George Foster Shepley (judge)

George Foster Shepley
Judge of the United States Circuit Courts for the First Circuit
In office December 22, 1869 – July 20, 1878
Appointed by	Ulysses S. Grant
Preceded by	Seat established by 16 Stat. 44
Succeeded by	John Lowell
Military Governor of Richmond
In office April 3, 1865 – July 3, 1865
Preceded by	Joseph C. Mayo (Mayor)
Succeeded by	David J. Saunders Sr. (Mayor)
18th Governor of Louisiana
In office July 2, 1862 – March 4, 1864
Preceded by	Thomas Overton Moore
Succeeded by	Michael Hahn
Mayor of New Orleans (acting)
In office May 20, 1862 – July 11, 1862
Preceded by	John T. Monroe
Succeeded by	Godfrey Weitzel (acting)
Personal details
Born	George Foster Shepley (1819-01-01)January 1, 1819 Saco, Maine
Died	July 20, 1878(1878-07-20) (aged 59) Portland, Maine
Resting place	Evergreen Cemetery Portland, Maine
Education	Harvard University Dartmouth College (A.B.) read law

George Foster Shepley (January 1, 1819 – July 20, 1878) was an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War, military governor of Louisiana and a United States circuit judge of the United States Circuit Courts for the First Circuit.

Education and career

Born on January 1, 1819, in Saco, Maine,^[1] Shepley attended Harvard University, received an Artium Baccalaureus degree in 1837 from Dartmouth College and read law in 1839.^[1] He entered private practice in Bangor, Maine from 1839 to 1844.^[1] He continued private practice in Portland, Maine from 1844 to 1861.^[1] He served as the United States Attorney for the District of Maine from 1848 to 1849 and from 1853 to 1861.^[1] He served as a Brigadier General in the United States Army during the American Civil War from 1861 to 1865.^[1] He resumed private practice in Portland from 1865 to 1866.^[1] He was a member of the Maine House of Representatives from 1866 to 1867.^[1] He again resumed private practice in Portland from 1867 to 1869.^[1]

Civil War service

Shepley was commissioned a Colonel of the 12th Maine Infantry on November 16, 1861.^[2] He was assigned to the Department of the Gulf, commanding a brigade during the New Orleans campaign from April 18, 1862, to May 1, 1862.^[2] He served as military governor of New Orleans, Louisiana from May 1862 to July 1862, and then served as military governor of the Union-occupied parishes of Louisiana until March 1864.^[2] He was appointed Brigadier General of Volunteers on July 18, 1862.^[2] He briefly headed a district in Virginia and then served as chief of staff of XXV Corps, in the Army of the James.^[2] He then served as military governor of Richmond, Virginia from April 3, 1865, to July 1, 1865, when he resigned his military commission to return to private practice.^[2]

Federal judicial service

Shepley was nominated by President Ulysses S. Grant on December 8, 1869, to the United States Circuit Courts for the First Circuit, to a new seat authorized by 16 Stat. 44.^[1] He was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 22, 1869, and received his commission the same day.^[1] His service terminated on July 20, 1878, due to his death in Portland.^[1] He was interred at Evergreen Cemetery in Portland.^[3] His tombstone has his birth date as January 1, 1819.^[3]

See also

• List of American Civil War generals (Union)

References

Sources

• State of Louisiana – Biography
• Cemetery Memorial by La-Cemeteries
• George Foster Shepley at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
• "16 Stat. 44" (PDF). United States Congress. April 10, 1869 – via Wikimedia Commons.

External links

• "George Foster Shepley". Find a Grave. Retrieved 2008-10-13.
• George Foster Shepley Writ of Election at The Historic New Orleans Collection

This page was last edited on 28 January 2024, at 08:11