William H. Brawley
Encyclopedia
William Huggins Brawley was a U.S. Representative
from South Carolina
and later a United States federal judge
. He was the cousin of John James Hemphill and great-uncle of Robert Witherspoon Hemphill.
, Brawley attended the common schools, and graduated from South Carolina College at Columbia
in 1860. He enlisted as a private in Company F, Sixth Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, Confederate States Army
, on April 11, 1861. He lost an arm in the Battle of Seven Pines
and was retired from service in 1862. He managed his family plantation from 1862 to 1864, then traveled and studied in Europe in 1864 and 1865. He read law, and was admitted to the bar in 1866, commencing a private practice in Chester until 1868. Brawley was elected solicitor of the Sixth Judicial Circuit of South Carolina in 1868 and served until his resignation in 1874. He moved to Charleston
and continued in private practice until 1893.
to the Fifty-second
and Fifty-third
Congresses, and served from March 4, 1891, until February 12, 1894, when he resigned to accept a position on the bench.
to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina
vacated by Charles H. Simonton. Brawley was confirmed by the United States Senate
on January 18, 1894, and received his commission the same day. He retired on June 14, 1911.
He thereafter lived in retirement until his death in Charleston, South Carolina
, November 15, 1916. He is interred in Magnolia Cemetery.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
and later a United States federal judge
United States federal judge
In the United States, the title of federal judge usually means a judge appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate in accordance with Article II of the United States Constitution....
. He was the cousin of John James Hemphill and great-uncle of Robert Witherspoon Hemphill.
History
Born in Chester, South CarolinaChester, South Carolina
Chester is a small city in Chester County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 6,476 at the 2000 census and a center urban cluster population of 11,140...
, Brawley attended the common schools, and graduated from South Carolina College at Columbia
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
in 1860. He enlisted as a private in Company F, Sixth Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
, on April 11, 1861. He lost an arm in the Battle of Seven Pines
Battle of Seven Pines
The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive up the Virginia Peninsula by Union Maj. Gen....
and was retired from service in 1862. He managed his family plantation from 1862 to 1864, then traveled and studied in Europe in 1864 and 1865. He read law, and was admitted to the bar in 1866, commencing a private practice in Chester until 1868. Brawley was elected solicitor of the Sixth Judicial Circuit of South Carolina in 1868 and served until his resignation in 1874. He moved to Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
and continued in private practice until 1893.
Political service
Brawley was a Representative from Charleston, South Carolina House of Representatives from 1882 to 1890. He was elected as a DemocratDemocratic 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...
to the Fifty-second
52nd United States Congress
The Fifty-second United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C...
and Fifty-third
53rd United States Congress
The Fifty-third United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1893 to March 4, 1895, during the fifth and sixth...
Congresses, and served from March 4, 1891, until February 12, 1894, when he resigned to accept a position on the bench.
Federal judicial service
On December 20, 1893, Brawley was nominated by President Grover ClevelandGrover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina
United States District Court for the District of South Carolina
The United States District Court for the District of South Carolina is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of South Carolina...
vacated by Charles H. Simonton. Brawley was confirmed by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on January 18, 1894, and received his commission the same day. He retired on June 14, 1911.
He thereafter lived in retirement until his death in Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, November 15, 1916. He is interred in Magnolia Cemetery.
External links
- Our Civil War in Retrospect, William H. Brawley, National Magazine, September, 1905 (with photo)