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William Alexander Anderson (1842 - 1930)

William Alexander Anderson
Born in Fincastle, Botetourt, Virginia, United Statesmap
Ancestors ancestors
Son of and
Brother of , , and [half]
Husband of — married 9 Aug 1875 in Rockbridge, Virginia, United Statesmap
Descendants descendants
Father of , and
Died at age 88 in Lexington, Virginia, United Statesmap
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Profile last modified | Created 10 Dec 2015
This page has been accessed 352 times.

Biography

Notables Project
William Anderson is Notable.
William Anderson served in the United States Civil War.
Enlisted: Jun 21, 1861
Mustered out: Dec 14, 1861 (wounded)
Side: CSA
Regiment(s): Co. I, 4th Regiment, Virginia Infantry

William was born in 1842, in Fincastle, Botetourt County, Virginia. He was the son of Judge Francis Thomas Anderson and Mary Ann Alexander. He was named for his paternal grandfather, who had represented Botetourt County in the 1831-1832 legislative session.

He was enrolled at Washington College in Lexington when Virginia seceded in May 1861.

On 2 Jun 1861, he enlisted as a 1st Sergeant, in the "Liberty Hall Volunteers," a group of Washington College students and alumni, who became part of Company I, 4th Regiment, Virginia Infantry, under the command of Stonewall Jackson. On 21 Jul 1861, at the Fist Battle of Manassas he was wounded when a bullet shattered his kneecap. As a result of his injury, he resigned on 13 Sep 1861[1][2]. He was formerly discharged on Dec 14, 1861[3].

During the war, he completed his education, and continued in his father's career path following the conflict, by attending the University of Virginia Law School and graduating in 1866.

On 19 Jul 1871, in Richmond, Virginia, he married Ellen Graham Anderson (1849-1872)[4]. Ellen died 5 Jan 1872, after 5 1/2 months of marriage. Her death record shows an unknown cause[5].

On 9 Aug 1875, in Rockbridge, he married Marie Louise Blair[6]. They settled in Rockbridge and had the following children.

  1. Ruth Floyd Anderson b. 1876 - d. 1971, m. Charles McCulloch
  2. Anna Aylett Anderson b. 1879 - d. 1927, m. Charles See McNulty
  3. William Dandridge Alexander Anderson b. 1881 VA - d. 1934 MD, m. Emily Maude Brown
  4. Lettie N Anderson b. 1882 - d. aft. 1910 census, never married
  5. Judith Nicholl Anderson b. 1883 - d. 1960, never married
  6. Ellen G. Anderson b. 1885 - d. 1970, never married

He passed away in 1930, age 88. He is buried at the Oak Grove Cemetery.

The pants he was wearing at the First Battle of Manassas, with the hole in the knee, are on display in the museum at Washington & Lee University.

Political & Legal Career

He served in the Virginia Senate from Rockbridge, Alleghany and Botetourt Counties from October 5, 1869 – December 31, 1873.

He served in the House of Delegates from Rockbridge County as a member of the Democratic Party (the successor of the Conservative Party), on a few occasions. First from December 5, 1883 – December 1, 1885, second from December 8, 1887 – December 4, 1889, and lastly from January 9, 1918 – January 13, 1920.

He was one of the principal authors of the Anderson-McCormick Election Act (allowing the General Assembly to elect 3-member boards of election in each county) that in combination with the Walton Act (which required use of the secret ballot as well as that voters cross out three fourths of the name of every candidate the voter voted against), reduced the number of Black Virginians eligible to vote, as well as the number of Black officeholders[7][8].

In 1900 Anderson became president of the Virginia State Bar Association. His presidential speech became the basis for the provisions in the Constitution of 1902 that disfranchised African American and poor white voters. He was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1901–1902[9]. During the convention he came prepared with methods used by other Southern states to circumvent the Fifteenth Amendment's prohibition against denying men the right to vote based on their race or previous condition of servitude[10].

He served as the 10th attorney general of Virginia from 1902 to 1910. He was preceded by Andrew Jackson Montague and succeeded by Samuel Walker Williams.

