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-
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