William Wirt Letters
In these four handwritten letters, William Wirt asks advice in legal matters and discusses military affairs and his finances.
Dates
- 1817 October 8-1829 March 17
Conditions Governing Access
Collections are stored offsite and must be requested in advance. See www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Conditions Governing Use
The UT Libraries claims only physical ownership of most material in the collections. Persons wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants on www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Extent
0.1 Linear Feet (1 folder)
Abstract
In these four handwritten letters, William Wirt asks advice in legal matters and discusses military affairs and his finances.
Biographical/Historical Note
William Wirt was born to Jacob and Henrietta Wirt in Bladensburg, Maryland on November 8, 1772. He studied law under William P. Hunt and was admitted to the Virginia Bar in 1790. Wirt was involved in a number of notable cases, representing James Thomson Callender in a famous trial under the Alien and Sedition Acts (1800) and helping to prosecute Aaron Burr (1806). The Virginia Legislature elected him presiding judge of the chancery district in 1802. Wirt went on to serve as the U. S. Attorney for the Richmond District (1816-1817) before becoming the U. S. Attorney General (1817-1829). He also wrote a number of books, including The Old Bachelor (1810-1813) and Life and Character of Patrick Henry (1817).
Wirt married Mildred Gilmer (1772-1799) on May 28, 1795. After Mildred's death, Wirt married Elizabeth Washington Gamble (1784-1857) on September 7, 1802. Wirt had twelve children. He died on February 18, 1834 in Washington, D.C. and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Arrangement
This collection consists of a single folder.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository