William Crosby Dawson
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William Crosby Dawson (1798–1856) was a member of the United States Senate from Georgia.
Chronological biography
- Born in Greensboro, Greene County, Georgia, January 4, 1798 to George Dawson, Sr. and Katie Ruth Marsden (Marston).
- Took an academic course from the Rev. Dr. Cumming, attended the county academy in Greensboro, and then was graduated from Franklin College, Athens, Clarke County, Georgia, in 1816 at the age of eighteen.
- Studied law for a year in the office of the Hon. Thomas W. Cobb, at Lexington, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, and then in the law school of Judges Reeve and Gould at Litchfield, Litchfield County, Connecticut.
- Admitted to the bar in 1818, and practiced in Greensboro where he was a successful jury lawyer. He was known for his ability to settle cases out of court.
- Elected Clerk of the Georgia House of Representatives in 1821 and served ten to twelve years in that post.
- Compiled and published "Laws of Georgia" ca. 1831.
- Captain of Volunteers in the Creek and Seminole Indian War in Florida in 1836 under General Winfield Scott.
- Elected as a State Rights candidate to the Georgia House of Representatives for the 24th Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of General John Coffee, then re-elected as a Whig to the 25th, 26th, and 27th Congresses. He served from November 7, 1836, to November 13, 1841, when he resigned. Chairman, Committee on Mileage (25th Congress), Committee on Claims (26th Congress), Committee on Military Affairs (27th Congress).
- Whig candidate for Governor of Georgia in 1841.
- Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons in Georgia from 1843 - 1856.
- Appointed by Governor Crawford to fill a vacancy as Judge of the Ocmulgee Circuit Court in 1845 but declined being a candidate for the bench.
- Elected as a Whig to the United States Senate for the 31st, 32nd, and 33rd Congresses, serving from March 4, 1849, to March 3, 1855 as a member of the Georgia congressional delegation. Chairman, Committee on Private Land Claims (32nd Congress); presided over the Southern convention at Memphis in 1853.
- Died in Greensboro, Georgia, on May 5, 1856 and was buried in Greensboro Cemetery.
Eponymic places
- Dawson County, Georgia, and the county seat, Dawsonville, were named for William Crosby Dawson. The county was created by a legislative act on December 3, 1857, primarily out of Lumpkin County and small parts of Gilmer, Pickens and Forsyth counties.
- Dawson, the county seat of Terrell County, Georgia was incorporated on December 22, 1857 and named for William Crosby Dawson.
External links
- [Biographical Directory of the United States Congress] NB: has error in date admitted to bar.
Further reading
- American National Biography; Dictionary of American Biography; Mellichamp, Josephine. “William Dawson.” In Senators From Georgia, pp. 127-30. Huntsville, Ala.: Strode Publishers, 1976.
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