Ohio History Journal

JOHN WHITE GEARY.

As Kagi in his letters to the press severely criticized Gov-

ernor Geary it is but fair to state here that the Governor went

to Kansas Territory, as he afterwards freely admitted, with er-

roneous opinions as to conditions there. He was sincerely de-

sirous to do justice to the contending parties but his precon-

ceived prejudices were in favor of the pro-slavery party. This led

to severe criticism on the part of the free state men. It was

not long, however, until the governor began to change his views.

He learned later that the Buchanan administration expected him

to see to it that Kansas was admitted as a slave state. There

were extremes to which he would not go in the interest of such

a movement and he soon found himself out of harmony with

the President who had appointed him. Nicolay and Hay in

Abraham Lincoln, A History, have this to say in regard to the

conclusion, of Governor Geary's administration of Kansas af-

fairs:

In less than six months after he went to the territory, clothed

with the executive authority, speaking the President's voice and

representing the unlimited military power of the Republic, he, the

third Democratic governor of Kansas, was, like his predecessors,

in secret flight from the province he had so trustfully gone to

rule, execrated by his party associates, and abandoned by the ad-

ministration which had appointed him.

 

Governor Geary was born at Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland

County, Pennsylvania, December 30. 1819. He was a lawyer

and lived for a time in Pittsburgh, studied engineering and

served with honor in the Mexican War. He was the first mili-

tary commander of the city of Mexico, first postmaster of San

Francisco, California, and mayor of that city. He returned to

Pennsylvania where he remained until he was appointed gov-

ernor of Kansas Territory. When the Civil War broke out he

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John Henri Kagi--Biographical Notes         423

at once raised a regiment of volunteers in Pennsylvania and

served throughout the conflict with great distinction. He was

wounded a number of times and rose to the rank of brigadier

general. His son, Edward, entered the war as a private, rose to

the rank of captain and was killed in action. Governor Geary

in 1866 was elected governor of Pennsylvania, a position which

he held to within two weeks of his death, which occurred in Har-

risburg, February 8, 1873.

 

 

JUDGE RUSH ELMORE.

Volume 8 of the Kansas Historical Collections contains a bi-

ographical sketch of Judge Elmore written by his friend and law

partner, John Martin, a prominent Democratic leader of Kan-

sas and at one time United States Senator from  that state.

From this sketch we learn that Judge Elmore was born in Au-

gusta County, now part of Elmore County, Alabama, February

27, 1819. He was educated in the University of Alabama, stud-

ied law and was admitted to the bar in that state. At the com-

mencement of the war with Mexico he raised a company of men

in Montgomery and was elected captain. He returned to Ala-

bama after the war with a good military record and formed a

law partnership with his older brother, John A. Elmore, and

William L. Yancey. He was elected brigadier general of the Ala-

bama militia, a position that he held until he went to Kansas.

When Kansas and Nebraska were organized as territories in

1854, he was appointed associate justice of the supreme court

of Kansas. In 1855 he was removed from office along with Gov-

ernor Reeder and Judge Johnston because of alleged improper

action in contracts for the purchase of Indian land. It appears

that the President really desired only the removal of Reeder and

Johnston but to escape criticism for partiality removed all three.

In the spring of 1857 Judge Elmore was reappointed to the same

position by President Buchanan and continued to discharge the

duties of his office until Kansas was admitted into the union in

1861.

Although Judge Elmore by birth, training and conviction was

a southern man, he did not return to the South and join the Con-

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424        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

 

federacy at the opening of the Civil War. He remained in Kan-

sas and continued "steadfast in his devotion to the union of the

states." He died August 14, 1864.

 

 

WILSON SHANNON.

Wilson Shannon was born in Belmont County, Ohio, in 1802.

He was graduated from the Ohio University at Athens and Tran-

sylvania University, Kentucky. He began the practice of law

at St. Clairsville, Ohio, in 1835. He was governor of Ohio from

December 13, 1838, to December I6, 1840. In his campaign for

re-election he was opposed by Thomas Corwin. Both were

orators with power to appeal strongly to the electors of the state.

In their campaign they spoke in almost every county of Ohio.

Corwin won, but two years later Shannon was again elected and

served from December 14, 1842 to April 15, 1844, when he re-

signed to accept appointment as United States Minister to Mex-

ico. He was afterwards representative in Congress 1853-1855.

He was appointed territorial governor of Kansas and held office

in this position fourteen months until he was superseded in 1856

by Governor John W. Geary. His administration while in this

position was a very stormy one. While he was disposed to favor

the pro-slavery party he refused to go to the limits desired and

was removed by President Pierce. He settled permanently in

Kansas where he built up a lucrative law practice and won the

regard, even of those who had formerly bitterly opposed him.

He died in Lawrence, Kansas, August 31, 1877.

 

SAMUEL MEDARY.

Samuel Medary was born in Montgomery County, Pennnsyl-

vania, February 25, 1801. He was largely self educated. He

learned the printer's trade, subsequently moved to Columbus,

Ohio, and became editor of the Ohio Statesmen which he made

one of the ablest Democratic journals of the West. He was a

vigorous writer and a staunch Jacksonian Democrat. He was

appointed governor of Minnesota Territory by President Bu-

chanan in March, 1857, and continued in office until the admission

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John Henri Kagi--Biographical Notes        425   of that state into the Union, when he returned to Columbus where he served a short time as postmaster. President Buchanan ap- pointed him governor of Kansas Territory November 19, 1858. About one month later he entered upon the duties of his new position, which he held until December 20, 1860, when he re- signed and again returned to Columbus. Here he edited the Crisis. He was a peace Democrat but took pride in the service of his son who was a soldier in the Union army. He died in Columbus, Ohio, November 7, 1864.

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