| Item: | George W. Jones life biography letter to W.C. Stevenson – 1895 |
| L.J.T.P. Number: | 200.021 (and 200.021.01 – 200.021.06) |
| Medium: | Letter |
| Creator: | George Wallace Jones |
| Date: | April 29, 1895 |
| Period: | Post-Civil War America 1866 – 1900 |
| Keywords: | George Wallace Jones, W.C. Stevenson, Kansas State Normal School, |
| Citation: | Jones, George Wallace. George W. Jones life biography letter to W.C. Stevenson – 1895. 1895. Dubuque. Library of John T. Pregler, Dubuque.
(Source: Library of John T. Pregler) |
Text of the Letter [sic]
Dubuque Iowa April 29th 1895
Dear Sir.
In answer to your note of the 26th inst. I will say that I was born at Vincennes Indiana at 10:42 a.c. AM on the 12th day of April 1804. My father was Jno Rice Jones who was born at Malwyd, Merionethshire Wales on the 11th day of Feb 1760. Was graduated at the great Oxford University of England & took the degrees of A.B. MD and L.B. He married first miss Eliza Powell at Brecon England had two children by her Rice Jones & Maria Jones. My father practiced law in London G.B. immigrated to Philada Penn. Where he also practiced laws & became the warm friend of Benj Franklin. He removed from Philada to Louisville KY where he became the warm friend of Henry Clay, Wm T Barry, Jesse Bledsoe, John Ryan & Gen Geo Rogers Clark whose army he joined as his Judge Advocate Genl & followed his army into the North Western Ter & conquered the Indians & British &
2/ took possession of that Territory. He settled & practiced law at Vincennes & Kaskaskia. Genl W.H. Harrison who was elected President of the U.S. in 1840 was the Govr of Indiana when I was born & often allowed me to ride on his foot as my horse. My father was very learned man & a very great lawyer. He practiced law at Ste Genevieve, Potosi & St Louis Mo, was a member of the Convention & drew the first draft of the Constitution of the State of Missouri & was made one of the Judges of the Supreme Court of the State & served as such until his death at St Louis on the 1st day of Feby 1824.
My mother’s name was Mary Barger, was bon in Penna & married my father, at Vincennes Ind, had five children born to them at Kaskaskia Ill & three at Vincennes. She was very beautiful was accomplished, spoke & wrote fluently the German, English, French & Spanish languages & died at Potosi, Missouri at the age of 72, years, a devout Christian.
3/ My education was obtained at Bishop DuBourgh’s Catholic College at St Louis Mo until 1821, when my father sent me to Transylvania University at Lexington Ky, under the guardianship of Henry Clay & Wm T. Barry, Genl Jackson’s 1st Post Master Genl and Major Parker, as my financial guardian.
Before going to Lex Ky I was a drummer boy to the Vol Company commanded by Cat Wm Linn, the younger brother of Doctor Lewis F Linn, afterwards for three terms the colleague in the U.S. Senate of Col Thos H. Benton & the half brother of Genl Henry Dodge, afterwards my com & Genl in the Black Hawk War & subsequently my brother U.S. Senator & all our lives devoted friends in every way. I was for two or three years Clerk of the U.S. District Court, at Ste Genevieve Mo whilst Genl Henry Dodge was the Marshal of the State of Missouri.
I removed to Sinsinawa Mound in Grant County Wisconsin in March 1827, then Michigan Territory. Ill health
4/ under the advice of my devoted friend Doctor Linn drove me out of the law office of my brother in law Hon John Scott of Ste Genevieve in March 1827. I ingaged in Mining, Smelting, Merchandising at Sinsinawa Mound.
I was graduated at Transylvania University on the 13th of July 1825.
I succeeded Genl Dodge as Col of the Militia in Iowa County, Michigan now Wisconsin. I was, also, elected & appointd as Chief Justice, served three years as such, was nominated unanimously as candidate for Delegate to Congress from Michigan Terr in Oct 1835 & was elected by a large majority over my three competitors Hon Morgan L. Martin & Hon Jas Dunne Doty both of Green Bay & Hon W. W. Woodbridge of Detroit, the latter two being at the time Judges of the Dist Court of the U.S. & Martin a learned practicing lawyer at Green Bay. All three of my aforesaid competitors were after my three terms as Delegate elected to Congress, the two first named to the House of Representatives & the latter as U. States
5/ Senator from the Whig State of Michigan.
As Delegate I procured the creation of the Territory of Wisconsin on the 4th of July 1836 & the admission of the State of Michigan on the 1st Monday of Dec 1836. Genl Jackson permitted me as Delegate to designate the 14 men who filled the first offices for the Territory of Wisconsin. My old friend & commander Genl Henry Dodge as its Gov. I had been the Sergeant of the Body Guard of Genl Jackson at Led Ky in Nov 1823 & I served in the like capacity to the Marquis De LaFayette at the same place the spring following.
On the 4 July 1838 I had Iowa created as a Territory & named all of her office holders, save the Gov, by permission of my warm friend President Van Buren. I gave the names to Wisconsin & Iowa & helped to create Minnesota & Nebraska.
President Van Buren without my knowledge or request appointed me as Sur Genl of Wisconsin Terr a this place in Decr 1839. An office which I created as Delegate in Congress in July 1838. I was dis
6/ placed by President Tyler’s administration on the 4th of July 1841. In March following the inauguration of my dearest friend President J.K. Polk I was transferred from the Clerkship of the U. S. Court at Mineral Point to the Office of Sur Genl again at Dubuque where I remained until elected as Iowa’s 1st U.S. Senator on the 7th of Decr 1848.
I was for 14 years U.S. Pension Agent, under appointment of my beloved friends Genl Lewis Cass as Secr of War & Genl A Jackson as Prest U.S. I was twice Clerk of the U.S. Dist Court, twice Surv Genl, three times elected as Delegate to Congress & for two terms of 6 years each as U.S. Senator. At the expiration of my term as Senator President Buchanan nominated me as U.S. Minister to Bogota U.S. Columbia. On my recall from Bogota Secy Seward was deceived by his Chief Clerk & sent me to Fort LaFayette for 64 days but President Lincoln ordered his Sec of War Ed M. Stanton discharged me from incarceration on the 4th of April 1894 the Gov & Leg Assembly of my state gave me a magnificent ovation to commemorate my 90th birth day when some 7 eulogi’s
7/ & addresses where delivered to me in the House of Representatives of my State such a compliment as was never paid to any private citizen of the United States before. I was escorted to the Capital of my State by the Govr Greys a splendid military company & two or three car loads of admiring fellow citizens of Dubuque & its vicinity where I have lived there highly honored, beyond my merits since March 1827, & have never been confined to a bed of sickness one day in all that time. Have I not cause to be profoundly grateful to an infinitely benevolent Father & the good advice & direction of my family physician & life long friend Doctor Lewis F. Linn.
I send you this hastily written answer to your note for your Album but with the request & injunction that you may return me a copy of it as I have not the time even to read it over & much less to copy it.
Respectfully your obedient
Geo. W. Jones
W.C. Stevenson Esqr. L.B.
Kansas State Normal School
Emporia, Kansas