William C. Dawson letter to James A. Waller


Descriptive Summary
Title: William C. Dawson letter to James A. Waller
Creator: Dawson, William C. (William Crosby), 1798-1856
Inclusive Dates: 1854 December 18
Language(s): English
Extent: 1 folder(s)
Collection Number: ms2610
Repository: Hargrett Library

Collection Description

Historical Note

William C. Dawson (1798-1857) was a Georgia-born lawyer, soldier and politician, who was elected to the United States Senate for one term beginning in 1849. Dawson County, Georgia and the city of Dawson in Terrell County, Georgia are named after him. William C. Dawson was born in Greene County, Georgia. Upon graduating from the University of Georgia in 1816 at the age of eighteen, he pursued a career in law which took him to study in Connecticut. In 1818 he settled to practice law in Greensboro, Georgia. In 1822 he began a career in politics by winning election to the Georgia House of Representatives. Before his death in 1856, he served on the Georgia Senate, helped compile the laws of Georgia, was a member of the United States Congress, ran for Georgia Governor for the Whig Party in 1841, served on the Supreme Court of the Ocmulgee Judicial Court, was a United States Senator, and served as President of the Southern Commercial Conventions of 1853 and 1854. During his term as Senator between the years 1845 and 1855, Dawson was known nationally. His close friends included Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and John C. Calhoun. He supported Clay's Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas-Nebraska bill of 1854. He was also a trusted confidant of President Millard Fillmore.

Scope and Content

The collection consists of a letter dated Washington City, December 18, 1854, to James A. Waller, signed "W.C. Dawson", concerning a letter that Dawson wrote to the Secretary of the Navy. In 1854 Dawson had just finished a term as Senator and was the President of the Southern Commercial Conventions.