Richard J. Oglesby | |
---|---|
14th Governor of Illinois | |
In office January 16, 1865 – January 11, 1869 | |
Lieutenant | William Bross |
Preceded by | Richard Yates |
Succeeded by | John M. Palmer |
In office January 13, 1873 – January 23, 1873 | |
Lieutenant | John Lourie Beveridge |
Preceded by | John M. Palmer |
Succeeded by | John Lourie Beveridge |
In office January 30, 1885 – January 14, 1889 | |
Lieutenant | John Smith |
Preceded by | John Marshall Hamilton |
Succeeded by | Joseph W. Fifer |
United States Senator from Illinois | |
In office March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1879 | |
Preceded by | Lyman Trumbull |
Succeeded by | John A. Logan |
Member of the Illinois Senate | |
In office 1860 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Richard James Oglesby July 25, 1824 Oldham County, Kentucky |
Died | April 24, 1899 Elkhart, Illinois | (aged 74)
Political party | Republican |
Alma mater | University of Louisville |
Signature | |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States |
Branch/service | United States Army Union Army |
Years of service | 1846–1847 1861–1864 |
Rank | |
Battles/wars | Mexican–American War, American Civil War |
Richard James Oglesby (July 25, 1824 – April 24, 1899) was an American soldier and Republican politician from Illinois, who served three non-consecutive terms as Governor of Illinois (from 1865 to 1869, for ten days in 1873, and from 1885 to 1889) and as a United States Senator from Illinois (from 1873 to 1879), and earlier was a member of the Illinois Senate, elected in 1860. The town of Oglesby, Illinois, is named in his honor,[1] as is an elementary school situated in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood of Chicago's south side.[2][3]
He served in the United States Army during the Mexican–American War of 1846–47, and after the war became a prospector during the California Gold Rush and was elected to the Illinois General Assembly. During the American Civil War, Oglesby volunteered for the Union Army and rose to the rank of major general, serving in the Western Theater; he left the army when he was elected Governor of Illinois in 1864.
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Illinois Adventure #1806 "Oglesby Mansion"
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Transcription
WE RECENTLY TOURED ANOTHER HOME WHICH WAS ALSO ANOTHER HOME WHICH WAS ALSO DESIGNATED BY THE SAME ARCHITECT DESIGNATED BY THE SAME ARCHITECT AS THE DEERE-WIMAN HOME, AS THE DEERE-WIMAN HOME, GOVERNOR RICHARD OGILVIE HOME. GOVERNOR RICHARD OGILVIE HOME. >>HE WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN >>HE WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING LINCOLN NOMINATED THE GETTING LINCOLN NOMINATED THE FIRST TIME. FIRST TIME. AND ORCHESTRATED MUCH OF THE AND ORCHESTRATED MUCH OF THE CONVENTION THAT WAS HELD HERE IN CONVENTION THAT WAS HELD HERE IN DECATUR. DECATUR. HE IS GIVEN CREDIT FOR HAVING HE IS GIVEN CREDIT FOR HAVING COINED THE PHRASE, LINCOLN, THE COINED THE PHRASE, LINCOLN, THE RAIL SPLITTER. RAIL SPLITTER. AT THE TIME LINCOLN HAD A AT THE TIME LINCOLN HAD A REPUTATION OF RAILROADER. REPUTATION OF RAILROADER. HE WAS MUCH MORE A MAN OF