Walter Hampden Overton

Walter Hampden Overton
Born	1788-1845 Louisa Court House, Virginia
Died	Alexandria, Louisiana
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1808-1815
Rank	Major General
Battles/wars	War of 1812 *Battle of New Orleans *Siege of Fort St. Philip
Other work	politician

Walter Hampden Overton (1788–1845) was a U.S. Representative representing Louisiana's 3rd congressional district.

Personal life

He was born near Louisa Court House, Virginia in 1788 and moved in infancy with his father Thomas Overton to North Carolina, and then to Tennessee in 1801. Overton attended the common schools and entered the U.S. Army in 1808, and was promoted through the ranks to major in the Third Rifles on February 21, 1814. Major Overton was brevetted a lieutenant colonel on December 23, 1814, for actions at the Battle of New Orleans and transferred to the Artillery Corps in May, 1815 before resigning his commission on October 31, 1815. Later, he was commissioned a major general of militia by the Louisiana Legislature. Overton settled near Alexandria, Louisiana in Rapides Parish and served as a member of courthouse building commission in 1820 and 1821, a member of the Commission on Navigation of Bayou Rapides in 1824.

Political career

Overton was elected as a Jacksonian Democrat to the Twenty-first Congress (March 4, 1829-March 3, 1831). He served one term and was not a candidate for renomination in 1830. He returned to his plantation near Alexandria, Louisiana where he died on December 24, 1845.

Death and legacy

He was buried in McNutt Hill Cemetery in Rapides Parish. Thomas Overton Moore, Governor of Louisiana from 1860 to 1864, was his nephew; and the politician John Holmes Overton was his grandson. The politician Overton Brooks was his great-grandson.

References

Congressional Biography

v t e Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana 1st district Livingston, E. White Johnson White Slidell Sére St. Martin Dunbar Eustis Bouligny Sypher Lawrence Gibson Hunt St. Martin Wilkinson Meyer Estopinal O'Connor Fernández Hébert Tonry Livingston, R. Vitter Jindal Scalise 2nd district Gurley Thomas Ripley Chinn Dawson la Branche Thibodeaux Conrad Bullard Landry, J. A. Hunt Taylor Mann Sheldon Ellis Hahn Wallace Lagan Coleman Lagan Davey Buck Davey Gilmore Dupré Spearing Maloney Boggs, T. H. Maloney Boggs, T. H. Boggs, L Jefferson Cao Richmond 3rd district Brent Overton Bullard Garland Moore Dawson Harmanson Penn Perkins Davidson Newsham Darrall Acklen Darrall Kellogg Gay Price Broussard Martin Montet Mouton Domengeaux Willis Caffery Treen Tauzin Melancon Landry, J. M. Boustany 4th district Bossier Morse Moore Jones Sandidge Landrum Vidal Newsham McCleery Boarman Smith Levy Elam Blanchard Ogden Breazeale Watkins Sandlin Brooks Waggonner Leach Roemer McCrery Fields McCrery Fleming 5th district Blackburn Morey Spencer Leonard Young King Newton Boatner Baird Ransdell Elder Wilson Mills McKenzie Passman Huckaby McCrery Cooksey Alexander McAllister 6th district Sheridan Nash Robertson, E. Lewis Irion Robertson, E. Robertson, S. Favrot Wickliffe Morgan Sanders, Sr. Favrot Kemp Sanders, Jr. Griffith Sanders, Jr. Morrison Rarick Moore Baker Cazayoux Cassidy 7th district Pujo Lazaro De Rouen Plauche Larcade Thompson Edwards Breaux Hayes John Boustany 8th district Aswell Overton Dear Allen Long, Doc McSween Long, G. Long, S. Long, G. Long, C. Holloway At-large Robertson Butler Johnston Sheridan Territory Clark Poydras