Eli West Hall (1827-1865?) of Wilmington, NC, was one of several sons born to Eliza J. and Edward P. Hall, a lawyer. A member of the Dialectic Society, Eli received his BA in 1847, then studied law with Judge Frederick Nash in Hillsborough, NC. He married Margaret Dawson in 1851; the couple had four daughters. In 1860, 1862, and 1864 Hall was elected to the NC Senate. Some sources claim that Hall died in 1860, a date inconsistent with his service in the Senate; family papers list his date of death as "1865?"