THE HE WAS MUCH MORE A MAN OF THE PEOPLE. PEOPLE. IT IS KIND OF INTERESTING HE IS IT IS KIND OF INTERESTING HE IS VIEWED TODAY, NOT AS A CORPORATE VIEWED TODAY, NOT AS A CORPORATE LAWYER, BUT MAN OF THE PEOPLE. LAWYER, BUT MAN OF THE PEOPLE. HE WAS ALSO A CIVIL WAR GENERAL, HE WAS ALSO A CIVIL WAR GENERAL, SERVED UNDER GRANT, AND WAS SERVED UNDER GRANT, AND WAS WOUNDED SERIOUSLY WOUNDED AT THE WOUNDED SERIOUSLY WOUNDED AT THE BATTLE IN MISSISSIPPI. BATTLE IN MISSISSIPPI. AS A RESULT OF THAT, HE HAD TO AS A RESULT OF THAT, HE HAD TO LEAVE THE FRONT, BUT CAME BACK LEAVE THE FRONT, BUT CAME BACK AND RAN FOR GOVERNOR AT ABRAHAM AND RAN FOR GOVERNOR AT ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S SUGGESTION. LINCOLN'S SUGGESTION. SERVED AS GOVERNOR OF ILLINOIS SERVED AS GOVERNOR OF ILLINOIS FOR THREE TERMS. FOR THREE TERMS. WHEN HE MARRIED HIS FIRST WIFE, WHEN HE MARRIED HIS FIRST WIFE, ANNA WHITE, THEY LIVED IN A ANNA WHITE, THEY LIVED IN A SMALL HOUSE IMMEDIATELY WEST OF SMALL HOUSE IMMEDIATELY WEST OF THIS ONE. THIS ONE. SHE WAS THE FIRST LADY OF SHE WAS THE FIRST LADY OF ILLINOIS INTO HIS FIRST TERM, ILLINOIS INTO HIS FIRST TERM, BUT SHE DIED IN THE GOVERNOR'S BUT SHE DIED IN THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION IN SPRINGFIELD. MANSION IN SPRINGFIELD. THE GOVERNOR HAD ALREADY TALKED THE GOVERNOR HAD ALREADY TALKED WITH AN ARCHITECT IN CHICAGO, WITH AN ARCHITECT IN CHICAGO, WILLIAM LE BARON JENNEY WHICH WILLIAM LE BARON JENNEY WHICH WILL, AND JENNEY HAD DESIGNED A WILL, AND JENNEY HAD DESIGNED A HOUSE IN 1868, BUT AFTER ANNA'S HOUSE IN 1868, BUT AFTER ANNA'S DEATH, GOVERNOR PUT THE DESIGNS DEATH, GOVERNOR PUT THE DESIGNS AWAY, AND AT THE END OF HIS AWAY, AND AT THE END OF HIS FIRST TERM, HE CAME BACK TO FIRST TERM, HE CAME BACK TO DECATUR AND LIVED IN THAT HOUSE DECATUR AND LIVED IN THAT HOUSE WITH HIS TWO SURVIVING CHILDREN. WITH HIS TWO SURVIVING CHILDREN. LATER MARRIED EM MA GILETTE KEY, LATER MARRIED EM MA GILETTE KEY, A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN, CONSIDERABLY A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN, CONSIDERABLY YOUNGER THAN THE GOVERNOR, IN YOUNGER THAN THE GOVERNOR, IN 1880, HIS AGE IS LISTED AS 55 1880, HIS AGE IS LISTED AS 55 AND HER'S IS 35. AND HER'S IS 35. SHE HAD BEEN MARRIED BEFORE, HAD SHE HAD BEEN MARRIED BEFORE, HAD A SON, HYRUM. A SON, HYRUM. WHEN THEY MOVED INTO THE GREEK WHEN THEY MOVED INTO THE GREEK REVIVAL HOUSE, THERE WERE TWO REVIVAL HOUSE, THERE WERE TWO ADULTS AND THREE CHILDREN. THEY ADULTS AND THREE CHILDREN. THEY BROUGHT THE DESIGNS BACK OUT. BROUGHT THE DESIGNS BACK OUT. EM MA MODIFIED THEM SERIOUSLY. EM MA MODIFIED THEM SERIOUSLY. THEY BUILT THE HOUSE ONTO THE THEY BUILT THE HOUSE ONTO THE OLD HOUSE. OLD HOUSE. AND IT BECAME THEN A WING OF AND IT BECAME THEN A WING OF THIS HOUSE. THIS HOUSE. THE PLAN WAS THAT THE OLD HOUSE THE PLAN WAS THAT THE OLD HOUSE WOULD HOUSE THE KITCHEN, AND THE WOULD HOUSE THE KITCHEN, AND THE SERVANTS QUARTERS. SERVANTS QUARTERS. THIS HOUSE WAS STRICTLY FOR THE THIS HOUSE WAS STRICTLY FOR THE FAMILY. FAMILY. THE HOUSE WAS NOT IN THIS THE HOUSE WAS NOT IN THIS CONDITION. CONDITION. AT THE TIME WE CAME IN, THE AT THE TIME WE CAME