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1875 A. T. Andreas Atlas
1880 Dubuque County History
Honorable William B. Allison
Eugene Anderson
Sanford A. Atherton
Honorable Isaac W. Baldwin
Dickson Beatty
F. E. Behrens
Henry Bockenstedt
John Bomacke
General Caleb Hoskins Booth
Nicholas Bray, M. D.
William Bray, M. D.
Edward Brown
John D. Bush
Edward Butler
Cascade Biographies
Dr. Rodolphus Clark
Bernhard Claus, Jr.
Frank W. Coates
Honorable Dennis Nelson Cooley
Reverend Mark Cooney
Hugh Corrance
Patrick F. Cunningham
Mell H. Cushing
Peter Dawson
John Driscoll
Charles Henry Eighmey
Jesse P. Farley
George Fengler
Mrs. Catherine Fries
Albert Gasser
Henry Gehrig
A. P. Gibbs
Theodor Goerdt
John R. Goldthorp
Honorable Julius Graves
Charles H. Gregoire
Ezra Gregory
Daniel Hallahan
Nicholas Hansen
Honorable Thomas Hardie
Henry Henkels
Rev. James Hill
Nancy R. Hill, M. D.
Asa Horr, M. D.
James Howie
Edward R. Jackson, M. D.
Francis Jaeger
Henry J. Jecklin
Reverend Clement Johannes
Evan E. Jones
General George Wallace Jones
John Kantlehner
Joseph K. Kaufmann
James Kelly
John Kleinschmidt
F. H. Klostermann
A. R. Knight
Honorable Frederick M. Knoll
Paul Lattner
Honorable Wendelin Lattner
Thomas Lochner
Christian Loetscher
Norton J. Loomis
Delos E. Lyon
J. E. Maguire, M. D.
W. A. Manhart
George Marshall
M. H. Martin
Honorable James McCann
Benjamin McCluer, M. D.
Susan Ann McCraney
A. S. McDermott
James and Martha McGee
James McGrath
M. F. McNamara
Jacob Michel
Charles Miller
Adam Mink
George Mollart
William J. Morgans
James Mullin
Dorrance Dixon Myers
Nicholas P. Nicks
Frederick R. Nitzsche, M. D.
J. J. E. Norman
Honorable Peter Olinger
Bernard J. O'Neill
John P. Page
Frank Paley
John Palmer
Rev. Frederick William Pape
Thomas Phillips
Joseph Platz
Andrew Rahe
Honorable James Rowan
Reverend Roger Ryan
George Salot
Colonel C. J. W. Saunders
John Sauser, Jr.
Joseph Schemmel
George Schmitt
Short Biographies
Joseph Simones
John F. Sloan
Charles F. Smyth
Johanna (Baker) Specht
Ralph Spensley
Daniel Stallard
J. Peter Stendebach
Honorable William W. Stewart
Oren Stuart, M. D.
James Sweeney
John Tibey
Paul Traut
Matthew Tschirgi
Hon. Christian Anton Voelker
Chester H. Walker
William Watson, M. D.
F. W. Wieland
Louis Witter
Jacob Zollicoffer
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General
George Wallace Jones
Extracted from Portrait and Biographical Record of Dubuque, Jones and
Clayton Counties, Iowa, 1894 Reprinted by Higginson Book Co., Salem,
Massachusetts, p. 151
GEN. GEORGE WALLACE JONES, makes
his home in Dubuque, Iowa, but his name and face are familiar throughout
the state, and his well-spent life is one worthy of emulation. He was
born in Vincennes, Ind., April 12, 1804, and when quite young went to
St. Genevieve, Mo. Between the years of ten and eleven he served as drummer
boy in Capt. William Linn's company, organized at that city for service
in the War of 1812. His education was acquired in Transylvania University
of Kentucky, from which he was graduated in July, 1825.
While in the university, our subject first made the acquaintance of Henry
Clay, who at the request of the General's father became the guardian of
the young man. In November, 1823, at Lexington, Ky., he was Sergeant of
the body guard to General Jackson at the time of his first election to
the United States Senate from Tennessee. In somewhat of royal splendor
that statesman made his first trip to Washington as United States Senator.
Four blooded horses drew his coach, and the driver was a slave, another
Negro as postman and a third on horseback as outrider. He was escorted
into Lexington by tens of thousands of enthusiastic Kentuckians, who delighted
to do him honor. When tired, he would find recreation in getting out of
his coach and mounting the horse of the outrider, and it was while so
doing that General Jones became acquainted with him. In May 1824, our
subject acted in the same capacity on the occasion of the reception tendered
Marquis de La Fayette at Lexington.
