William Henry Sneed
Encyclopedia
William Henry Sneed was an American
attorney and politician, active initially in Murfreesboro, Tennessee
, and later in Knoxville, Tennessee
, during the mid-19th century. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives
for Tennessee
's 2nd congressional district
during the Thirty-fourth Congress (1855–1857). In the months leading up to the Civil War
, he became a leader of Knoxville's secessionist movement. Along with his successful career as an attorney, Sneed was involved in a number of business ventures, most notably the Lamar House Hotel
, which he purchased in 1856.
on August 27, 1812. After completing preparatory studies, he moved with his father's family to Rutherford County
. He studied law, was admitted to the bar
in 1834, and commenced practice in Murfreesboro. In 1839, he formed a partnership with Judge Charles Ready
, which lasted until 1843.
From 1843 to 1845, Sneed represented Rutherford County and Williamson County
in the Tennessee Senate
. When the senate met in October 1843, Sneed and Warren County senator Samuel Laughlin led a failed attempt to have the state capital moved from Nashville to Murfreesboro, arguing that the residents of the former city (primarily financiers and businessmen) were not representative of the state as a whole. After his senate term, he moved briefly to Greeneville
, where he formed a law partnership with Robert J. McKinney. By the end of 1845, Sneed had relocated to Knoxville to practice law.
. He formed a law partnership with powerful attorney Oliver Perry Temple
(1820–1907), and gained renown for his ability to argue chancery court cases. In 1856, he purchased the Lamar House Hotel from William Montgomery Churchwell
, who had renovated and expanded it in the early 1850s.
Sneed served in the United States House of Representatives from March 4, 1855 to March 3, 1857. Originally a Whig
, Sneed ran on the American Party
ticket in the wake of the Whig Party's nationwide collapse. During his Congressional tenure, he was the chairman of the United States House Committee on Mileage
. He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1856, and also refused a nomination for circuit
judge. By the end of the decade, Sneed had aligned himself with the Democratic Party
.
, radical publisher of the pro-Union Knoxville Whig. On February 2, 1861, Sneed published a circular in the Whig arguing that secession was already a fact, and that East Tennesseans should avoid bloody conflict against fellow Southerners. Realizing that mountainous East Tennessee would not be sympathetic to complaints of Southern planters, Sneed went to great lengths to show how the abolition of slavery would harm poor Southern whites, arguing that emancipation would lead to higher taxes and greater competition for manual labor jobs.
Sneed remained in Knoxville through the first half of the war. On June 20, 1863, he helped thwart an attempted raid of the city by General William P. Sanders
. When Union forces occupied Knoxville later that year, however, Sneed was forced to flee to Bristol
, and remained in exile until the end of the war. Burnside's successor as commander of Knoxville's Union forces, Joseph Foster, used Sneed's house at the corner of Cumberland Avenue and Market Street as his headquarters.
In early 1864, Brownlow, who was initially cordial toward Sneed on account of their pre-war friendship, had turned outright hostile. Sneed's name was among those enumerated by Brownlow as "Imps of Hell" who deserved to "die the deaths of traitors." Brownlow also filed a lawsuit against Sneed, leading to the seizure and auctioning off of the Lamar House Hotel. In 1865, when it was rumored Sneed was going to take the Oath of Allegiance and return to Knoxville, Brownlow's son and successor as Whig editor, John Bell Brownlow, called on Union soldiers to assassinate Sneed.
in Old Gray Cemetery. His children continued to operate the Lamar House until the 1890s. In the Standard History of Knoxville, edited by Brownlow protégé William Rule
, Sneed was described as "one of the most painstaking, laborious and able lawyers of his time."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
attorney and politician, active initially in Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Murfreesboro is a city in and the county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 108,755 according to the United States Census Bureau's 2010 U.S. Census, up from 68,816 residents certified during the 2000 census. The center of population of Tennessee is located in...
