Wade Keyes was first being educated by private tutors at home, followed by studies at LaGrange College, Alabama and the University of Virginia.
26 Facts About Wade Keyes
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Wade Keyes had to leave the University of Virginia due to illness and death in the family.
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Wade Keyes later read law under Judge William Richardsson and Judge Daniel Coleman in Athens, before attending Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, where he graduated from the law department.
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In 1851 Wade Keyes moved to Montgomery, Alabama, where he established a law practice.
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Wade Keyes wrote three legal treaties on property law: An Essay on the Learning of Remainders, An Essay on the Learning of Future Interests in Real Property and An Essay on the Learning of Partial and of Future Interests in Chattels Personal.
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The crisis that led the students to leave his school caused Wade Keyes to join the military.
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Wade Keyes enlisted as lieutenant in the Montgomery Rifles, and served at Pensacola, Florida.
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When Benjamin on September 17,1861, was appointed secretary of war Wade Keyes took over as acting attorney general until Thomas Bragg officially took office November 21,1861.
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When Watts was elected governor of Alabama, he resigned, and Wade Keyes served as acting attorney general from October 1,1863, until January 2,1864, when George Davis became the fourth and last ordinary attorney general of the Confederacy.
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Wade Keyes served as Attorney General ad interim during the Christmas Holidays of 1861, in October and November 1862, in August 1863 and in September and October 1864.
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Wade Keyes wrote 23 of 218 opinions issued by the Confederate office of Attorney General.
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Wade Keyes sustained United States acts in force at the time of the withdrawal of the Confederate states from the Federal Union, if not replaced by Confederate law, and relied on existing United States law when Confederate law was absent.
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Wade Keyes argued that the Attorney General had no authority to issue opinions concerning constitutional questions other than when advising the president when he was about to sign or veto an act of congress.
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Wade Keyes's reasoning was based on the constitutionally exercised legislative power of Congress; Congress had the right to determine what actions were to be taken.
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Wade Keyes clearly established that intergovernmental immunity not only prevented the states from interfering with the activities of the Confederate government, but forbade the government from thwarting state actions.
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Wade Keyes ruled that only military personnel could stand trial before courts-martial.
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Wade Keyes was never considered for the position of Attorney General.
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Wade Keyes was reprimanded by Jefferson Davis for having questioned the president's authority when he had intervened in cases where the accounting officers by law were to make independent rulings.
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Wade Keyes was the oldest son of General George Keyes, a planter and merchant at Mooresville, and his wife Nellie Rutledge Keyes from Tennessee.
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Wade Keyes was the grandson of Captain John Wades Keyes and the brother of John Washington Keyes and George P Keyes.
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Wade's father George Keyes was born in Washington County, Virginia.
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Wade Keyes served under Andrew Jackson as captain of a volunteer company and was later elected brigadier general of militia and bore the title of general all his life.
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Wade's grandfather John Wade Keyes was born in Mystic, Massachusetts, settled near Alexandria, Virginia, moved to Blountville, Tennessee and finally to Athens, Alabama.
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Wade Keyes married Alice Wharton Whitfield of Leon County, Florida, a daughter of General George Whitfield, in 1848.
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Wade Keyes's brother John Washington was a doctor of medicine and dentistry.
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Wade Keyes's other brother George was a journalist and later register and master in the chancery court, served in Hilliard's Legion and later when disabled commanded a home guard battalion.