▁ceased , ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁Mississippi ▁and ▁pract iced ▁law ▁in ▁Aber de en . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 0 , ▁he ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁Congress ▁as ▁a ▁Wh ig , ▁defe ating ▁future ▁Civil ▁War ▁general ▁Win field ▁S . ▁Fe ather ston . ▁Two ▁years ▁later , ▁Wil co x ▁was ▁defeated ▁for ▁re - e lection . ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 3 , ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁San ▁Antonio , ▁Texas , ▁and ▁res umed ▁his ▁law ▁practice . ▁He ▁briefly ▁d ab bled ▁in ▁the ▁Know ▁Nothing ▁political ▁movement , ▁serving ▁as ▁a ▁president ial ▁elect or ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 6 , ▁but ▁then ▁joined ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Party ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 8 , ▁att ending ▁the ▁National ▁Convention ▁that ▁year . ▁ ▁With ▁talk ▁of ▁se cess ion ▁increasing ▁in ▁Texas , ▁Wil co x , ▁a ▁strong ▁supp orter ▁of ▁states ▁rights , ▁was ▁selected ▁as ▁a ▁delegate ▁to ▁the ▁state ' s ▁Sec ession ▁Convention ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 1 . ▁He ▁served ▁on ▁the ▁committee ▁that ▁draft ed ▁the ▁ordin ance ▁of ▁se cess ion . ▁He ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁First ▁Confeder ate ▁Congress ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 8 6 1 ▁and ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁Richmond , ▁Virginia ▁to ▁assume ▁his ▁duties , ▁serving ▁on ▁various ▁comm itte es ▁and ▁prov ing ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁sta unch ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁policies ▁of ▁President ▁Jefferson ▁Davis . ▁He ▁was ▁active ▁in ▁helping ▁raise ▁rec ruits ▁and ▁organ izing