William B. Bate

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William Brimage Bate

William Brimage Bate , (born October 7, 1826 in Bledsoe's Lick , Tennessee , † March 9, 1905 in Washington, DC ) was an American politician and major general in the Confederate Army .

Youth and political advancement

In his youth he made his living as a boat boy on the Mississippi on a ship called the Saladin, which operated between Nashville , Tennessee and New Orleans , Louisiana . During the Mexican-American War , Bate entered the United States Army as a simple soldier and was promoted to lieutenant at the end of the war. He then left the army and returned to his family farm in Sumner County , Tennessee. In this district he published a newspaper affiliated with the Democratic Party . In 1849 he was elected to the Tennessee Parliament. At the same time he studied law at the Cumberland Law School and was admitted to the bar in 1852. He then worked as a lawyer and later as a district attorney.

Civil war

Bate was a firm believer in secession. When the Civil War broke out, he joined the Confederate Army and was soon appointed commander of the 2nd Tennessee Infantry Regiment. He was wounded several times in the Battle of Shiloh on April 6 and 7, 1862. After being incapacitated for several months, he was promoted to brigadier general on his return to active service in October 1862. At the end of the war he had the rank of major general and had been wounded three times.

Political career after the civil war

After returning to civilian life, he practiced as a lawyer and continued to be active in politics. He joined the conservative Bourbon wing of the Democrats and soon rose to the ranks of the party's leadership in Tennessee. In 1882 and 1884 he was elected governor of his state. In his tenure from 1883 to 1887, Bate managed to reduce the national debt. He created an improved tax system, campaigned for better funding for education policy and founded a railway committee. In 1886 he was elected to the US Senate . There he served until his death on March 9, 1905. He was chairman of the Senate committees for regulating the Mississippi and its tributaries and for health. Bate campaigned for the future states of Arizona , New Mexico and Oklahoma to join the Union.

See also

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Bate, William B.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Bate, William Brimage (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician and general
DATE OF BIRTH October 7, 1826
PLACE OF BIRTH Bledsoe's Lick , Tennessee
DATE OF DEATH March 9, 1905
Place of death Washington, DC