His literary studies completed, General Jones commenced to read law, and
was later admitted to the Bar; he became Clerk of the United States District
Court at Ste. Genevieve, Mo., but impaired health forced him to seek a
cooler climate. In 1827 he settled in the lead regions seven miles from
Dubuque, at the celebrated Sinsinawa Mound, now in Wisconsin, then in
what was known as Michigan Territory. He became a farmer, merchant, miner
and smelter. With others he discovered the Karrick Mine, two miles from
the center of Dubuque.
In the Black Hawk War Gen. George Wallace Jones served as aide-de-camp
to Gen. Henry Dodge, and was afterward elected Colonel of Militia. At
the termination of the Black Hawk War, he was waited upon by a committee
from Iowa County, Mich., and importuned to become a candidate for Colonel
of the militia, which he emphatically declined. He was, however, without
his consent run against Capt. William Sr. Hamilton, a son of the celebrated
Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the United States Treasury, who was killed
by Aaron Burr in a duel. He was commissioned as Colonel and Successor
of Gen. Henry Dodge, whose aide-de-camp he had been through the Black
Hawk War. Duly was commissioned by Governor Porter, of Detroit. A short
time afterwards he was waited upon by a committee appointed by a large
meeting of citizens. He was informed that he was unanimously recommended
to Governor Porter for the office of Chief Justice of the Court of Iowa
County, the next highest Court in the territory. He went to the meeting
and after tendering thanks for the honor conferred on him, declined to
accept the compliment on the ground that he already held the most important
office in the county, that he was no lawyer and had more business to attend
to than he could perform. Addresses were made to him by three personal
friends and able attorneys-at-law, Messrs. Charles, S. Hempsted, Benjamin
Mills and John Turney, of Galena, Ill., and he was urged to accept the
recommendation offered him. But he persisted in declining it; James Murphy
was substituted and recommended to Governor Porter for appointment and
a committee was appointed to send the proceedings of the meeting to the
Governor of the territory. In due time his commission as Chief Justice
was sent to him by the Hon. Stevens T. Mason, the Secretary of the territory,
with an earnest request that he would accept the office. Secretary Mason
had been a college mate of Mr. Jones at Transylvania University, in Lexington,
Ky., and so Mr. Jones accepted the appointment. Mr. Jones continued to
fill the office of Chief Justice until October 1835, when he was unanimously
recommended by a very large meeting of the people as a candidate for Delegate
to Congress from the territory of Michigan. He accepted the nomination
and was elected by a large majority over his three distinguished competitors,
Hon. Messrs. J. D. Doty, Morgan L. Martin and W. W. Woodbridge.
In September 1836, General Jones was again elected as the first Delegate
to Congress from the new territory of Wisconsin over the Hon. James D.
Doty, of Green Bay, and Thomas P. Burnett, of Prairie du Chien.
General Jones, under the advice of his life-long friend, Dr. Lewis F.
Linn, afterwards for three times U. S. Senator in Congress from Missouri,
was induced to abandon the study of law, luxurious living and confinement
and to follow his half brother. Gen. Henry Dodge went to the Fever River
lead mines in the then territory of Michigan, now Wisconsin. He had lost
his health whilst reading law, and suffered for two years with dyspepsia,
and nervous and bilious fevers.
General Jones father was the Hon. John Rice Jones, who was born at Malwydd,
in Merionthshire, Wales. He was graduated at the great University of Oxford,
England, where he took three degrees from the university, viz.: A. B.
and M. D. and afterwards L. B., Bachelor of Laws. He was first married
at Brecon, in Wales, to a Miss Eliza Powell, by whom he had two children,
Rice and Maria. He practiced law a short time in London, Great Britain,
and then came to Philadelphia, Pa., where he became the warm friend of
Benjamin Franklin, Myers, Fisher and other eminent men. He soon immigrated
to Louisville, Ky., where he practiced law and became the law member of
the army of General George Rogers Clark and followed that great General
in his acquisition of the Northwestern Territory. He then settled in Vincennes,
Iowa, and became the first lawyer at that place. He lost his first wife
at Vincennes; Miss Mary Baryer became his second wife, by whom he had
eight children. A Dr. Dunlap assassinated his first son, Rice, at Kaskaskia.
The murder immediately fled from the country and has never been heard
of since. John Rice Jones was a very learned man, understanding perfectly
the English, Latin, Greek, Walsh, French and Spanish languages. He was
a member of the convention of Missouri from Washington County in 1820.
He drew the first draft of its Constitution and was made a Justice of
the Supreme Court of the state and continued to occupy that station until
he died in St. Louis, Mo., on the first day of February 1824. He would
have been sixty-five years of age had he lived to the 11th. of that month.
