Robert Wilson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Senator fromMissouri | |
| In office January 17, 1862 – November 13, 1863 | |
| Appointed by | Hamilton Rowan Gamble |
| Preceded by | Waldo P. Johnson |
| Succeeded by | B. Gratz Brown |
| Member of theMissouri Senate | |
| In office 1854 | |
| Member of theMissouri House of Representatives | |
| In office 1844 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 1803 Staunton, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | May 10, 1870(1870-05-10) (aged 66) Marshall, Missouri, U.S. |
| Party | Union |
| Occupation | Politician, lawyer |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Missouri Militia |
| Rank | Brigadier General |
| Battles/wars | Mormon War |
Robert Wilson (November 1803 – May 10, 1870) was an American lawyer and politician. A member of theUnion Party, he was a member of theUnited States Senate fromMissouri.
Wilson's birth date and place are disputed. He was either born in November 1803 or on November 6, 1800, in eitherStaunton orAbingdon, Virginia.[1][2][3] In 1820, he moved toHoward County, Missouri. He worked as an educator, later becoming Howard County's probate judge in 1825 and serving as a court clerk between 1829 and 1840. In 1837, was a brigadier-general in theMissouri State Defense Force, as which he commanded troops in the1838 Mormon War. In 1840, he wasadmitted to the bar, after which he practiced law inHuntsville. In 1852, he moved toAndrew County.[1] He owned slaves.[4]
Wilson was a member of the Union Party, apro-slaveryUnionist political party, though aligned with theWhig Party. He served in theMissouri House of Representatives in 1844, and in theMissouri Senate in 1854. He participated in the 1861 Missouri State Political Convention, in which politicians discussed whether to secede from the Union. In the Convention, he was its vice president and later its acting president[1] afterSterling Price retired from the position.[3]
Following the expulsion ofWaldo P. Johnson from the United States Senate, Wilson was appointed by GovernorHamilton Rowan Gamble to complete his unexpired term.[3] He served from January 17, 1862, to November 13, 1863.[1] On July 12, 1862, he was among the Missouri Congressmen who refused to abolish slavery in the state by request of PresidentAbraham Lincoln.[5] He was a member of theUnited States Senate Committee on the Pacific Railroad. In 1866, he participated in a "National Union Convention", in Philadelphia.[3]
Following his career in politics, Wilson worked as a farmer inSt. Joseph.[2] In 1826, he married Mrs. Snoddy, with whom he had six children.[3] He died on May 10, 1870, aged 66, inMarshall, Missouri, and is buried inMount Mora Cemetery.[1]
| U.S. Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | U.S. senator (Class 3) from Missouri January 17, 1862 – November 13, 1863 Served alongside:John B. Henderson | Succeeded by |
| Class 1 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 3 | ||
