East Carroll-West Carroll County Louisiana Archives Obituaries.....Wyly, Judge William Gillespie September 25, 1903


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The Banner Democrat  Oct. 3, 1903
William Gillespie Wyly, ex-Associate of the Supreme Court of the State of 

Louisiana, aged seventy-tow years, died of pneumonia on board steamship, St. 

Louis, at New York, at eleven o'clock Friday night, September 25th, 1903, 

having been ill when he boarded the steamer at Southampton.

Judge Wyly was of Scotch-Irish ancestry. He was born at Greenville, Tenn., in 

Feburary 1831, and was the son of General James Washington Wyly and Eliza 

Gillespie Wyly. His family, both paternal and maternal lines, included a 

number of men who were prominent in the learned professions. Several grand-

unlce and his uncle, Samuel Y. Wyly, were Presbyterian divines of distinction.

His great-grandfather, Rev. Hezekiah Balch, was an able Presbyterian divine, 

and the founder of Greenville College, one of the first institutions of 

learning charterd by the State of Tennessee.

His father was a distinguished lawyer, and for a time a member of the 

Tennessee General Assembly, who removed in "flush times" to Canton, Miss., 

where he practiced his profession until he removed to Carroll Parish and 

engaged in planting in ante bellum days. Judge Wyly had two sisters and three 

brothers, two of whom survive him. His oldest sister married Col. Samuel 

Templeton, a planter of Warren Co. and Carroll parish. She died about five 

years ago at St. Louis, at the home of her daughter. Mrs. Emma T. Wood. His 

eldest brother was Robert C. Wyly, who was Supertintendent of Education in the 

Fifth Louisiana during the Warmouth administration and died in 1882, leaving 

one daughter, now married and living in Texas. Another brother is Dr. James G. 

Wyly, a retired physician, now engaged in planting in East Carroll Parish. 

Still another is Captain Andrew J. Wyly. Who was a captain in the Confederate 

service, and is now a planter in West Carroll Parish.

Judge Wyly came to Louisiana with his parents when quite young; but spent his 

college days at Jefferson College, Penn.,where he numbered as his college-

mates many who have risen to distinction, notably ex-Governor Beaver and 

Senator Quay, of Penn; Congressman Barksdale of Mississipp, and Rev. Dr. 

Nicholls, of St. Louis.He graduated from this college in 1852, and, returning 

to Louisiana entered the law department of the Universtiy of Louisiana, being 

in the class with the Hon. Carlton Hunt and Judge Francis T. Nicholls, now 

Chief Justice Nicholls of the Supreme Court. As soon as he began practice he 

was invited by Judge Louis Selby to form with him a law partnership, which 

continued until Judge Selby retired from practice, leaving the young lawyer in 

charge of a large law practice. 

During the war he left Louisiana but did not take part against the South; for, 

while he was by principle a beliver in the Union side of the question, he 

decided not to take up arms against his native land. When the war was over the 

Southern born man, who had voluntarily banished himself because of the 

conflict between his feelings and his convictions, returned to Carroll parish 

and resumed the practice of law. True to his convictions, he believed it the 

duty of all who had opposed secession to accept the results of the war and 

join hands with the Republican party in rehabilitating the South and building 

up a strong party composed of men identified with the South and its interests, 

thereby preventing the State governments from falling into the hands of 

adventurers. He was elected District Judge in 1868 and in a few weeks 

afterward was appointed by Governor Warmouth Associate Justice of the Supreme 

Court. He served continuously until 1877, holding over about six months after 

the term for which he had been appointed had expired.In 1877 he was a 

prominent candidate for the United States Senate, but was not elected. After 

this he was never active in politics; but returned to North Louisiana and 

resumed his law practice and engaged largely in planting. He was nominated in 

1888on the Republican ticket for Attorney General, but declined the 

nomination. A few years ago Washington-Jefferson College, Penn. conferred on 

him the degree of Doctor of Laws. 

Louisiana's alluvial parishes owe an everlasting debt of gratitude to Judge 

Wyly for his untiring efforts of levees. After the overflow of 1886, he 

drafted a bill to present to the Legislature reorganizing the Fifth Louisiana 

Levee District, enlarging its powers, granting State lands for levee purposed, 

levying acreage and cotton taxes, and authorizing the issue of bonds. He went 

to Baton Rouge, presented the bill drafted by him, addresssed the Assembly and 

remained there until his bill became law in Act No. 44 of 1886. Senators and 

Representatives from other districts saw the necessity and opportunity for 

action and remodeled the laws applying to toher districts to conform with 

Judge Wyly's plan. Since then other districts have been created on the model 

inaugurated by him, so that now all districts have become patterned in their 

organization and powers after the plan formulated by him for the Fifth 

District.When we remember that period to 1886 the levee boards were restricted 

to a small ad valorem tax and had no power to issue bonds, the incalculable 

service rendered by Judge Wyly becomes apparent. Recogizing his distinguished 

services in behalf of levees, Judge Wyly, a Republican, was immediately 

appointed by S. D. McEnery, Democratice Governor, and re-appointed by 

Governors Nicholls and Foster as a member of the Fifth District Levee Board, 

serving as such for ten years until he voluntarily gave up the position. 

Long remembered by all who heard him will be his address before the Police 

Jury of the Parish of East Carroll in December last, when he plead for the 

regulation of the liquor traffic by the imposition of heavier licenses. For 

hours he held in thrall his listeners when with powerful logic re-enforced 

with historical and classic illustrations, and with the inspired recepts of 

the Divine Master, he plead for the removal as far as possible of temptation 

of our young men. Having triumphed in his fight, he afterwards referred to the 

incident as th proudest victory of his life. 

He was a man of striking and commanding presence - tall, broad shouldered and 

erect - he moved amongst the crowd, the embodiment of manly vigor, a prince 

among men, and yet with a heart as tender as a woman's, he was never to 

absorbed - never to busy - to greet the humblest with a kindly word and smile. 

unassuming in his manners and habits of life, generous to a fault, the extent 

of his charities will never be known. To know that a young man or a young 

woman was ambitious, deserving and only needed help to succeed - this was 

enough to open his heart and purse-strings. 

By a strange vicissitude of life this nature's nobleman, who counted his 

friends by thousands, has died among strangers, denied the ministering hand of 

even one of the many who have shared his bounties, but, ripe in years, with a 

life ennoble by kindly words and noble deeds, he has died leaving them the 

imperishable memory of an exalted life. 

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