IN, THE PARLOR, THERE WAS AN APARTMENT, PARLOR, THERE WAS AN APARTMENT, A RESTROOM WE HAD TO TAKE OUT, A RESTROOM WE HAD TO TAKE OUT, ALL THE MAN THE MANTLES, ALL OFM ALL THE MAN THE MANTLES, ALL OFM WERE REMOVED, THEY WERE UPSTAIRS WERE REMOVED, THEY WERE UPSTAIRS AND TAKEN TO THE ATTIC. AND TAKEN TO THE ATTIC. WHEN THEY GOT TO THE ONE IN THE WHEN THEY GOT TO THE ONE IN THE PARLOR, IT WAS TOO BIG. PARLOR, IT WAS TOO BIG. THEY SOLD IT, BUT WE DID HAVE A THEY SOLD IT, BUT WE DID HAVE A PICTURE OF IT. PICTURE OF IT. WHEN WE BEGAN TO DO THE WHEN WE BEGAN TO DO THE RESTORATION, WE HAD IT COPIED. RESTORATION, WE HAD IT COPIED. THEN WHEN WE CAME TO THE DINING THEN WHEN WE CAME TO THE DINING ROOM, THERE WAS A WALL THAT WE ROOM, THERE WAS A WALL THAT WE FELT WAS NOT CORRECT. FELT WAS NOT CORRECT. WE TOOK THE WALL DOWN, AND THERE WE TOOK THE WALL DOWN, AND THERE WERE PIECES OF THE WALLPAPER, WERE PIECES OF THE WALLPAPER, THE WIDTH OF THE TWO BY FOUR THE WIDTH OF THE TWO BY FOUR THAT WAS UP AGAINST THE WALL, THAT WAS UP AGAINST THE WALL, THAT WAS WHERE WE FOUND A LITTLE THAT WAS WHERE WE FOUND A LITTLE WATCHES OF THE WALLPAPER AND THE WATCHES OF THE WALLPAPER AND THE WAY IT WAS DONE BEFORE THE CHAIR WAY IT WAS DONE BEFORE THE CHAIR RAIL. RAIL. MOST PEOPLE ABOUT WE TELL THEM MOST PEOPLE ABOUT WE TELL THEM THIS WAS WALLPAPER, THEY TELL US THIS WAS WALLPAPER, THEY TELL US OH, NO, THAT'S WOOD, AND IT DOES OH, NO, THAT'S WOOD, AND IT DOES LOOK VERY MUCH LIKE WOOD. LOOK VERY MUCH LIKE WOOD. THE LIBRARY IS THE MOST THE LIBRARY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ROOM IN THE HOUSE IMPORTANT ROOM IN THE HOUSE BECAUSE IT IS TOTALLY ORIGINAL. BECAUSE IT IS TOTALLY ORIGINAL. THE GENTLEMAN WHO BOUGHT THE THE GENTLEMAN WHO BOUGHT THE HOUSE WAS A PHOTOGRAPHER. HOUSE WAS A PHOTOGRAPHER. HE TOOK PICTURES OF THE HE TOOK PICTURES OF THE INTERIOR. INTERIOR. THEY DID USE THOSE PHOTOGRAPHS THEY DID USE THOSE PHOTOGRAPHS TO RESTORE THE HOUSE SO THAT TO RESTORE THE HOUSE SO THAT THEY HAD AT LEAST COMPARABLE THEY HAD AT LEAST COMPARABLE FURNITURE PIECES IN THE RIGHT FURNITURE PIECES IN THE RIGHT PLACES, AND IN THE RIGHT STYLE. PLACES, AND IN THE RIGHT STYLE. WE HAVE AN INTERESTING MIXTURE WE HAVE AN INTERESTING MIXTURE IN THE HOUSE. IN THE HOUSE. SOME PIECES BELONG TO THE SOME PIECES BELONG TO THE FAMILY. FAMILY. SOME PIECES BELONG TO OTHER OLD SOME PIECES BELONG TO OTHER OLD DECATUR FAMILIES. DECATUR FAMILIES. ONE PIECE IN PARTICULAR WE ARE ONE PIECE IN PARTICULAR WE ARE CERTAIN WAS IN THE HOUSE WHEN CERTAIN WAS IN THE HOUSE WHEN THE OGILVIES LIVED HERE AND THAT THE OGILVIES LIVED HERE AND THAT IS THE HALL TREE IN THE FRONT IS THE HALL TREE IN THE FRONT HALL. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL HOUSE, HALL. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL HOUSE, AND IT IS A PART OF OLD DECATUR. AND IT IS A PART OF OLD DECATUR. THERE IS SO MUCH HISTORY, SO THERE IS SO MUCH HISTORY, SO MUCH NATIONAL HISTORY THAT THIS MUCH NATIONAL HISTORY THAT THIS IS INVOLVED IN. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT EVENTS AND HISTORY OF THE OGILVIE, LOG ON HISTORY OF THE OGILVIE, LOG ON TO WWW.OGELVIE.ORG OR CALL TO WWW.OGELVIE.ORG OR CALL (217)429-9422.
