Herringshaw's Encyclopedia of American Biography

Thousands of short American lives — soldiers, inventors, preachers, governors, novelists — each given a paragraph: born where, did what, and why anyone remembered.

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Preston, William

soldier, lawyer, state legislator, congressman, was born Oct. 16, 1816, in Louisville, Ky. He went to Mexico as a lieutenant-colonel of the Kentucky volunteers; and served in the convention called to frame anew the constitution of Kentucky. In 1850 and 1851 he was elected to the state legislature; and was a presidential elector in 1852, voting for Scott. He was elected a representative from Kentucky to the thirtysecond congress to fill a vacancy; and was re-elected to the thirty-third congress. In 1858 he was appointed minister to Spain.

He took part in the rebellion, and was a brigadier-general; and in 1868 was elected to the state legislature. He died Sept. 21, 1887, in Lexington, Ky.

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