History of Centreville, (Louisa County) Virginia United States of America

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William Pitt Fessenden, senator, was born in Boscawen, N.H., Oct. 16, 1806; son of Gen. Samuel Fessenden. He was graduated at Bowdoin in 1823 and was admitted to the bar in 1827. He practised at Bridgton, Bangor and Portland, Maine, successively. He was a representative in the state legislature in 1832, 1840, 1845-46 and 1853, declined a nomination as representative in the 22d and 26th congresses, was a delegate to the Whig national convention of 1840, was a Whig representative in the 27th congress, 1841-43, and at the close of his term resumed the practice of law. He was a delegate to the Whig national conventions of 1848 and 1852, was elected a U.S. senator as an anti-slavery Whig by a Democratic legislature in 1853, as successor to James Ware Bradbury, and was re-elected in 1859 and again in 1865. He opposed the Kansas-Nebraska bill in 1854, spoke on the Clayton-Bulwer treaty in 1856, denounced the Lecompton constitution of Kansas in 1858 and severely criticised the ruling of the U.S. supreme court in the Dred Scott case. He was a member of the peace congress of 1861, was chairman of the finance committee in the senate during the civil war and opposed the legal tender act. When Secretary Chase resigned the treasury portfolio in 1864, President Lincoln appointed Senator Fessenden secretary of the U.S. treasury. He resigned his seat in the U.S. senate and the remainder of his term was filled out by the appointment of Nathan Allen Farwell. On accepting his new office, Secretary Fessenden announced that no more greenbacks would be issued, and appealed to the people to take the seven-thirty loan devised by him and which proved popular. Gold, which when he was nominated as secretary was selling at 280, fell first to 225 when he accepted the portfolio, and then gradually to 150 in March, 1865, when he resigned the treasurership to take his seat in the senate, to which he had been re-elected. He was again made chairman of the finance Committee, and also chairman of the joint committee on recon struction, of the celebrated report of which he was the author. He opposed the impeachment of President Johnson in 1868, and voted "not guilty" upon the articles. This brought upon him the indignation of his party, who would not accept his reasons for the vote, and his great popularity at once waned. Public opinion, however, in later years, upheld his action. His last public service was rendered in 1869, when he advocated the payment of the public debt in gold and did much by his voice to strengthen the public credit. He was married in 1832 to Ellen Maria, daughter of James and Almira (Ilsley) Deering and granddaughter of Nathaniel and Dorcas (Milk) Deering. He had four sons: James Deering (1833-1882); William Howard (born May 5, 1835, died Sept. 21, 1898); Harvard law school, 1860, honorary A.M. from Bowdoin, 1865, lawyer in Portland, Maine, and in Riverside, Cal.; General Francis (born in 1839); and Samuel (born Jan. 6, 1841), who was graduated from Bowdoin, 1861, became 1st lieutenant of the 2d Maine battery and acting aide to Brig.-Gen. Z. B. Tower, was mortally wounded at 2d Bull Run, and died at Centreville, Va., Sept. 1, 1862. Senator Fessenden was a regent of the Smithsonian institution, received the honorary degree of LL.D. from Bowdoin in 1858 and from Harvard in 1864, and was a trustee of Bowdoin college, 1860-69. He died at Portland, Maine, Sept. 8, 1869.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Centreville, (Louisa County) Virginia

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