Mottrom Dulany Ball{{efn|Also spelled Mottram, Motrom, Mottrone; sources differ greatly}} (June 23, 1835 – September 13, 1887) was an American lawyer, newspaper publisher, Confederate Army officer and collector of customs for the United States Department of the Treasury. From March 27, 1878, to June 13, 1879, he was the highest-ranking federal official in the Department of Alaska, making him the de facto governor of the territory.

Early life

Mottrom Dulany Ball{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-critic-and-record-colonel-balls-rem/129392703/ |title=Colonel Ball's Remains |date=1887-09-27 |newspaper=The Washington Critic |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2023-08-03}}{{Open access}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.worldstatesmen.org/US_states_A-D.html |title=U.S. States A-D |website=World Statesmen.org |publisher=Ben M. Cahoon |access-date=August 3, 2023}} was born in 1835 at Oak Mount in Falls Church, Fairfax County, Virginia, to Mary (née Dulany) and Spencer Mottrom Ball.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-star-bringing-his-body-home-22/129392403/ |title=Bringing His Body Home |date=1887-09-22 |newspaper=The Evening Star |page=4 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2023-08-03}}{{Open access}}{{cite magazine |title=Mottrom Dulany Ball: A Founding Father of Alaska |magazine=Alaskan History Magazine |date=November–December 2020 |url=https://issuu.com/alaskanhistorymagazine/docs/qtz_20nov-dec_202020_20for_20issuu/s/11243598 |access-date=August 3, 2023 |via=Issuu}} Ball was educated at Episcopal High School in Alexandria. He graduated from the College of William and Mary with a Bachelor of Arts on July 4, 1854. He was a member of Theta Delta Chi. After serving in the Civil War, he graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from the College of William and Mary on July 4, 1867.

Career

Ball served as lieutenant colonel of the 11th Virginia Cavalry Regiment in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.

Ball moved to Alexandria and practiced law with his uncle William Heath Dulany. For a time, he also practiced law in Baltimore. Around 1871, Ball became the editor of the Virginia Sentinel (also called the Standard and Sentinel) of Alexandria for about six years. He was also the owner.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-progress-index-a-new-daily-paper/129399411/ |title=A new daily paper... |date=1971-03-03 |newspaper=The Daily Index |page=4 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2023-08-03}}{{Open access}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-free-lance-star-m-d-ball-23-se/129392830/ |title=M. D. Ball... |date=1887-09-23 |newspaper=The Free Lance |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2023-08-03}}{{Open access}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/alexandria-gazette-death-of-col-m-d-b/129400788/ |title=Death of Col. M. D. Ball |date=1887-09-20 |newspaper=Alexandria Gazette and Virginia Advertiser |page=3 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2023-08-03}}{{Open access}}

Ball was a Democrat. In 1876, Ball was elected as an Independent, defeating H. W. Freebry, to serve as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing Alexandria and Alexandria County.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/richmond-dispatch-alexandria-elections/129399278/ |title=Alexandria Elections |date=1876-05-30 |newspaper=Richmond Dispatch |page=3 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2023-08-03}}{{Open access}} He later joined the Republican Party. President Rutherford B. Hayes appointed Ball as collector of customs for the Territory of Alaska on March 27, 1878. He served in that role officially until June 13, 1879. During this period, he was the highest ranking federal official in Alaska, and de facto governor. He continued to serve as collector of customs, but was not re-appointed by President James Garfield in July 1881, despite a petition from citizens in Sitka, Alaska.

On September 5, 1881, he won an election to be Alaska's first territorial delegate in the United States House of Representatives, but the United States House Committee on Elections did not recognize the results, and he was not seated.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-critic-and-record-the-territory-of-a/129400324/ |title=The Territory of Alaska |date=1881-11-19 |newspaper=The Washington Critic |page=3 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2023-08-03}}{{Open access}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/alexandria-gazette-from-washington-31-j/129400481/ |title=From Washington |date=1882-01-31 |newspaper=Alexandria Gazette and Virginia Advertiser |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2023-08-03}}{{Open access}} In November 1885, Ball founded the Alaskan, a newspaper in Sitka. He worked as the paper's first editor.

Ball was confirmed as district attorney of the Territory of Alaska on July 9, 1886, though some sources suggest he started the role in 1885.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-star-nominations-and-confirmatio/129400644/ |title=Nominations and Confirmations |date=1886-07-09 |newspaper=The Evening Star |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2023-08-03}}{{Open access}} He served in that role until his death. He also ran a private law practice while district attorney in Alaska. In August 1887, he became a founding member of the Alaska Bar Association.

Personal life

Ball married Sallie Lewis Wright on October 17, 1860. They had nine children, including Sallie L.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/alexandria-gazette-personal-18-sep-1889/129400976/ |title=Personal |date=1889-09-18 |newspaper=Alexandria Gazette and Virginia Advertiser |page=3 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2023-08-03}}{{Open access}} and Mary.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/alexandria-gazette-a-letter-received/129401023/ |title=A letter received... |date=1881-02-19 |newspaper=Alexandria Gazette and Virginia Advertiser |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2023-08-03}}{{Open access}}

Ball died on September 13, 1887, in Sitka while traveling from Alaska to Seattle on the steamer Ancon.{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-valley-virginian-col-m-d-ball/129393012/ |title=Col. M. D. Ball... |date=1887-09-22 |newspaper=Valley Virginian |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2023-08-03}}{{Open access}} He was buried in Falls Church.

Legacy

Mottrom Drive in McLean, Virginia, is named for Ball.{{cite news |first=Matthew |last=Barakat |title=Virginia contends with Confederate names on side streets |url=https://apnews.com/article/virginia-9206a44094a86f8b212bc9b4aff5fe5b |date=August 9, 2021 |access-date=August 9, 2021 |work=AP News |agency=Associated Press}}