Wade Keyes
Encyclopedia
Wade Keyes was a prominent Confederate politician.
He was born in Mooresville, Alabama
, the son of General George and Nellie (Rutledge) Keyes. He was educated by private tutors and attended LaGrange College (now the University of North Alabama
) and the University of Virginia
before moving to Lexington, Kentucky
, in late 1840s to study law. He had a daughter, Mary, by his marriage to a Miss Whitfield.
Keyes was a Methodist
and a Democrat
. He moved to Tallahassee, Florida
, in 1844 where he practiced law and then he moved to Montgomery, Alabama
, in 1851. He was the author of two volumes on legal subjects: An Essay on the Learning of Future Interests in Real Property (1853) and An Essay on the Learning of Remainders (1854). In 1853, Keyes was given the chancellorship for the Southern Division of Alabama.
Keyes was a secessionist. When the Civil War began, he volunteered for duty in the Confederate Army but assigned to staff duty in Richmond. Throughout the Civil War, he served as assistant attorney general for the Confederacy. During Judah P. Benjamin
's term, Keyes actually conducted the affairs of the office. His opinions were detailed arguments backed by quotations from U.S. court cases.
After the war, he had a law practice in Florence, Alabama
. Little else is known about his postwar career. He died in Florence.
He was born in Mooresville, Alabama
Mooresville, Alabama
Mooresville is a town in Limestone County, Alabama, United States, located southeast of the intersection of Interstates 565 and 65, and north of Wheeler Lake....
, the son of General George and Nellie (Rutledge) Keyes. He was educated by private tutors and attended LaGrange College (now the University of North Alabama
University of North Alabama
The University of North Alabama is a coeducational university located in Florence, Alabama, and the state's oldest four-year public university....
) and the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
before moving to Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
, in late 1840s to study law. He had a daughter, Mary, by his marriage to a Miss Whitfield.
Keyes was a Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
and a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. He moved to Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
, in 1844 where he practiced law and then he moved to Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
, in 1851. He was the author of two volumes on legal subjects: An Essay on the Learning of Future Interests in Real Property (1853) and An Essay on the Learning of Remainders (1854). In 1853, Keyes was given the chancellorship for the Southern Division of Alabama.
Keyes was a secessionist. When the Civil War began, he volunteered for duty in the Confederate Army but assigned to staff duty in Richmond. Throughout the Civil War, he served as assistant attorney general for the Confederacy. During Judah P. Benjamin
Judah P. Benjamin
Judah Philip Benjamin was an American politician and lawyer. Born a British subject in the West Indies, he moved to the United States with his parents and became a citizen. He later became a citizen of the Confederate States of America. After the collapse of the Confederacy, Benjamin moved to...
's term, Keyes actually conducted the affairs of the office. His opinions were detailed arguments backed by quotations from U.S. court cases.
After the war, he had a law practice in Florence, Alabama
Florence, Alabama
Florence is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States, in the northwestern corner of the state.According to the 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the city's population was 36,721....
. Little else is known about his postwar career. He died in Florence.