, and later in Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, during the mid-19th century. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
's 2nd congressional district
Tennessee's 2nd congressional district
The 2nd congressional district of Tennessee is a congressional district in Tennessee. It currently includes the east central part of the state....
during the Thirty-fourth Congress (1855–1857). In the months leading up to the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, he became a leader of Knoxville's secessionist movement. Along with his successful career as an attorney, Sneed was involved in a number of business ventures, most notably the Lamar House Hotel
Bijou Theatre (Knoxville)
The Bijou Theatre is a theater located in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. Built in 1909 as an addition to the Lamar House Hotel, the theater has at various times served as performance venue of both traditional theatre and vaudeville, a second-run moviehouse, a commencement stage for the city's...
, which he purchased in 1856.
Early life and career
Sneed was born in rural Davidson County, TennesseeDavidson County, Tennessee
Davidson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 626,681. Its county seat is Nashville.In 1963, the City of Nashville and the Davidson County government merged, so the county government is now known as the "Metropolitan Government of Nashville and...
on August 27, 1812. After completing preparatory studies, he moved with his father's family to Rutherford County
Rutherford County, Tennessee
Rutherford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, it is the state's fifth-largest county by population with 262,604 people, an increase of 44.3 percent over the 2000 population of 182,023. Its county seat is Murfreesboro, which is also the geographic...
. He studied law, was admitted to the bar
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
in 1834, and commenced practice in Murfreesboro. In 1839, he formed a partnership with Judge Charles Ready
Charles Ready
Charles Ready was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives for Tennessee's 5th congressional district. He was born in Readyville in Rutherford County, now called Cannon County, on December 22, 1802. He attended the common schools and graduated from...
, which lasted until 1843.
From 1843 to 1845, Sneed represented Rutherford County and Williamson County
Williamson County, Tennessee
Williamson County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010 US Census, the population was 183,182. The County's seat is Franklin, and it is part of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county is named after Hugh Williamson, a...
in the Tennessee Senate
Tennessee Senate
The Tennessee Senate is the upper house of the Tennessee state legislature, which is known formally as the Tennessee General Assembly.The Tennessee Senate, according to the state constitution of 1870, is composed of 33 members, one-third the size of the Tennessee House of Representatives. Senators...
. When the senate met in October 1843, Sneed and Warren County senator Samuel Laughlin led a failed attempt to have the state capital moved from Nashville to Murfreesboro, arguing that the residents of the former city (primarily financiers and businessmen) were not representative of the state as a whole. After his senate term, he moved briefly to Greeneville
Greeneville, Tennessee
Greeneville is a town in Greene County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 15,198 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Greene County. The town was named in honor of Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene. It is the only town with this spelling in the United States, although there...
, where he formed a law partnership with Robert J. McKinney. By the end of 1845, Sneed had relocated to Knoxville to practice law.
1850s
In Knoxville, Sneed quickly became acquainted with the city's business and political leaders. In the late 1840s, he successfully represented the newly-formed Hancock County in a lawsuit that attempted to thwart the county's creation, and the new county honored him by naming its county seat SneedvilleSneedville, Tennessee
Sneedville is a town in Hancock County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 1,387 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Hancock County.- History :...
. He formed a law partnership with powerful attorney Oliver Perry Temple
Oliver Perry Temple
Oliver Perry Temple was an American attorney, author, judge, and economic promoter active primarily in East Tennessee in the latter half of the 19th century. During the months leading up to the Civil War, Temple played a pivotal role in organizing East Tennessee's Unionists...
(1820–1907), and gained renown for his ability to argue chancery court cases. In 1856, he purchased the Lamar House Hotel from William Montgomery Churchwell
William Montgomery Churchwell
William Montgomery Churchwell was an American politician and a member of the United States House of Representatives.-Biography:He was born near Knoxville, Tennessee in Knox County on February 20, 1826. He attended private schools and Emory and Henry College in Emory, Virginia from 1840 to 1843. He...
