William B. Spencer

William Brainerd Spencer (February 5, 1835 – February 12, 1882) was an attorney and politician of the planter class, elected as U.S. Representative from Louisiana in 1876, in a contested election decided in his favor and against the Republican Party candidate. That year the Democratic Party regained control of the Louisiana state legislature.

For the American writer (b. 1946), see William Browning Spencer.
William B. Spencer
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Louisiana's 5th district
In office
June 8, 1876 – January 8, 1877
Preceded byFrank Morey
Succeeded byJohn E. Leonard
Personal details
Born(1835-02-05)February 5, 1835
Catahoula Parish, Louisiana, U.S.
DiedSeptember 12, 1882(1882-09-12) (aged 47)
Córdoba, Veracruz, Mexico
Political partyDemocratic Party
Military service
Allegiance Confederate States of America
Branch/service Confederate States Army
Rank Captain
Unit 11th Battalion Louisiana Infantry, Company F[1]

He resigned when appointed in 1877 as Associate Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court, serving until 1880. After that he resumed the practice of law.

Early life, education and marriage

Born on "Home Plantation," in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana, Spencer received his early schooling under private tutors. His parents were slaveholders. He was graduated from Centenary College, Jackson, Louisiana, in 1855 and from the law department of the University of Louisiana at New Orleans (now Tulane University) in 1857. He married Henrietta Elam, sister of Joseph Barton Elam, who would later serve in the United States Congress.

Career

Spencer was admitted to the bar in 1857 and commenced practice in Harrisonburg, Louisiana. He served in the Confederate States Army, with the rank of captain, until 1863, when he was captured. He was held as a prisoner of war at Johnson's Island, Ohio, until the close of the Civil War.

After returning to Louisiana, Spencer resumed the practice of law in Vidalia, in 1866. He successfully contested as a Democrat a special election against Republican Frank Morey. He was elected to the Forty-fourth Congress and served from June 8, 1876, to January 8, 1877, when he resigned to accept a judicial appointment.

Spencer was appointed Associate Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court on January 9, 1877, which position he held until his resignation April 3, 1880. He again resumed the practice of law in New Orleans, Louisiana.

According to his tombstone, he died in Cordóba, Mexico, April 29, 1882. He was interred in Magnolia Cemetery, Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1882.

gollark: no.
gollark: But this is not accurate. It assumes the only options are "no god" or "basically Christian god".
gollark: Pascal's Wager basically goes "if no god, belief doesn't have costs anyway (wrong, since it takes time and may make your thinking more irrational); if god, non-belief means infinite badness (hell), belief means infinite goodness (heaven), so rationally you should believe".
gollark: There *may* be a god of some kind who rewards you for believing in them and their afterlife and such, but there is an infinity of possible gods including ones like "allocates you to heaven or hell entirely at random", "entirely indistinguishable from no god", "sends you to hell if you believe in the *other* god", "incomprehensible eldritch abomination" or "literal bees".
gollark: PASACL'S WAGER BAD

References
  1. Booth, Andrew (1920). Records of Louisiana Confederate Soldiers and Louisiana Confederate Commands. p. 661.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Frank Morey		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Louisiana's 5th congressional district
June 8, 1876 – January 8, 1877		 Succeeded by
John E. Leonard
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