WILLIAM B. BATE
William B. Bate, of Nashville, was born near Castalian Spring, Tenn., and received an academic education; when quite a youth served as second clerk on a steamboat between Nashville and New Orleans; served as a private throughout the Mexican War in Louisiana and Tennessee regiments; a year after returning from the Mexican War was elected to the Tennessee legislature; graduated from the Lebanon Law School in 1852 and entered upon the practice of his profession at Gallatin, Tenn.; in 1854 was elected attorney-general for the Nashville district for six years; during his term of office was nominated for Congress, but declined; was a presidential elector in 1860 on the Breckinridge-Lane ticket; was private, captain, colonel, brigadier-general, and major-general in the Confederate service, surrendering with the Army of Tennessee in 1865; was three times dangerously wounded; after the close of the war returned to Tennessee and resumed the practice of law; was a delegate to the Democratic national convention in 1868; served on the national Democratic executive committee for Tennessee twelve years; was an elector for the State at large on the Tilden and Hendricks ticket in 1876; was elected governor of Tennessee and reëlected in 1884 without opposition; in January, 1887, was elected to the United States Senate as a Democrat, to succeed Washington C. Whitthorne, and took his seat March 4, 1887; was reelected in 1893. His term of service will expire March 3, 1899.
