Edgar Campbell Wilson

Edgar Campbell Wilson (October 18, 1800 – April 24, 1860) was a U.S. Representative from Virginia, the son of Thomas Wilson and the father of future Minnesota Congressman Eugene McLanahan Wilson. He was born in Morgantown, Virginia (now Morgantown, West Virginia), then part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Little is recorded about his early childhood, but his family background and later professional pursuits indicate that he was raised in circumstances that enabled him to obtain a solid education and preparation for a legal career.

Wilson completed preparatory studies in his native region before turning to the study of law. In an era when formal law schools were still relatively uncommon, he likely pursued his legal education through apprenticeship or independent study under the guidance of established attorneys. His diligence in legal study culminated in his admission to the bar on June 24, 1832, marking his formal entry into the legal profession.

Following his admission to the bar, Wilson commenced the practice of law in Morgantown. His legal work quickly brought him into public life, as was common for lawyers in early nineteenth-century Virginia. Practicing in a community that would later become part of West Virginia, he developed a professional reputation that helped launch his political career. His standing as a lawyer and citizen of Morgantown positioned him to seek and obtain federal office during a period of intense national debate over the policies of President Andrew Jackson.

Wilson was elected as an Anti-Jacksonian to the Twenty-third Congress, serving from March 4, 1833, to March 3, 1835. As a member of the Anti Jacksonian Party representing Virginia, Edgar Campbell Wilson contributed to the legislative process during his one term in office. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, marked by controversies over the national bank, federal internal improvements, and the balance of power between the federal government and the states. Within this context, he participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his constituents from what was then western Virginia. In 1834 he was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the Twenty-fourth Congress, which ended his brief tenure in the national legislature.

After leaving Congress, Wilson resumed the practice of law in Morgantown, returning to the profession that had first brought him prominence. He continued to build his legal career and remained an active figure in local and regional affairs. In 1842 he was appointed prosecuting attorney in the circuit court of Marion County, Virginia (now West Virginia), a position that underscored his professional reputation and entrusted him with significant responsibility in the administration of justice in the region.

Wilson spent the remainder of his life in what would later become West Virginia, maintaining his legal practice and public standing. He died in Morgantown on April 24, 1860. Edgar Campbell Wilson was interred in Oak Grove Cemetery in Morgantown. His life spanned the period before the Civil War when the area that he represented in Congress was still part of Virginia, and his family’s public service continued into the next generation through his son, Eugene McLanahan Wilson.