William Lee D. Ewing
United States Senator
from Illinois
In office
December 30, 1835 – March 3, 1837
Appointed byJoseph Duncan
Preceded byElias Kane
Succeeded byRichard M. Young
5th Governor of Illinois
In office
November 17, 1834 – December 3, 1834
LieutenantVacant
Preceded byJohn Reynolds
Succeeded byJoseph Duncan
5th Lieutenant Governor of Illinois
In office
March 1, 1833 – December 5, 1834
GovernorJohn Reynolds
Preceded byZadok Casey
Succeeded byAlexander M. Jenkins
Member of the Illinois Senate
In office
1832–1834
Member of the Illinois House of Representatives
Personal details
Born(1795-08-31)August 31, 1795
Paris, Kentucky
DiedMarch 25, 1846(1846-03-25) (aged 50)
Springfield, Illinois
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Caroline L. Berry
​
(m. 1827)​
ProfessionLawyer
Signature
Military service
Branch/serviceIllinois Militia
RankMajor General[1]
Battles/warsBlack Hawk War

William Lee Davidson Ewing (August 31, 1795 – March 25, 1846) was a politician from Illinois who served partial terms as the fifth governor of the state and as U.S. Senator.

Biography

Ewing was born in Paris, Kentucky on August 31, 1795, and practiced law in Shawneetown, Illinois.[2] James Monroe appointed him to be a land office receiver in Vandalia in 1820.

He married Caroline L. Berry on May 3, 1827.[2]

He served as a Colonel of the "Spy Battalion" during the Black Hawk War. In 1830, he was elected to serve in the state House of Representatives as Speaker. He had previously been the clerk of the House. From 1832 to 1834, he was a State Senator, serving as President pro tempore of the State Senate in 1832. In 1833, he was also named acting Lieutenant Governor of Illinois and served as Governor of Illinois for fourteen days in 1834, the shortest gubernatorial term in Illinois history.[2]

Upon the death of Elias Kane in 1835, Ewing was appointed by Joseph Duncan to serve out the rest of Kane's term in the U.S. Senate.[2] In 1838 he was appointed Commissioner to adjust the claims of mixed-bloods and traders at Fort Snelling for the Dakota under the 1837 Dakota treaty. His re-election campaign was unsuccessful and he returned to the Illinois State House, becoming Speaker of the House again.[2]

He died at his home in Springfield, Illinois on March 25, 1846.[2][3]

References

  1. ↑ Ford, Thomas (1854). A History of Illinois, from its Commencement as a State in 1818 to 1847. Chicago: S.C. Griggs & Co. p. 143. Retrieved February 16, 2023 – via Google Books.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Blue Book of the State of Illinois. Office of the Illinois Secretary of State. 1919. p. 338. Retrieved February 16, 2023 – via Google Books.
  3. ↑ "Death of Gen. W. L. D. Ewing". Illinois State Register. March 27, 1846. p. 2. Retrieved February 16, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
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