The Daily Gazette

DEATH OF EX-GOVERNOR WISE.

Richmond, Va., September 12.-Ex-Governor Henry A. Wise of this State died at noon today. He had been sinking rapidly for some time and during the past few days had subsisted on a spoonful of milk every twenty-four hours.

Ex-Gov. Wise was born at Drummondtown, Accomac county, Va., on December 3, 1806. His father who was a lawyer and had been Speaker of the House of Delegates died in 1816 and his mother died the year following. The young orphan was educated by his father's relatives, and in 1822 was sent to Washington College, Pennsylvania, where he was distinguished as a debater. He graduated in 1825, and studied law at Winchester, till 1828 when he went to Nashville, Tenn., and married a daughter of Dr. Jennings, a Presbyterian divine of that place. At the end of two years he returned to Accomac, where he resided ever after. He was a delegate in Baltimore where he advocated the nomination of Jackson for President but refused to support Van Buren for Vice President. On the removal of the government deposits from the bank of the United States by order of President Jackson in 1833, Mr. Wise and sixteen others went over to the opposition. In 1837 he acted as the second of Mr. Graves, of Kentucky, in a duel with Mr. Cilley, of Maine, both members of Congress in which the latter was killed. Mr. Wise was blamed at the time, but it afterwards transpired that he had made every effort to prevent the fight. The nomination of John Tyler as Vice President in conjunction with General Harrison as President in 1840 was largely due to Mr. Wise's management. In 1844 Mr. Wise was appointed Minister to Brazil and resided in Rio Janeiro in that capacity until 1847. In December, 1855, he was nominated by the Democrats as their candidate for Governor, and made his name famous through the land by his great canvas against the Know-nothings who had just been organized in Virginia, and nearly absorbed the Whig party in that State. He was elected by upwards of 10,000 majority. Towards the end of Mr. Wise's term as Governor occurred the seizure of Harper's Ferry, and the execution of John Brown and his followers. During the war Mr. Wise was appointed Brigadier in the Confederate army and commanded the Wise Legion. Since the war he has taken no part in politics, confining himself altogether to his profession.

He was married three times, his second wife being a daughter of Hon. Sargeant of Philadelphia, and the third a sister of Judge Lyon of Richmond.