General Jones mother was born in Pennsylvania and was regarded as a beautiful
young lady. She died at the age of about seventy-two years. She was a
Spanish. English, French and German scholar and died a devout Christian
at Potosi, Mo. Three of General Jones' brothers immigrated to Texas. The
eldest was twice Postmaster General of Texas under its first President,
Gen. Samuel Houston, who afterwards served as a brother United States
Senator with this same George W. J. Jones and was a warm personal and
political friend. The other two brothers were John and Augustus, and his
two brothers-in-law were, Hon. John Scott, for ten or twelve years delegate
in Congress from Missouri State and Territory, and Andrew, one of the
Supreme Judges of Arkansas, who organized that territory in 1819.
It is a singular and extraordinary circumstance that General Jones has
never had one single day's sickness since his first six months' residence
at Sinsinawa Mound in 1827 and he is now in perfect health, showing the
wisdom of following the medical advice of his devoted friend, Dr. Linn.
He went down the Mississippi River in his own large skiff, rowed by ten
hired men, to whom he aid $4 per month. He went back to St. Genevieve,
M0., and married Josephine Gregoire there on her seventeenth birthday;
she departed this life at Dubuque, on the 29th of April, 1888. They had
nine children born to them, four of whom are still living.
Among his friends General Jones numbered many of the most prominent men
of the country, including every president from James Monroe down to and
including Cleveland. In 1821 he was a schoolmate of Jefferson Davis in
Transylvania University, and the friendship there formed lasted until
the death of the latter. Afterward when Davis was Second Lieutenant in
the United States army, he stopped, while en route from Galena to Ft.
Crawford, at Prairie du Chien, and visited his former schoolmate at Sinsinawa
Mound. He found him living in a log cabin in the midst of his mines and
smelting establishment and tarried with him several days. A t other times
he visited him, both before and after the marriage of General Jones. When
he became Secretary of War, he gave One of the General's sons a position
in the army as Second Lieutenant in the United States Cavalry.
When Mr. Davis became President of the Southern Confederacy, our subject
was in South America, having been appointed minister to Bogota by President
Buchanan. He wrote to his friend expressing his warm friendship and high
regard for him personally, but added, "Dear Jeff, do not go to war
and attempt to destroy this great Union." The mails were interdicted,
and the letter fell into the hands of his old time friend, William H.
Seward. When he returned to the United States after three years spent
in Bogota, the Civil War was at its height. He was tendered and accepted
a diplomatic dinner by Seward, who ten days after, when our subject was
visiting in New York, had him arrested and sent to Ft. La Fayette Prison.
One of the first official acts of his friend, E. M. Stanton, Secretary
of War, was to release the General from the prison where he had been confined
sixty-four days. I n releasing him, he also told him that he was blameless,
and completely exonerated him from all complicity in the attempt to overthrow
the Government.
July 4, 1838, Mr. Jones organized Iowa Territory, which he named, and
aided in securing its admission into the Union. He enjoys the honor of
having been elected its first United States Senator. He was a friend of
Ulysses S. Grant, whom he first knew when the war hero was a tanner. He
was a trusted friend of Lewis Cass. In fact, he knew all of the prominent
men of the nation who were political leaders prior to the war. Fidelity
to his friends has been one of the marked characteristics of his life,
for when his confidence and esteem have once been given, he has always
been faithful and true to the recipient of his regard. He has been called
the godfather of Iowa and Wisconsin, and throughout the country he is
honored for what he has done in opening up the northwest and bringing
it into prominence. He is now living quietly in Dubuque and his ninety
years rest lightly upon him.
General Jones was first elected as delegate to Congress from Michigan
Territory in October 1835, having Hon. James D. Doty, United States District
Judge for Michigan Territory west of Lake Michigan. Hon. Morgan L. Martin,
both of Green Bay and the Hon. W. W. Woodbridge, United States District
Judge of Detroit, as his three competitors. Those three gentleman were
afterward elected to Congre5s from Michigan and Wisconsin, the latter
being elected to the United States Senate from the state of Michigan as
a 'Whig from that state.
General Jones served three years as Chief Justice at Mineral Point in
the then territory of Michigan, now Wisconsin. The Hon. John Quincy Adams,
ex-President of the United States, was a warm personal friend of General
Jones in the House of Representatives. Mr. Jones brother in-law, Hon.
John Scott, of Missouri, gave the vote of the state of Missouri that elected
Mr. Adams President of the United States by the House of Representatives
in February 1825.
