Chamber	District	Dates of Service	Legislatures	Party	City/County	Note	Counties in District
S	26	Apr 18, 1876 - Jan 11, 1881	15th ⁽²⁾ 16th ⁽¹⁾	Democrat	La Grange / Fayette		Bastrop, Fayette, Lee
H	50	Aug 1, 1864 - Aug 6, 1866	10th ⁽⁴⁾		La Grange / Fayette		Fayette

(1) Democrat, 1/14/1879, p. 1. Galveston Daily News.
(2) 15th Legislature - All Senators except District 7 listed in roll call as Senators elect, oath of office administered, 4/18/1876, p. 1; Drawing of Senatorial Terms, 4/27/1876, p. 98, drew "long term" (four years). Senate Journal. April 14, 1876 April 27, 1876
(3) Census of 1860, 1870, and 1880 - William H. Ledbetter, La Grange, Fayette County. FamilySearch. 1860 1870 1880
(4) William Ledbetter, in special election 8/1/1864, sworn in 2nd Called Session, succeeded William Hunt, given leave of absence for remainder of 1st Called Session on 5/23/1864, and died thereafter. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.

Biographical Notes and Resources top

Biographical Sketches

Biographical sketch in "State Senators Elect: Personal Sketches Completed - Seventeen Lawyers, Seven Grangers, Two Doctors, One Editor and Four Colored Politicians - the Political Structure of the New Senate of Texas," 3/3/1876, p. 2. Galveston Daily News.
LEDBETTER, WILLIAM HAMILTON (1834-1896). Home in La Grange and after his Texas Senate service (after 1880), "he thereafter served several terms as mayor of La Grange." Handbook of Texas Online.
Biographical sketches, Thomas A. Ledbetter, pp. 527-528, and W.H. Ledbetter, pp. 530-531, include information on their father Hamilton Ledbetter. Relatives: Hamilton Ledbetter - father, W.H. Ledbetter, son. Memorial and Genealogical Record of Southwest Texas: Containing Biographical Histories and Genealogical Records of Many Leading Men and Prominent Families, 1894.
Biographical sketch, pp. 43-44. "[Current] Senator W.H. Ledbetter was born in Tennessee, but came to Texas with his father, Col. W.H. Ledbetter. . . Mr. Ledbetter was once a Whig, but when the Whig party went down he accepted the situation, became a Democrat." Served previously in called session of the 10th Legislature. Sketches of Legislators and State Officers, Fifteenth Legislature, 1876-1878, 1876.
Biographical sketch, pp. 247-248. William Hamilton Ledbetter, of La Grange, Fayette County. Texas Legislative Manual, 1879-80, 1879.
Biographical sketch, p. 193. The Texas Senate: Volume II, Civil War to the Eve of Reform, 1861-1889, 1999.
Biographical sketch, Capt. William H. Ledbetter, Footprints of Fayette. Obituary, "Capt. Ledbetter Dead," Dallas Morning News, 4/26/1896. Fayette County, TXGenWeb Project. Biographical sketch Obituary

Other Resources

Account of Capt. W.H. Ledbetter, Democratic nominee for Senator from Bastrop and Fayette counties, being challenged by his father, Hamilton Ledbetter, Esq., nominated by "the radicals," election date 12/2/1873, election results for Senator, 26th District, Bastrop County: H. Ledbetter - 1155, W. Ledbetter - 1063; Fayette County: W. Ledbetter - 1506, H. Ledbetter - 1709. Bastrop Advertiser, 11/15/1873, col. 2, 11/29/1873, and 12/20/1873. Crediting Bastrop Public Library. Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries). December 20, 1873 November 15, 1873 November 29, 1873 November 8, 1873
Included on list of leaders of the Texas Constitutional Union Party in 1860. The party was formed in January of 1860. "The Constitutional Union Party in Texas," Vol. 82, No. 3, p. 238, 256-262. Southwestern Historical Quarterly.
"Capt. W.H. Ledbetter, Democratic candidate for State Senator, is running against his father Hamilton Ledbetter, People's Convention candidate for same. Hamilton was also nominated as a candidate for same by the Republican Party." Abstracts from Bastrop Advertiser, 11/8/1873, Bastrop County. USGenWeb Project, 1996.

Photographs

Photograph. W.H. Ledbetter, 15th Legislature, State Preservation Board

Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol

15th session composite photo of Senate members (Senate Sergeant-at-arms office, west wall. 2E.10A). State Preservation Board.

Committee Information top

16th R.S. - 1879 Agricultural Affairs Agricultural and Mechanical College, Consider Report of the Joint Committee Appointed to Visit Contingent Expenses Educational Affairs (Chair) Finance General Land Office Judiciary No. 2 Military Affairs Public Buildings and Grounds Revision of Code Treasurer's and Comptroller's Departments
15th R.S. - 1876 Constitutional Amendments Counties and County Boundaries (Chair) Federal Relations General Land Office Judiciary No. 1 Military Affairs Private Land Claims Privileges and Elections Public Roads, Bridges and Ferries Statistics of Industry, Public Health and History of Texas Stock and Stock Raising Treasurer's and Comptroller's Department

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