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 March 4, 1861 – March 4, 1873
Preceded by	Jefferson Davis
Succeeded by	John A. Logan
Personal details
Born	Jeremiah Jones Colbath (1812-02-16)February 16, 1812 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	United States of America Union
Service/branch	Union Army
Years of service	1861
Rank	Colonel
Commands	22nd Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
Battles/wars	American Civil War

Henry Wilson (born Jeremiah Jones Colbath; February 16, 1812 – November 22, 1875) was the 18th Vice President of the United States (1873–1875) and a Senator from Massachusetts (1855–1873). Before and during the American Civil War, he was a leading Republican, and a strong opponent of slavery. He devoted his energies to the destruction of the "Slave Power" - the faction of slave owners and their political allies which anti-slavery Americans saw as dominating the country.

He was considered a "Radical Republican". After the Civil War, he supported the Radical program for Reconstruction. In 1872, he was elected Vice President as running mate with President Ulysses S. Grant, and served from March 4, 1873 until his death on November 22, 1875.

Early life

Jeremiah Jones Colbath was born in Farmington, New Hampshire on February 16, 1812. His impoverished father named him after a wealthy neighbor who was a childless bachelor in the vain hope of receiving an inheritance. The boy grew to hate the name, and when he came of age he had it legally changed to Henry Wilson, inspired either by a biography of a Philadelphia teacher or a portrait of a minister named Henry Wilson from a book on English clergymen. Henry Wilson moved to Natick, Massachusetts in 1833 and became a shoemaker (which gave rise to his political nickname—the "Natick Cobbler"). 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 Massachusetts House of Representatives between 1841 and 1852, and was owner and editor of the Boston Republican newspaper from 1848 to 1851.

Henry Wilson's shoeshop in Natick, Massachusetts.

During his service in the Massachusetts House, Wilson was made aware that participation in the state militia had declined, and that it was not in a state of readiness. In addition to undertaking legislative efforts to provide uniforms and other equipment, in 1843 Wilson joined the militia himself, becoming a Major in the 1st Artillery Regiment, which he later commanded with the rank of Colonel. In 1846 Wilson was promoted to Brigadier General as commander of the Massachusetts Militia's 3rd Brigade, a position he held until he was elected to Congress in 1852.

U.S. Congress

In 1852, Wilson was an unsuccessful candidate for US Representative. 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" (Know-Nothings), and Democrats to 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 briefly commanded the 22nd Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry from September 27 to October 29. After the war he became an early member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States.

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.

Wilson was an abolitionist. In the United States Senate, he advocated for equal pay for African-American soldiers.

A Vermont newspaper portrayed Wilson's position:

Henry Wilson of Massachusetts, in a speech in the U. S. Senate on Friday, said he thought our treatment of the negro soldiers almost as bad as that of the rebels at Fort Pillow. This is hardly an exaggeration.

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 was marred by the report that he was involved in the Crédit Mobilier of America scandal. Wilson was one of several major Republican (and Democratic) Representatives and Senators who were offered bribes (and possibly took them) of shares in Crédit Mobilier. Wilson was cleared by the Senate inquiry, but his reputation was stained.

Wilson was erroneously identified as the namesake of the Wilson desk during President Richard Nixon's administration. Questions about the desk's history arose after it was mentioned in Nixon's "Silent majority" speech.

Henry Wilson's Grave - photograph by Jeff Newcum

Declining health and death

Wilson 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 10, 1875, and was taken to the Vice President's 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 at 7:20 am, Wilson died from a second stroke while working in the United States Capitol Building. He was interred in Old Dell Park Cemetery, Natick, Massachusetts.

Henry Wilson, photograph by Mathew Brady

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. Retrieved February 15, 2008. 
• 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
•  "Wilson, Henry". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911. 
•  "Wilson, Henry". The New Student's Reference Work. 1914. 
• 22nd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, Inc.

United States Senate
Preceded by Julius Rockwell	U.S. Senator (Class 2) from Massachusetts January 31, 1855 – March 4, 1873 Served alongside: Charles Sumner	Succeeded by George S. Boutwell
Political offices
Preceded by Schuyler Colfax	Republican nominee for Vice President of the United States 1872	Succeeded by William A. Wheeler
	Vice President of the United States March 4, 1873 – November 22, 1875
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