Wigfall. Texas Burial Sites of Civil War Notables: A Biographical and Pictorial Field Guide, 2002.
- Biographical sketch and portrait, pp. 18, 97, Plate No. 37. Texas in the War, 1861-1865, 1965.
- Mentioned in several letters, including William Henry Lewis' letter of 11/2/1861 describing General Wigfall's "first speech before the 5th Texas [Infantry] and his influence within the Confederate government," pp. 23-25; biographical sketch, footnote 37. Touched by Fire: Letters From Company D 5th Texas Infantry Hood's Brigade Army of Northern Virginia 1862-1865, 2000.
Other Resources
- Billy D. Ledbetter, "The Election of Louis T. Wigfall to the United States Senate, 1859: A Reevaluation," The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 77, Number 2, October 1973, pp. 241-254, crediting Texas State Historical Association. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).
- Mentioned in discussion of Harrison County religious life and denominations, pp. 102-103. A Southern Community in Crisis: Harrison County, Texas, 1850-1880, 1983.
- Secessionist letters sent to Texas Senator Louis T. Wigfall in 1863, "Sam Houston Returns? Two Letters from Texas Secessionists in 1863," Volume 117, Number 4, April 2014, pp. 404-409. Southwestern Historical Quarterly.
Committee Information top
This website is a work in progress. Information on this website is provided as a public service by the Legislative Reference Library. The Legislative Reference Library makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy and makes no warranty in regard to its use. Users assume all risk of reliance on the information included on this site.
Party information is not available for the 1st-11th Legislatures.
Have a question, comment or contribution? Email the Library or call 512-463-1252.
Many photos in Texas Legislators: Past and Present are used with permission of the Texas State Preservation Board. For permission to reproduce these photos, please contact the Texas State Preservation Board graphics coordinator at 512-475-3060.