DRAYTON, William, A Representative from South Carolina; born in St. Augustine, Fla., December 30, 1776; attended preparatory schools in England; returned to the United States in 1790 and settled in Charleston, S.C.; studied law; was admitted to the bar December 12, 1797, and commenced practice in Charleston; member of the South Carolina state house of representatives, 1806-1808; entered the United States Army as lieutenant colonel of the Tenth Infantry March 12, 1812; became colonel of the Eighteenth Infantry July 25, 1812; inspector general August 1, 1814, and served throughout the War of 1812; resumed the practice of law in Charleston; recorder of Charleston, 1819-1824; elected as a Jacksonian candidate to the Nineteenth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Joel R. Poinsett, and reelected to the three succeeding Congresses (May 17, 1825-March 3, 1833); chairman, Committee on Military Affairs (Twentieth through Twenty-second Congresses); declined the appointment of Secretary of War in the Cabinet of President Jackson and also as Minister to England; opposed nullification in 1830; moved to Philadelphia, Pa., in August 1833; president of the Bank of the United States in 1840 and 1841; died in Philadelphia, Pa., May 24, 1846; interment in Laurel Hill Cemetery.
View Record in the Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress
[ Top ]Drayton, William. Charleston, S.C., April 11th, 1833. At the period of the Revolution of the Acordada. Charleston, S.C.: N.p., 1833.
---. An oration delivered in the First Presbyterian Church, Charleston, on Monday, July 4, 1831. By the Hon. William Drayton. To which is annexed, an account of the celebration of the 55th anniversary of American independence, by the Union and state rights party. Charleston, S.C.: W. S. Blain and J. S. Burges, 1831.
---. Speech of Mr. Drayton, on the proposition to amend the Constitution of the United States, respecting the election of President and Vice President. [Washington: N.p., 1826].
Grimké, Thomas Smith. Oration on the principal duties of Americans; delivered before the Washington Society, and other citizens of Charleston, in the Second Presbyterian Church, on Thursday the 4th of July, by Thomas S. Grimké. With the farewell address of the Hon. William Drayton to the Washington Society. Delivered on the same day, at their anniversary dinner. Charleston: William Estill, 1833.
Hayne, Robert Young. Letter of Robert Y. Hayne, to a Committee of the State Rights and Free Trade Party, embracing a reply to Col. Drayton's late address. Charleston: Printed by E. J. Van Brunt, 1832.
McCormack, Helen G. "Expatriate Portraits." Antiques 98 (November 1970): 793.
Ragonese, Sandra Rayser. "'A Drayton leads th'embattled line': Colonel William Drayton and the South Carolina nullification controversy." Master's thesis, Temple University, 2000.
Verrplanck, Gulian Crommelin. A letter to Col. William Drayton, of South-Carolina, in assertion of the Constitutional Power of Congress to impose protecting duties. New York: Printed for E. Bliss, 1831.
