US Congressman. He was born in Uchee, Russell County, Alabama where his father was a prosperous farmer. At the age of 17 he attended the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, Alabama but left in February 1863 to join the Confederate Army during the Civil War as a member of Waddell's Artillery Battalion and saw action in every battle from Dalton, Georgia to Atlanta. In 1864 he became ill and was temporarily furloughed, but after recovering he rejoined his command at Macon, Georgia and remained there until the close of the war. After the war he returned to his father's farm and later moved to Columbus, Georgia where he studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1867 and in 1870 moved to Lafayette, Alabama where he practiced law, was elected its mayor in 1874, and in 1876 was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives. That same year he moved to Gadsden, Alabama, resuming his law practice the following year. In June 1885 he was appointed by US President Grover Cleveland as the US district attorney for the northern and middle districts of Alabama, serving until June 1889. In 1890 he served as chairman of the Democratic State convention and in 1892 he was elected as a Democrat to the 53rd Congress, serving from March 1893 to March 1895. After an unsuccessful bid for re-nomination in 1894, he moved to Birmingham, Alabama to resume his law practice and died there at the age of 60. He was the grandfather of William Dowdell Denson who became the US Army's chief prosecutor of the war crime trials at the former concentration camp of Dachau, Germany.
US Congressman. He was born in Uchee, Russell County, Alabama where his father was a prosperous farmer. At the age of 17 he attended the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, Alabama but left in February 1863 to join the Confederate Army during the Civil War as a member of Waddell's Artillery Battalion and saw action in every battle from Dalton, Georgia to Atlanta. In 1864 he became ill and was temporarily furloughed, but after recovering he rejoined his command at Macon, Georgia and remained there until the close of the war. After the war he returned to his father's farm and later moved to Columbus, Georgia where he studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1867 and in 1870 moved to Lafayette, Alabama where he practiced law, was elected its mayor in 1874, and in 1876 was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives. That same year he moved to Gadsden, Alabama, resuming his law practice the following year. In June 1885 he was appointed by US President Grover Cleveland as the US district attorney for the northern and middle districts of Alabama, serving until June 1889. In 1890 he served as chairman of the Democratic State convention and in 1892 he was elected as a Democrat to the 53rd Congress, serving from March 1893 to March 1895. After an unsuccessful bid for re-nomination in 1894, he moved to Birmingham, Alabama to resume his law practice and died there at the age of 60. He was the grandfather of William Dowdell Denson who became the US Army's chief prosecutor of the war crime trials at the former concentration camp of Dachau, Germany.
Bio by: William Bjornstad
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