William Henry Stiles
Encyclopedia
William Henry Stiles was a United States Representative
and lawyer from Georgia
. He was the grandson of Joseph Clay
.
, in 1808, Stiles attended high school at the Hopkins School
in New Haven
, Connecticut
. After graduating from Hopkins, Stiles studied law at Yale College
, gained admittance to the state bar
in 1831 and practiced law in Savannah. He served as the solicitor general for Georgia's eastern district from 1833 to 1836. In 1842, Stiles was elected as a Democratic
Representative
from Georgia to the 28th United States Congress
and served one term from March 4, 1843, until March 3, 1845.
On April 19, 1845, Stiles was appointed by U.S. President James Polk as chargé d'affaires
to the Austrian Empire
, a position which he held until October 1849. He then returned to his beloved Etowah Cliffs in Cass County where he had a plantation, and lived with his wife Eliza Anne MacKay Stiles, and his children: Mary Cowper Stiles, William Henry Stiles Jr., and Robert MacKay Stiles, and was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives
in 1858 and served as that body's speaker of the house.
Stiles served as one of Georgia's at-large delegates to the commercial congress in Montgomery
, Alabama
, in 1858. Also in 1858 he delivered an address, Southern Education for Southern Youth, to the Cherokee Baptist College. He also was a delegate to the 1860 Democratic National Convention
. During the American Civil War
, Stiles served as a colonel in the Confederate States Army
. He died in Savannah on December 20, 1865 and was buried in Laurel Grove Cemetery in that same city.
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...
and lawyer from Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. He was the grandson of Joseph Clay
Joseph Clay (Georgia)
Joseph Clay was a soldier and public official from Georgia.Born in England, he immigrated to the United States and in 1760 settled in Savannah, Georgia. During the American Revolution, he served on the local council of safety and was a delegate to the Georgia Provincial Congress in 1775...
.
Biography
Born in Savannah, GeorgiaSavannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
, in 1808, Stiles attended high school at the Hopkins School
Hopkins School
The Hopkins School is a private, college-preparatory, coeducational day school, located in New Haven, Connecticut....
in New Haven
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. After graduating from Hopkins, Stiles studied law at Yale College
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, gained admittance to the state bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
in 1831 and practiced law in Savannah. He served as the solicitor general for Georgia's eastern district from 1833 to 1836. In 1842, Stiles was elected as a Democratic
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...
Representative
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 Georgia to the 28th United States Congress
28th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:Following the 1840 United States Census, Congress reapportioned the House to include 223 seats . During this congress, one House seat was added for the new state of Florida .- Senate :*President: Vacant...
and served one term from March 4, 1843, until March 3, 1845.
On April 19, 1845, Stiles was appointed by U.S. President James Polk as chargé d'affaires
Chargé d'affaires
In diplomacy, chargé d’affaires , often shortened to simply chargé, is the title of two classes of diplomatic agents who head a diplomatic mission, either on a temporary basis or when no more senior diplomat has been accredited.-Chargés d’affaires:Chargés d’affaires , who were...
to the Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
, a position which he held until October 1849. He then returned to his beloved Etowah Cliffs in Cass County where he had a plantation, and lived with his wife Eliza Anne MacKay Stiles, and his children: Mary Cowper Stiles, William Henry Stiles Jr., and Robert MacKay Stiles, and was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives
Georgia House of Representatives
The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly of the U.S. state of Georgia.-Composition:...
in 1858 and served as that body's speaker of the house.
Stiles served as one of Georgia's at-large delegates to the commercial congress in Montgomery
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...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, in 1858. Also in 1858 he delivered an address, Southern Education for Southern Youth, to the Cherokee Baptist College. He also was a delegate to the 1860 Democratic National Convention
1860 Democratic National Convention
The 1860 Democratic National Convention was one of the crucial events in the lead-up to the American Civil War. Following a fragmented official Democratic National Convention that was adjourned in deadlock, two more presidential nominating conventions took place: a resumed official convention,...
. During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Stiles served as a colonel in the 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...
. He died in Savannah on December 20, 1865 and was buried in Laurel Grove Cemetery in that same city.