William Trousdale William Trousdale ( September 23 , 1790March 27 , 1872 ) was an American soldier and politician . He served as Governor of Tennessee from 1849 to 1851 , and was United States Minister to Brazil from 1853 to 1857 . He fought under Andrew Jackson in the Creek War , the War of 1812 and the Second Seminole War , and commanded the U . S . Fourteenth Infantry in the Mexican - American War . His military exploits earned him the nickname , " War Horse of Sumner County . " Early life . Trousdale was born in Orange County , North Carolina , the son of James and Elizabeth Dobbins Trousdale . His father was of Scots - Irish descent , and had served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution . His father was given a land grant as payment for services in the Revolution , and used this grant to acquire several hundred acres in Sumner County , Tennessee . The family moved to this plot in 1796 . In 1801 , the family donated part of their land for the establishment of a new county seat for Sumner County , which was named Gallatin . Trousdale attended public schools and studied under a tutor , the Reverend Gideon Blackburn . Military service and early political endeavors . Trousdale joined Captain William Edwards ' s Mounted Riflemen in 1812 . When this company was called into service during the Creek War the following year , Trousdale was elected Lieutenant . The company saw action at the Battle of Tallushatchee and the Battle of Talladega before returning home . In the Summer of 1814 , after Trousdale had been at home for just a few months , he joined a militia company formed by Lieutenant - Colonel George Elliott . This company joined Jackson ' s invasion of Florida later that year . At the Battle of Pensacola in November 1814 , Trousdale took part in a charge that captured several cannons on the first day of fighting . He volunteered to be among the first wave of soldiers to assault Fort San Miguel , but the fort surrendered before the assault took place . Following the capture of Pensacola , Trousdale ' s unit hurried westward with Jackson ' s forces to defend New Orleans from an impending British invasion . They arrived in the city in December 1814 , and Trousdale took part in a series of firefights and night skirmishes against the British on December 23 , December 27 , and January 1 . He fought in the decisive Battle of New Orleans on January 8 , 1815 . After the war , Trousdale returned home and studied law . He was admitted to the bar in 1820 , and commenced practice in Sumner County . He ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 1827 and 1829 , and served on Gallatin ' s Board of Aldermen from 1831 to 1835 . He was elected to the Tennessee Senate in 1835 , and served until the following year . At the outbreak of the Second Seminole War in 1836 , Trousdale formed his own company , and was elected colonel of the Second Regiment , First Brigade . His regiment took part in several skirmishes , and helped defeat Seminole forces at the Battle of Wahoo Swamp in November 1836 . In 1837 , Trousdale once again ran for Congress for the 6th District congressional seat , but lost to William B . Campbell , his former subordinate in the Seminole War and his future gubernatorial opponent . He ran again in 1839 and 1845 , but being a Democrat in a primarily Whig district , he was never successful . Trousdale campaigned for the unsuccessful Democratic presidential candidate , Martin Van Buren , in 1840 . During the Mexican - American War , Trousdale joined the Army with the rank of colonel , and commanded the 14th Infantry Regiment . This regiment landed at Veracruz on June 13 , 1847 , and was placed under General Gideon Pillow ' s 3rd Division . Trousdale ' s forces linked up with Winfield Scott ' s forces on July 8 , and began the march inland to Mexico City . Trousdale took part in the Battle of Contreras and the Battle of Churubusco on August 20 , and was grazed in the shoulder while fighting in the Battle of Molino del Rey on September 8 . Trousdale commanded two regiments ( the 14th and 11th ) and an artillery battery at the Battle of Chapultepec on September 13 . During this battle , his right arm was shattered by enemy fire , though he continued fighting , and managed to lead a charge that captured an enemy cannon . For his actions at Chapultepec , Trousdale was brevetted to brigadier general by President James K . Polk on August 23 , 1848 . Governor and later political endeavors . In 1849 , Trousdale received the Democratic nomination for governor . His Whig opponent , Neill S . Brown , had been opposed to the Mexican - American War , and was struggling with divisions over the issue of slavery in the national Whig Party . Trousdale , on the other hand , was riding a wave of popularity for his service in the war . As a result , Trousdale edged Brown by 1 , 400 votes in the general election . In Trousdale ' s reelection campaign in 1851 , his opponent was William B . Campbell , a fellow Mexican - American War hero who had served under Trousdale in the Second Seminole War , and had defeated Trousdale for the 6th District congressional seat in 1837 and 1839 . Like Brown in 1849 , Trousdale ' s campaign was damaged by the actions of his own party . At the Nashville Convention in 1850 , which Trousdale had endorsed , southern Democrats called for secession should the United States implement the Wilmot Proviso , banning slavery in territory acquired as a result of the Mexican - American War . Secession was unpopular in Tennessee at the time , and following a relatively dignified campaign , Campbell defeated Trousdale by 1 , 500 votes . In 1853 , Trousdale was appointed " Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary " to Brazil by President Franklin Pierce . He arrived in Rio de Janeiro in July 1853 , and served until 1857 . He spent much of his term advocating the opening of the Amazon River to international commerce . After returning to Sumner County , Trousdale spent the remainder of his life practicing law . He was consistently stricken with rheumatism , creating physical difficulties that prevented him from taking part in public life , as well as from serving in the Civil War in the 1860s . He nevertheless supported the Confederacy , and refused to take the Oath of Allegiance to the United States , even when Union soldiers occupied his home . Family . Trousdale was married to Mary Ann Bugg in 1827 . The couple had seven children . Death . Trousdale died on March 27 , 1872 , and is interred at Gallatin City Cemetery in Gallatin , Tennessee . Legacy . Trousdale County , Tennessee is named in his honor . His family home , the Federal - style " Trousdale Place " located near the town square of Gallatin , has been a preserved historical site since 1900 .