William L. Sharkey

William Lewis Sharkey (July 12, 1798 – March 30, 1873) was an American judge and politician from Mississippi. A staunch Unionist during the American Civil War, he opposed the 1861 declared secession of Mississippi from the United States. After the end of the war, President Andrew Johnson appointed Sharkey as provisional governor of Mississippi in 1865. Biography Early life William Lewis Sharkey was born on July 12, 1798, in Sumner County, Tennessee. When he was six, he moved with his family in 1804 to Warren County, Mississippi. He was likely privately educated and read the law as an apprentice with an established firm. In 1822, he was admitted to the bar in Natchez, Mississippi. Career In 1825, Sharkey moved to Vicksburg, a river port city. He was later elected for a single term in the Mississippi House of Representatives, where he served from 1828 to 1829.