Obituary of Governor William M. Fishback, Sebastian Co, Ar

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Submitted by: Paul V.Isbell < >
        Date: 1 May 2011
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Fishback, William Meade - New York Times - Feb. 10, 1903 - - Little Rock, Feb. 9
- Ex-Governor William M. Fishback died today at his home in Ft. Smith of
paralysis. He was seventy two years of age. He was widely known as the author of
the Fishback Ammendment, by which the legislature is forbidden ever to pay
certain bonds issued during the reconstruction period. He was born in Culpepper
County, Va. On Nov. 5, 1831, and was descended on his mother's side from old
English stock, and on the father's side, German. He was educated at the Univ. Of
Virginia, and studied law in Richmond, Va., teaching school while he prepared
himself for the bar. In 1857 he emigrated to the West, stopping first in
Illinois, but going in the following year to Greenwood, Ark., where he remained
until 1862, when he removed to Ft. Smith, where he formed a partnership with
Judge Sol F. Clark for the practice of law. He was a member of the State
Constitutional Convention, elected as a Union man, and a strong defender of the
Union he remained during the war. In 1864 he was chosen by the Union Legislature
to represent that State in the United States Senate. In 1867 when the Republican
Party was organized in Arkansas, he went over to the Democracy, where he
remained one of their ablest generals and most intrepid fighters. In 1874 he was
elected a member of the Constitutional Convention as a Democrat, and several
times after to represent his county in the State Legislature. He was the author
of a history of the reconstruction which was largely circulated as a Democratic
campaign document during the Presidential campaign of 1888. He ran for Governor,
and was a Presidential Elector at Large. In 1890 he was a candidate for the U.
S. Senate, but withdrew when he found Sen. Jones had the majority of the State
Legsislature pledged to his support. He was elected Governor in 1892 as the 17th
Governor. He is buried in Oak Cemetery, Ft. Smith, Ark.


Extracted from:
New York Times via Ancestry.com