William H. Wharton
| William Harris Wharton | |
|---|---|
Wharton County, Texas was named for William H. Wharton and his brother John A. Wharton
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| Texas Senator | |
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In office 1836–1839 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
April 27, 1802 Virginia |
| Died | March 14, 1839 (aged 36) Hempstead, Texas |
| Spouse(s) | Sarah Ann Groce |
| Profession |
Senator Soldier Minister |
William Harris Wharton (April 27, 1802 – March 14, 1839) was an early colonist, political leader, diplomat, senator and orator in Texas.
Wharton was born in Virginia and was raised by an uncle following the deaths of his parents. He graduated from the University of Nashville and was admitted to the Tennessee bar in 1826. Wharton moved to Texas, and on December 5, 1827, married Sarah Ann Groce, the daughter of a wealthy landowner. Their only child was a son, John A. Wharton (1828–1865), who served in the American Civil War as a Confederate major general. They established a farm known as "Eagle Island Plantation."
Wharton served as a delegate to the Convention of 1832 from the District of Victoria. The convention had unanimously elected William Wharton to deliver the resolutions to the Coahuila y Tejas legislature in Saltillo and to the Mexican Congress in Mexico City. Following that convention's unsuccessful attempts to form a new state separate from Coahuila y Tejas (then a part of Mexico), he served as president of the follow-up Convention of 1833 and openly advocated complete independence from Mexico, in contrast to the moderate view held by native Texans and Stephen F. Austin. He later served as a delegate from the Columbia district to the Texas Consultation of 1835.
Wharton entered military service during the Texas Revolution, serving as a colonel and judge advocate general. He participated in the siege of San Antonio de Bexar. Shortly thereafter, he was appointed as one of three commissioners to the United States to secure aid for the Texians.
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