, who had renovated and expanded it in the early 1850s.
Sneed served in the United States House of Representatives from March 4, 1855 to March 3, 1857. Originally a Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
, Sneed ran on the American Party
Know Nothing
The Know Nothing was a movement by the nativist American political faction of the 1840s and 1850s. It was empowered by popular fears that the country was being overwhelmed by German and Irish Catholic immigrants, who were often regarded as hostile to Anglo-Saxon Protestant values and controlled by...
ticket in the wake of the Whig Party's nationwide collapse. During his Congressional tenure, he was the chairman of the United States House Committee on Mileage
United States House Committee on Mileage
The United States House Committee on Mileage is a former standing committee of the United States House of Representatives.The jurisdiction of the committee is described in Rule XI: "The ascertaining of the travel of Members of the House shall be made by the Committee on Mileage and reported to the...
. He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1856, and also refused a nomination for circuit
Circuit (subnational entity)
A circuit was a historical political division of China, and is still a Japanese one. In Korea, the same word is translated as "province".- China :...
judge. By the end of the decade, Sneed had aligned himself with the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
Civil War
Sneed initially opposed the idea of secession, but by the late 1850s, his sentiments had shifted. This brought him into conflict with his long-time friend, William "Parson" BrownlowWilliam Gannaway Brownlow
William Gannaway "Parson" Brownlow was an American newspaper editor, minister, and politician who served as Governor of the state of Tennessee from 1865 to 1869 and as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 1869 to 1875...
, radical publisher of the pro-Union Knoxville Whig. On February 2, 1861, Sneed published a circular in the Whig arguing that secession was already a fact, and that East Tennesseans should avoid bloody conflict against fellow Southerners. Realizing that mountainous East Tennessee would not be sympathetic to complaints of Southern planters, Sneed went to great lengths to show how the abolition of slavery would harm poor Southern whites, arguing that emancipation would lead to higher taxes and greater competition for manual labor jobs.
Sneed remained in Knoxville through the first half of the war. On June 20, 1863, he helped thwart an attempted raid of the city by General William P. Sanders
William P. Sanders
William Price Sanders was an officer in the Union Army in the American Civil War, who died at the Siege of Knoxville.-Birth and early years:...
. When Union forces occupied Knoxville later that year, however, Sneed was forced to flee to Bristol
Bristol, Tennessee
Bristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 26,702 at the 2010 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. The boundaries of both cities run parallel to each other along State...
, and remained in exile until the end of the war. Burnside's successor as commander of Knoxville's Union forces, Joseph Foster, used Sneed's house at the corner of Cumberland Avenue and Market Street as his headquarters.
In early 1864, Brownlow, who was initially cordial toward Sneed on account of their pre-war friendship, had turned outright hostile. Sneed's name was among those enumerated by Brownlow as "Imps of Hell" who deserved to "die the deaths of traitors." Brownlow also filed a lawsuit against Sneed, leading to the seizure and auctioning off of the Lamar House Hotel. In 1865, when it was rumored Sneed was going to take the Oath of Allegiance and return to Knoxville, Brownlow's son and successor as Whig editor, John Bell Brownlow, called on Union soldiers to assassinate Sneed.
Later life
Sneed returned to Knoxville in 1867. He resumed the practice of law, and managed to recover some of his property, including the Lamar House Hotel. He died suddenly on September 18, 1869, and was interredBurial
Burial is the act of placing a person or object into the ground. This is accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing an object in it, and covering it over.-History:...
in Old Gray Cemetery. His children continued to operate the Lamar House until the 1890s. In the Standard History of Knoxville, edited by Brownlow protégé William Rule
William Rule (American editor)
William Rule was an American newspaper editor and politician, best known as the founder of the Knoxville Journal, which was published in Knoxville, Tennessee, from 1870 until 1991. A protégé of vitriolic newspaper editor William G...
, Sneed was described as "one of the most painstaking, laborious and able lawyers of his time."