Henry A. Wise

Henry A. Wise
33rd Governor of Virginia
In office January 1, 1856 – January 1, 1860
Lieutenant	Elisha W. McComas William Lowther Jackson
Preceded by	Joseph Johnson
Succeeded by	John Letcher
6th United States Minister to Brazil
In office August 10, 1844 – August 28, 1847
President	John Tyler James K. Polk
Preceded by	George H. Proffit
Succeeded by	David Tod
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia
In office March 4, 1833 – February 12, 1844
Preceded by	Richard Coke Jr.
Succeeded by	Thomas H. Bayly
Constituency	8th district (1833–1843) 7th district (1843–1844)
Personal details
Born	Henry Alexander Wise (1806-12-03)December 3, 1806 Drummondtown, Virginia
Died	September 12, 1876(1876-09-12) (aged 69) Richmond, Virginia
Political party	Jacksonian (1832–1834) Whig (1834–1842) Democratic (1842–1868) Republican (after 1868)
Children	14, including Richard Alsop and John Sergeant
Parent	John Wise (father)
Alma mater	Washington College Winchester Law School
Profession	Politician, lawyer
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Confederate States
Branch/service	Confederate States Army
Years of service	1861–1865
Rank	Brigadier General
Unit	Army of Northern Virginia
Battles/wars	American Civil War Battle of Roanoke Island Peninsula Campaign Siege of Petersburg Appomattox Campaign

Henry Alexander Wise (December 3, 1806 – September 12, 1876) was an American attorney, diplomat, politician and slave owner^[1] from Virginia. As the 33rd Governor of Virginia, Wise served as a significant figure on the path to the American Civil War, becoming heavily involved in the 1859 trial of abolitionist John Brown. After leaving office in 1860, Wise also led the move toward Virginia's secession from the Union in reaction to the election of Abraham Lincoln and the Battle of Fort Sumter.

In addition to serving as governor, Wise represented Virginia in the United States House of Representatives from 1833 to 1844 and was the United States Minister to Brazil during the presidencies of John Tyler and James K. Polk. During the American Civil War, he was a general in the Confederate States Army. In politics, Wise was consecutively a Jacksonian Democrat, a Whig supporter of the National Bank, a dissident Whig supportive of President Tyler, a Democratic secessionist, and a Republican supporter of President Ulysses S. Grant during Reconstruction. His sons Richard Alsop Wise and John Sergeant Wise both also served in the Confederate Army and the post-war United States House as Republicans. After the Civil War ended, Wise accepted that slavery had been abolished and advocated a peaceful national reunification.