After his term as attorney general he served on the state board of education.

He also served on the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, Washington & Lee University and as its rector from 1913 to 1924[11].

Sources

  1. ↑ https://www.fold3.com/memorial/661228920/william-alexander-anderson-civil-war-stories/facts
  2. ↑ https://www.fold3.com/file/9789168
  3. ↑ https://www.fold3.com/image/9789186
  4. ↑ https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:68VF-CQ14
  5. ↑ https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6ZL6-JLP9
  6. ↑ https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:8ZGJ-P53Z
  7. ↑ https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/disfranchisement/
  8. ↑ http://www.virginiaplaces.org/government/disfranchisement.html
  9. ↑ https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/constitutional-convention-virginia-1901-1902/
  10. ↑ Brent Tarter, The Grandees of Government (University of Virginia Press 2013) p. 265, citing Report of the Proceedings and Debates of the Constitutional Convention State of Virginia Held in the City of Richmond June 12, 1901 to June 26, 1902, pp. 19-20
  11. ↑ https://archive.org/details/menmarkinvirgin02unkngoog
  • Daughter Anna's birth record. "Virginia, Library of Virginia State Archive, Births, Marriages, and Deaths 1853-1900", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6ZKJ-CQZZ : Fri Oct 13 19:30:36 UTC 2023), Entry for Anna Rylett Anderson and William A. Anderson, 30 Jan 1879.
  • Daughter Ruth's marriage record. "Virginia, Bureau of Vital Statistics, County Marriage Registers, 1853-1935", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:86MJ-9LW2 : Thu Oct 05 13:13:59 UTC 2023), Entry for Charles Mc Culloch and Frederich H. Mc Culloch, 4 Nov 1916.
  • Daughter Anna's death certificate. "Virginia, Death Certificates, 1912-1987," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVY2-6BZD : 16 August 2019), Wm A Anderson in entry for Anna Aylett Mcnulty, 01 Aug 1927; from "Virginia, Marriage Records, 1700-1850," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2012); citing Roanoke, Roanoke, Virginia, United States, entry #, Virginia Department of Health, Richmond.
  • His death certificate. "Virginia, Death Certificates, 1912-1987," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVRW-GV6B : 16 August 2019), William A Anderson, 21 Jun 1930; from "Virginia, Marriage Records, 1700-1850," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2012); citing Lexington, Rockbridge, Virginia, United States, entry #, Virginia Department of Health, Richmond.
  • Daughter Judith's death certificate. "Virginia, Death Certificates, 1912-1987," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVYP-M5L6 : 16 August 2019), William A Anderson in entry for Judith Nicoll Anderson, 28 Mar 1960; from "Virginia, Marriage Records, 1700-1850," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2012); citing Roanoke, Roanoke, Virginia, United States, entry #, Virginia Department of Health, Richmond.
  • Daughter Ellen's death certificate. "Virginia, Death Certificates, 1912-1987," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVRZ-D93P : 16 August 2019), William A Anderson in entry for Ellen Graham Anderson, 23 Jul 1970; from "Virginia, Marriage Records, 1700-1850," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2012); citing Lexington, , Virginia, United States, entry #, Virginia Department of Health, Richmond.
  • Daughter Ruth's death certificate. "Virginia, Death Certificates, 1912-1987," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVR8-7QZ3 : 16 August 2019), William Alexander Anderson in entry for Ruth Floyd McCulloch, 08 Jul 1971; from "Virginia, Marriage Records, 1700-1850," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2012); citing Lexington, , Virginia, United States, entry #, Virginia Department of Health, Richmond.




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Rejected matches › Alexander Anderson (1840-) › William Anderson (abt.1843-) › William (Rose) Anderson (1839-1912) › William J. Anderson (abt.1843-) › William Anderson (abt.1844-)

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Categories: Virginia State Senate | Virginia House of Delegates | Wounded in Action, Confederate States of America, United States Civil War | 4th Regiment, Virginia Infantry, United States Civil War | Oak Grove Cemetery, Lexington, Virginia | United States of America, Notables | Notables