Ohio History Journal

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John Henri Kagi--Biographical Notes 423

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-