Early years
Oglesby was born in Floydsburg, Oldham County, Kentucky.[4] He was orphaned and moved to live with his uncle in Decatur, Illinois in 1836, where he worked as a farmhand and carpenter.[5]
Mexican–American War
With the outbreak of the Mexican–American War, he enlisted as a 1st Lieutenant in Company C, 4th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment [6] taking part in the battles of Veracruz and Cerro Gordo "where his regiment almost captured Mexican President General Santa Anna, but they had to settle for his cork leg, carriage and $20,000 in gold".[7]
He might have participated in what may have been the first baseball game ever played outside the U.S., at the end of April 1847, a few days after the Battle of Cerro Gordo, "with the wooden leg captured (by the Fourth Illinois regiment) from General Santa Anna".[8]
He was mustered out of the volunteer service in May 1847.[citation needed]
Entry into politics
He studied at Louisville Law School in 1848, but traveled to California for the gold rush in 1849, where he tried his hand at gold mining. After two years of traveling in Europe, he returned to Illinois in 1851[9] and joined the Republican Party at its formation. Oglesby ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Congress in 1858 but was elected to the Illinois Senate in 1860. In 1859, Oglesby married Decatur native Anna White. They had four children: Richard, Elizabeth, Robert, and Olive.[citation needed] Oglesby was one of the earliest advocates for Abraham Lincoln's nomination as the 1860 presidential candidate of the Republican Party; it may have been he who applied the moniker "Railsplitter" to Lincoln.
Civil War
At the start of the Civil War, Oglesby was appointed colonel of the 8th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He was a well-liked commander, receiving the moniker "Uncle Dick" from his troops. He commanded his brigade at the battles of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson and soon after was promoted to the rank of brigadier general. He commanded troops during the Siege of Corinth. Oglesby sustained severe injuries in the Battle of Corinth in 1862 and was elevated to the status of major general that same year.[10]
After a brief period of recovery, Oglesby resumed military service in 1863. However, at the request of Abraham Lincoln, he abandoned his commission in 1864, successfully running for Illinois governor on the Republican ticket.[10]
He was present in the room at the Petersen House when President Abraham Lincoln died on April 15, 1865.[11]
Illinois politics
Oglesby first served as governor of Illinois from 1865 to 1869. During his tenure as governor, he advocated improving the quality of care of the mentally ill and for other groups of disabled citizens. He also signed legislation expanding the State Hospital system from one campus to three.[12] After his term ended, he practiced law until 1872, when he agreed to a scheme in which Oglesby ran again for governor, but turned the office over to the lieutenant governor immediately after inauguration in return for a seat in the U.S. Senate. He served as a Senator from 1873 until 1879. In 1884, he was reelected governor for a third time, becoming the first man in Illinois history to serve three times as governor. At the end of his third term as governor, he tried unsuccessfully to be reelected to his Senate seat. He spent his remaining years in retirement and died at his "Oglehurst" estate in Elkhart, Illinois. He is buried there in Elkhart Cemetery. There is a statue of Richard J. Oglesby in Lincoln Park, Chicago.
His son, John G. Oglesby, was a two time Lieutenant Governor of Illinois.
See also
Notes
- ^ "History of Oglesby, Illinois". City of Oglesby. Archived from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
- ^ "Richard J. Oglesby Elementary". Richard J. Oglesby Elementary. Chicago Public Schools. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
- ^ "Oglesby Elementary School". Oglesby Elementary School. Google Maps. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
- ^ "Richard J. Oglesby". Portrait and Biographical Album of Champaign County, Illinois. Chapman Brothers, Chicago, 1887. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
- ^ "Governor Oglesby and Family". Oglesby Mansion. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
- ^ Lincoln's Rail-Splitter by Mark Plummer 2001
- ^ "The Oglesby Mansion in Decatur, Illinois". Archived from the original on October 19, 2014. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
- ^ Terry's Guide to Mexico, 1909, page=506, repeated in following editions thru at least 1947
- ^ Eicher, p. 408.
- ^ a b "Richard James Oglesby". American Battlefield Trust. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
- ^ "Abraham Lincoln in Illinois". www.ilsos.gov. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
- ^ Briska, William (1997). The History of Elgin Mental Health Center: Evolution of a State Hospital. Crossroads Communications. p. 12. ISBN 0-916445-45-3.
References
- Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher. Civil War High Commands. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2001. ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.
- Warner, Ezra J. Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1964. ISBN 0-8071-0822-7.
Further reading
- Plummer, Mark A. Lincoln's Rail Splitter: Governor Richard J. Oglesby. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2001. ISBN 0-252-02649-7.
- Townsend, George Alfred. The Life, Crime and Capture of John Wilkes Booth. New York: Dick & Fitzgerald, 1865. OCLC 8110858.