General Jackson as President of the United States, recognized his young
friend Jones as the Sergeant of his bodyguard, at Lexington, Ky., in November
1823, and never refused to grant him any favor that he asked as delegate
in Congress. He accorded to him the honor of naming all the men to fill
the offices created for Wisconsin Territory, the first time such an honor
was ever given to any delegate in Congress, those offices having been
always before given to citizens of the states. President Van Buren conferred
the same honor upon him at the organization of tile territory of Iowa
two years thereafter, on the 4th of July 1838. No such honor was given
to any delegate in the United States before Wisconsin was created, through
the influence of delegate Jones, nor since, and General Jones gave the
name to Wisconsin as he did to Iowa. Every President of the United States,
with perhaps one exception, was the personal friend of General Jones since
the administration of President Monroe to the present time.
In 1825, whilst a law student under his brother in law, Hon. John Scott,
the Hon. James H. Peck appointed him Clerk of the United States District
Court at St. Genevieve. Vice Hon. Thomas Oliver, deceased, although nearly
every citizen of that city had recommended Col. Joseph D. Grafton for
the place. Amongst them being his brother in law, Mr. Scott, Gen. Henry
Dodge, the Marshal of the state, afterward General in the Black Hawk War,
delegate and United States Senator from Wisconsin, Hon. Lewis F. Linn,
afterward for three terms a Senator in Congress from Missouri. The Valle
families, his afterward father-in-law, the Judge saying that he witnessed
the commencement at Transylvania University, when young Jones was graduated,
and that the office of Clerk would aid him in his studies of the law and
put money in his pocket.
In 1839 President Van Buren voluntarily appointed Jones Surveyor-General
of Wisconsin, at Dubuque. But on the 4th of July 1841, Jones was removed
from that position under the administration of President Tyler, because
of his connection with the Celley-Graves duel in February 1838. He persistently
refused the importunities of his warm friends, Gen. Franklin Pierce, afterward
President of the United States, and others, believing, as he said at the
time, that his constituents would object to the same. He twice suggested
and demanded a suspension of the duel, but to no purpose. At the accession
of President Polk, his warm personal friend, whilst the delegate from
Michigan and Wisconsin Territories, as Speaker of the House of Representatives.
He restored him to the office of Surveyor-General, at Dubuque, Iowa, and
in December 1848, he was elected as Iowa's first United States Senator
and in December 1852, he was again re-elected for six years as Senator.
In 1861, whilst United States Minister at Bogota, United States of Colombia,
through his influence with Gen. T. de Mosquera, he procured the commutation
of a Mr. Arangurin, of Venezuela, who had been condemned to death for
his participation with his opponents in the then Civil War in that Republic.
In like manner he secured the commutation of the sentence of death upon
President Ospena, his brother and his Secretary of Foreign Relations,
Bartolome Calvo. The four were sent into prison instead of being shot
to death. They returned to their homes and in time died natural deaths.
General Jones returns home from Bogota on a leave of absence from his
mission. He was magnificently received, on the 27th of July, by the Hon.
Henry L. Stout, as Mayor of Dubuque and a committee of reception appointed
by a large meeting of his fellow-citizens, when the Attorney-General of
the state. The Hon. Fred E. Bissell, delivered to him an eloquent and
pathetic address of welcome in the presence of several thousand of his
fellow citizens. Similar addresses were also made to him by the Hon. Thomas
Rogers, Col. William J. Barney, and each of the captains of four military
companies, who participated in doing him honor.
On the 4th of April, 1894, at the suggestion of his Excellency, Governor
Jackson, to the Legislature of his state, a splendid ovation was given
to General Jones in the House of Representatives. He was first met at
the depot by the Chairman and Committee of Reception, and conducted to
the hotel escorted by military companies and a large
number of his fellow-citizens. After partaking of a delicious dejeuner
a la Fourchette, he was again escorted in like manner to the Capitol,
and into the House of Representatives. When the Lieutenant Governor, as
presiding officer of the two Houses of the Legislative Assembly in joint
convention, delivered to him an eloquent oration and reception address.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives followed in the President
of the joint convention and his Excellency, Governor Jackson, and he followed
him by the Secretary of State and he by the President of the Indiana Association
of Iowa. That functionary was followed by the Hon. George G. Wright, ex-United
States Senator in Congress, and ex-Chief Justice of the state of Iowa.
The Hon. J. J. K. Graves, ex-State Senator, followed Hon. Judge Wright
in a carefully prepared sketch of the life and public services of General
Jones, as the organ of public meetings of the city of Dubuque, held in
the city, when it was resolved that the General should be escorted to
the seat of Government by the Governor's Greys and his fellow-citizens.
Four of the members of the Legislature of Iowa who participated in the
electrons of General Jones in 1848, and also in 1852 addressed the large
assemblage in highly commendatory terms on the occasion. The Hon. Daniel
F. Miller, a member of the House of Representatives, succeeded them. He
said he had the honor of serving as a member of the House of Representatives,
as a colleague of Senator Jones. He was fully entitled to all the honors,
which were being conferred upon him. |