Sampson W. Harris/Miss Thomas of Ga., Ala., Washington, D.C.
 

Source: Dictionary Of Alabama Biography

SAMPSON W. HARRIS, lawyer, was born about 1814, in Georgia, and died
in the spring of 1857, at Washington, D.C.;son of Judge Stephen
Harris of Eatonton, Ga., who served as judge of the superior court of
Georgia, 1813-1816, and died in 1822; nephew of Ptolemy Tinsley
Harris; and brother of Hon. Stephen Willis Harris of Madison County.
His mother was a Miss Watkins prior to her mariage. He was graduated
from the University of Georgia with the first honors of his class,
and on leaving the university, read law with Judge Eli Shorter, his
uncle, at Eatonton, Ga. In September 1831, when the first Internal
improvement convention ever held in Georgia was assembled at
Eatonton, Mr. Harris was appointed one of the three secretaries.
After practicing law at Eatonton for a short time, he came to Alabama
in 1837, and located at Wetumpka. He rose rapidly at the bar and in
1841 was elected solicitor of the eighth circuit by the State
ligislature.  He resigned from the solicitorship in 1844, when
elected to the State senate from Coosa and Autauga Counties.  He was
returned to the senate in 1845, and served in that body until 1847,
when he was elected to congress as a Democratic candidate from the
third district. In 1849 he was returned to congress, defeating Judge
John S. Hunter of Dallas County.  He was re-elected in 1851 over
Judge William S. Mudd, of Jefferson; in 1853, over Hon. S. D. J.
Moore, of Lowndes; and in 1855, over Col. William B. Martin of
Benton, head of the newly formed political organization, the Know-
Nothing or American party. In 1856, during his tenth consecutive year
of service in congress, Mr. Harris died. Married: Miss Thomas,
daughter of Stephen Thomas of Athens, Ga. Children: 1. Sampson W. Jr.,
lawyer of West Point, Ga., who commanded the Sixth Georgia infantry
regiment, C.S.Army, as successor of Gen. A. H. Colquitt, promoted; 2.
Dr. Hugh Nisbet, m. a daughter of Hon. B. C. Yancey, resides in
Athens. Last residence: Washington, D. C.
 

*** The daughter of Benjamin Cudworth Yancey & Laura M. Hines was
Caroline B. Yancey, b. Abt. 1845 in Ogeechobee Falls, Georgia. She
married Dr. Hugh Nesbit Harris on December 11, 1866 in South Carolina
(source: So. Christian Advocate). They had five children: Sally;
Yancey; Hugh; Pauline; Mary Belle. Sampson Willis Harris was married
to Pauline Thomas, daughter of Stephen Thomas.  Sampson W. was the
son of Stephen Willis Harris and Sarah Herndon Watkins. ***
This information comes from my personal research.  My mother was a
Yancey and I have also been researching her ancestors. Thus through
the Yancey family I have two different Harris lines (York County & IOW).

Yancey family information may be found at the Yancey Family
Database at http://wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=dyancey.

Ira L. Harris III