Louis P. Harvey
Encyclopedia
Louis Powell Harvey was an American
politician and the seventh Governor
of Wisconsin
.
Harvey was born in East Haddam, Connecticut
, later moving with his family to Ohio
. He attended Western Reserve College
and Preparatory School
and worked as a teacher for a time, and eventually moved to Kenosha, Wisconsin
, then named Southport, where he founded an academy
. In Southport he associated with the Whig Party
and edited a Whig newspaper, the Southport American (1843–1846).
In 1847, Harvey married Cordelia Perrine and they moved to Clinton, Wisconsin in Rock County, Wisconsin
, then the nearby hamlet of Shopiere, Wisconsin
. He helped organize the Republican Party
, and was a Republican member of the Wisconsin State Senate
from 1854 to 1858, Wisconsin Secretary of State from 1860 to 1862, and finally Wisconsin's governor in 1862.
In April 1862, having served only a few months as governor, Harvey organized an expedition to bring medical supplies to Wisconsin troops, wounded in the Battle of Shiloh
, who were being cared for in hospital boats on the Mississippi
and Tennessee River
s. Harvey visited and cheered troops at Cairo, Illinois
, Mound City, Illinois
and Paducah, Kentucky
. Close to Shiloh, he stopped overnight near Savannah
, Tennessee
. Late that evening, while trying to step from a tethered boat to a moving steamboat headed back north (a common but dangerous practice), Harvey fell into the Tennessee River and drowned, despite the strenuous rescue efforts of members of his party.
His body was found 14 days later, 65 miles downstream; his remains lay in state in the Wisconsin State Capitol
, and he was buried in Forest Hill Cemetery
, in Madison
. His wife Cordelia became a leading war nurse
, honored with the rank of Colonel by Abraham Lincoln
. She subsequently established veterans hospitals in Wisconsin, away from the war front, and a soldiers' orphans home.
Lieutenant Governor Edward Salomon
succeeded Harvey.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician and the seventh Governor
Governor of Wisconsin
The Governor of Wisconsin is the highest executive authority in the government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The position was first filled by Nelson Dewey on June 7, 1848, the year Wisconsin became a state...
of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
.
Harvey was born in East Haddam, Connecticut
East Haddam, Connecticut
East Haddam is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 8,333 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
, later moving with his family to Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. He attended Western Reserve College
Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University is a private research university located in Cleveland, Ohio, USA...
and Preparatory School
Western Reserve Academy
Western Reserve Academy is a private, mid-sized, coeducational boarding and day college preparatory school located in Hudson, Ohio.-History:...
and worked as a teacher for a time, and eventually moved to Kenosha, Wisconsin
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Kenosha is a city and the county seat of Kenosha County in the State of Wisconsin in United States. With a population of 99,218 as of May 2011, Kenosha is the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Kenosha is also the fourth-largest city on the western shore of Lake Michigan, following Chicago,...
, then named Southport, where he founded an academy
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
. In Southport he associated with the Whig Party
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
and edited a Whig newspaper, the Southport American (1843–1846).
In 1847, Harvey married Cordelia Perrine and they moved to Clinton, Wisconsin in Rock County, Wisconsin
Rock County, Wisconsin
-Unincorporated communities:-Further reading:* . Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1879.* Brown, William F. , Chicago: Cooper, 1908.* Brown, William F. , Chicago: Cooper, 1908....
, then the nearby hamlet of Shopiere, Wisconsin
Shopiere, Wisconsin
Shopiere is an unincorporated community in the Town of Turtle, in Rock County, Wisconsin.-History:The name is derived from chaux pierre, French for limestone, which is abundant in the area.-Notable people:The community was the last home of Louis P...
. He helped organize the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, and was a Republican member of the Wisconsin State Senate
Wisconsin State Senate
The Wisconsin Senate, the powers of which are modeled after those of the U.S. Senate, is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature, smaller than the Wisconsin State Assembly...
from 1854 to 1858, Wisconsin Secretary of State from 1860 to 1862, and finally Wisconsin's governor in 1862.
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...
, who were being cared for in hospital boats on the Mississippi
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
and Tennessee River
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
s. Harvey visited and cheered troops at Cairo, Illinois
Cairo, Illinois
Cairo is the southernmost city in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the county seat of Alexander County. Cairo is located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. The rivers converge at Fort Defiance State Park, an American Civil War fort that was commanded by General Ulysses S. Grant...
, Mound City, Illinois
Mound City, Illinois
Mound City is a city located along the Ohio River in Pulaski County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 692. It is the county seat of Pulaski County.-Geography:Mound City is located at ....
and Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah is the largest city in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase Region and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri, to the west and Nashville,...
. Close to Shiloh, he stopped overnight near Savannah
Savannah, Tennessee
Savannah is a city in Hardin County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 6,917 at the 2000 census and the 2007 population estimate was 7,262. It is the county seat of Hardin County. Savannah hosted the NAIA college football national championship game from 1996-2007. Savannah is home to...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. Late that evening, while trying to step from a tethered boat to a moving steamboat headed back north (a common but dangerous practice), Harvey fell into the Tennessee River and drowned, despite the strenuous rescue efforts of members of his party.
His body was found 14 days later, 65 miles downstream; his remains lay in state in the Wisconsin State Capitol
Wisconsin State Capitol
The Wisconsin State Capitol, in Madison, Wisconsin, houses both chambers of the Wisconsin legislature along with the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Office of the Governor. Completed during 1917, the building is the fifth to serve as the Wisconsin capitol since the first territorial legislature...
, and he was buried in Forest Hill Cemetery
Forest Hill Cemetery
Forest Hill Cemetery is located in Dane County, Madison, Wisconsin and was one of the first U.S. National Cemeteries established in Wisconsin.After the first permanent settlers arrived in Madison in the 1830s, the first non-native burials occurred on the current University of Wisconsin–Madison...
, in Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
. His wife Cordelia became a leading war nurse
Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
, honored with the rank of Colonel by Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
. She subsequently established veterans hospitals in Wisconsin, away from the war front, and a soldiers' orphans home.
Lieutenant Governor Edward Salomon
Edward Salomon
Edward Salomon was the eighth Governor of Wisconsin during the Civil War after the accidental drowning of his predecessor, Louis P. Harvey.Salomon was born in Ströbeck, Prussian Saxony...
succeeded Harvey.
External links
- Capsule biography - Wisconsin Historical SocietyWisconsin Historical SocietyThe Wisconsin Historical Society is simultaneously a private membership and a state-funded organization whose purpose is to maintain, promote and spread knowledge relating to the history of North America, with an emphasis on the state of Wisconsin and the trans-Allegheny West...
- Louis Powell Harvey bio - Second Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry website, from Military History of Wisconsin (1866)
- Governor Louis Harvey, Wisconsin State Historical Society