Henry Wilson

This article is about the vice president of the United States. For other persons of the same name, see Henry Wilson (disambiguation).

Henry Wilson
18th Vice President of the United States
In office March 4, 1873 – November 22, 1875
President	Ulysses S. Grant
Preceded by	Schuyler Colfax
Succeeded by	William A. Wheeler
United States Senator from Massachusetts
In office January 31, 1855 – March 4, 1873
Preceded by	Julius Rockwell
Succeeded by	George S. Boutwell
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Military Affairs
In office 1861–1872
Preceded by	Jefferson Davis
Succeeded by	John A. Logan
Personal details
Born	February 16, 1812(1812-02-16) Farmington, New Hampshire
Died	November 22, 1875(1875-11-22) (aged 63) Washington, D.C.
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Harriet Malvina Howe Wilson
Religion	Congregationalist
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Union
Service/branch	Union Army
Years of service	1861
Rank	Colonel
Commands	22nd Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
Battles/wars	American Civil War

Henry Wilson (February 16, 1812 – November 22, 1875) was the 18th Vice President of the United States (1873–1875) and a Senator from Massachusetts (1855–1873). During the American Civil War, he was a leading Republican who devoted his enormous energies to the destruction of what he called the Slave Power, which he defined as a conspiracy of slave owners to seize control of the federal government and block the progress of liberty. After the Civil War, he was elected vice president in 1872, on President Ulysses S. Grant's Republican ticket; he served in this position from March 4, 1873 until November 22, 1875, when he died in office.

Biography

Wilson was born Jeremiah Jones Colbath in Farmington, New Hampshire. In 1833 he had his name legally changed by the legislature to Henry Wilson. Henry Wilson moved to Natick, Massachusetts in 1833 and became a shoemaker. He attended several local academies, and also taught school in Natick, where he later engaged in the manufacture of shoes. He was a member of the state legislature between 1841 and 1852, and was owner and editor of the Boston Republican from 1848 to 1851.

Henry Wilson's shoeshop in Natick, Massachusetts.

U.S. Congress

Wilson was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1852 to Congress. He was a delegate to the state constitutional convention in 1853 and was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Massachusetts in 1853. In 1855 he was elected to the United States Senate by a coalition of Free-Soilers, Americans (aka Know Nothings), and Democrats to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Edward Everett. He was reelected as a Republican in 1859, 1865 and 1871, and served from January 31, 1855, to March 4, 1873, when he resigned to become Vice President. He was Chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs and the Militia and the Committee on Military Affairs. In that capacity, Wilson passed on over 15,000 nominations that Lincoln submitted during the course of the War, and worked closely with him on legislation affecting the Army and Navy. In 1861 he raised and commanded the 22nd Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.

A controversy that swirled around Wilson's name since 1861 was that he (while Chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs) may have revealed plans for the invasion of Virginia culminating in the First Battle of Bull Run to southern spy (and Washington society figure) Rose O'Neal Greenhow. Wilson (although married) had seen a great deal of Mrs. Greenhow, and while with her may have told her about the plans followed by Major General Irvin McDowell, which may have been part of the intelligence Mrs. Greenhow got to Confederate forces under Major General Pierre Beauregard. If so this information may have led to the Northern rout in that battle. However, in his most recent biography, an alternative (a Northern clerk named Horace White) was suggested as the real leak.

Grant/Wilson campaign poster

Vice President

Wilson was elected Vice President of the United States on the Republican ticket with President Ulysses S. Grant to replace the controversial Schuyler Colfax and served from March 4, 1873, until his death. His election victory was tainted, however, when it was shown that he was one of several major Republican (and Democratic) Congressmen and Senators who were offered bribes (and possibly took them) of shares in the Crédit Mobilier scandal by its organizer, Congressman Oakes Ames. Wilson was cleared by the Senate inquiry, but his reputation was stained.

Declining health and death

The Vice President suffered a serious stroke in 1873. Although partly paralyzed, he fought to actively perform his duties as presiding officer over the United States Senate. He suffered what was believed to be a minor attack on November 10th., 1875, and was taken to the Vice Presidents room to recover. Over the next several days, his health appeared to improve and his friends thought he was nearly recovered. However, on November 22, 1875 at 20 minutes past 7 in the morning, Vice President Wilson died from a second stroke while working in the United States Capitol Building at Washington, D.C. He was interred in Old Dell Park Cemetery, Natick. (Memorial Addresses; Life and Character of Henry Wilson, Jan 21, 1875. Washington Government Printing Office 1876)

Books

Among Wilson's published works are: History of the Anti-Slavery Measures of the Thirty-seventh and Thirty-eighth Congresses, 1861-64 (1864); History of the Reconstruction Measures of the Thirty-ninth and Fortieth Congresses, 1865-68 (1868); and an exceedingly valuable, although partisan, publication, History of the Rise and Fall of the Slave Power in America, (three volumes, 1872–77).

See also

• Henry Wilson Shoe Shop

References

• Ernest McKay, Henry Wilson, Practical Radical: Portrait of a Politician, (Port Washington, NY, London: National University Publications: Kennikat Press, 1971), ISBN 0-8046-9010-3
• Myers, John L. "The Writing of History of the Rise and Fall of the Slave Power in America," Civil War History, June 1985, Vol. 31 Issue 2, pp 144-162
• Henry Wilson, History of the Rise and Fall of the Slave Power in America, 2 vols. (Boston: J. R. Osgood and Co., 1873–77)

External links

• Henry Wilson at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Retrieved on 2008-02-15
• "Henry Wilson". Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=2900. Retrieved 2008-02-15. 
• History of the antislavery measures of the Thirty-seventh and Thirty-eighth United-States Congresses, 1861-64 by Henry Wilson at archive.org
• History of the reconstruction measures of the Thirty-ninth and Fortieth Congresses, 1865-68 by Henry Wilson at archive.org
• History of the rise and fall of the slave power in America, Vol 1, Vol 2 and Vol 3 by Henry Wilson at archive.org
•  Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Wilson, Henry". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 
• 22nd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, Inc.

Political offices
Preceded by Schuyler Colfax	Vice President of the United States March 4, 1873 – November 22, 1875	Vacant Title next held by William A. Wheeler
United States Senate
Preceded by Julius Rockwell	United States Senator (Class 2) from Massachusetts January 31, 1855 – March 4, 1873	Succeeded by George S. Boutwell
Party political offices
Preceded by Schuyler Colfax	Republican Party vice presidential candidate 1872	Succeeded by William A. Wheeler
Honorary titles
Preceded by Charles Sumner	Persons who have lain in state or honor in the United States Capitol rotunda November 25 – 26, 1875	Succeeded by James Garfield