William Horn Battle was a North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

 jurist and law professor who served on the North Carolina Supreme Court

North Carolina Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of North Carolina is the state's highest appellate court. Until the creation of the North Carolina Court of Appeals in the 1960s, it was the state's only appellate court. The Supreme Court consists of six associate justices and one chief justice, although the number of justices...

. He was also the father of Kemp P. Battle

Kemp P. Battle

Kemp Plummer Battle served as North Carolina State Treasurer and as president of the University of North Carolina in the nineteenth century.Battle graduated from the University in 1849 as the valedictorian of his class...

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Battle was born in Edgecombe County, North Carolina

Edgecombe County, North Carolina

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 55,606 people, 20,392 households, and 14,804 families residing in the county. The population density was 110 people per square mile . There were 24,002 housing units at an average density of 48 per square mile...

 and educated at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...

. He became a lawyer, court reporter for the state Supreme Court, a member of the North Carolina House of Commons representing Franklin County

Franklin County, North Carolina

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 47,260 people, 17,843 households, and 12,882 families residing in the county. The population density was 96 people per square mile . There were 20,364 housing units at an average density of 41 per square mile...

, delegate to the 1839 Whig National Convention

1839 Whig National Convention

The 1839 Whig National Convention was a presidential nominating convention held in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in December 1839. This was the first national convention of the Whig Party of the United States....

, and a state superior court

Superior court

In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general competence which typically has unlimited jurisdiction with regard to civil and criminal legal cases...

 judge. He also taught at the University of North Carolina School of Law

University of North Carolina School of Law

The University of North Carolina School of Law is a professional school within the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Established in 1845, Carolina Law is among the oldest law schools in the nation and is the oldest law school in North Carolina. It is consistently ranked in the top-tier...

 between 1845 and 1866. Among his students were future Gov. Zebulon B. Vance and future state Supreme Court justices Joseph J. Davis

Joseph J. Davis

Joseph Jonathan Davis was a nineteenth century politician, lawyer and judge from North Carolina.-Biography:...

, James E. Shepherd

James E. Shepherd

James Edward Shepherd was a lawyer and jurist who served on the North Carolina Supreme Court.Shepherd was born at Mintonville, near Suffolk, Virginia, the son of Thomas Swepson Shepherd and his first wife Ann Eliza Browne...

, and Walter Clark

Walter Clark (jurist)

Walter McKenzie Clark was a North Carolina politician and jurist who served as an associate justice and chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court.-Biography:...

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Battle was appointed to serve on the state Supreme Court by Governor William Alexander Graham

William Alexander Graham

William Alexander Graham was a United States Senator from North Carolina from 1840 to 1843, the 30th Governor of North Carolina from 1845 to 1849 and United States Secretary of the Navy from 1850 to 1852. He was also a candidate for the vice-presidency in 1852.-Education:Graham was born near...

 in 1848 until the legislature could meet to select a replacement for Judge Joseph J. Daniel

Joseph J. Daniel

Joseph J. Daniel was a North Carolina jurist. He was a cousin of John R. J. Daniel.Born in Halifax County, North Carolina, Daniel studied law under William R. Davie. He became a respected lawyer and was elected to represent Halifax in the North Carolina House of Commons in 1807, 1811, 1812, and 1815...

. The legislators did not elect Battle to continue in office at this time, but they chose him to fill a seat on the court in 1852. He served on the Supreme Court until 1868, when he returned to the practice of law.
Battle later served as president of a bank and as Dean of the UNC Law School from 1877 until his death (while his son served as president of the university).

Battle is buried in Historic Oakwood Cemetery

Historic Oakwood Cemetery

Historic Oakwood Cemetery was founded in 1869 in Raleigh, North Carolina near the North Carolina State Capitol in Historic Oakwood. Historic Oakwood Cemetery contains two special areas within its , the Confederate Cemetery, located on the original two and one-half acres , and the Hebrew Cemetery,...

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