William Trousdale (September 23, 1790March 27, 1872) was an American soldier and politician. He served as the 13th 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. James Trousdale 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