William Henry Gist (1807-1874) - Find a Grave Memorial

South Carolina Governor. He attended South Carolina College and later served as a trustee of the college. He was a member of both the South Carolina House of Representatives and the South Carolina Senate, (1844-56). In 1858, he was elected as a Democrat the 68th Governor of South Carolina, serving until 1860. With the advent of the Civil War, as Governor he was a strong supporter of secession, he wrote to all cotton states except Texas to inform them of the likelihood of South Carolina's withdrawal from the Union and to request their cooperation. He left office the day that the Secession Convention convened and signed the Ordinance of Secession as a convention member. After leaving office, he was later appointed to the Executive Council, which superseded the state's regular government and served as chief of the Department of Instruction and Manufacturers. He died on his plantation from appendicitis at age 67.

Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith