Halbert E. Paine
Encyclopedia
Halbert Eleazer Paine was a lawyer
, politician
, and general in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
. He was a three-term postbellum U.S. Congressman from Wisconsin
.
, and was the first cousin of future general Eleazar A. Paine. After attending the common schools, he graduated from Western Reserve College in 1845 and moved to Mississippi
for a year to teach school. He returned to Cleveland
to study law. He passed his bar exam in 1848 and established a practice. He moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, in 1857 and continued his legal career.
of the Fourth Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment
. On April 9, 1863, President
Abraham Lincoln
appointed Paine brigadier general
of volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1863. The President had nominated Paine for the promotion on March 12, 1863 and the U.S. Senate had confirmed the appointment on March 13, 1863. Paine led the Third Division of the Army of the Gulf
in an assault on Priest Gap during the Battle of Port Hudson, where he suffered a wound that necessitated the amputation of his leg. After his recovery, Paine commanded troops in the defenses of Washington, D.C.
during Jubal A. Early's raid in 1864. He resigned from the army on May 15, 1865 and returned to Wisconsin.
On December 11, 1866, President
Andrew Johnson
nominated Paine for appointment to the brevet
grade of major general
of volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865, and the U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment on February 6, 1867.
, was elected to Congress, serving from December 1865 until March 1871. He was a delegate to the Philadelphia loyalists' convention of 1866. In 1869, he championed the passage of a bill that provided for taking meteorological observations in the interior of the continent. He served as chairman of the Committee on Militia (Fortieth Congress), and the Committee on Elections (Forty-first Congress). After the expiration of his third term in Congress, he retired from politics and chose not to accept renomination.
's appointment as the United States Commissioner of Patents in 1879, serving in that post for two years. In 1888, he authored Paine on Contested Elections. He died April 14, 1905 in Washington D.C. and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery
.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, and general in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. He was a three-term postbellum U.S. Congressman from 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...
.
Biography
Paine was born in Chardon, OhioChardon, Ohio
Chardon is a city in Geauga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 5,148 at the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Geauga County.-History:Chardon is named after Peter Chardon Brooks, who donated land to build the historic Chardon Square....
, and was the first cousin of future general Eleazar A. Paine. After attending the common schools, he graduated from Western Reserve College in 1845 and moved to Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
for a year to teach school. He returned to Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
to study law. He passed his bar exam in 1848 and established a practice. He moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, in 1857 and continued his legal career.
American Civil War
With the outbreak of the Civil War, Paine entered the Union army as the colonelColonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
of the Fourth Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment
Fourth Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment
The 4th Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War, primarily in the Western Theater. It was later mounted and became the 4th Wisconsin Volunteer Cavalry Regiment.-History:...
. On April 9, 1863, President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
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...
appointed Paine brigadier general
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
of volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1863. The President had nominated Paine for the promotion on March 12, 1863 and the U.S. Senate had confirmed the appointment on March 13, 1863. Paine led the Third Division of the Army of the Gulf
Army of the Gulf
The Army of the Gulf was a Union army that served in the general area of the Gulf states controlled by Union forces. It mainly saw action in Louisiana and Alabama.-History:...
in an assault on Priest Gap during the Battle of Port Hudson, where he suffered a wound that necessitated the amputation of his leg. After his recovery, Paine commanded troops in the defenses of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
during Jubal A. Early's raid in 1864. He resigned from the army on May 15, 1865 and returned to Wisconsin.
On December 11, 1866, President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American...
nominated Paine for appointment to the brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
grade of major general
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
of volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865, and the U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment on February 6, 1867.
Politics
Paine, a RepublicanRepublican 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...
, was elected to Congress, serving from December 1865 until March 1871. He was a delegate to the Philadelphia loyalists' convention of 1866. In 1869, he championed the passage of a bill that provided for taking meteorological observations in the interior of the continent. He served as chairman of the Committee on Militia (Fortieth Congress), and the Committee on Elections (Forty-first Congress). After the expiration of his third term in Congress, he retired from politics and chose not to accept renomination.
Law
Paine then practiced law in Washington, D. C. for several years before accepting President Ulysses S. GrantUlysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
's appointment as the United States Commissioner of Patents in 1879, serving in that post for two years. In 1888, he authored Paine on Contested Elections. He died April 14, 1905 in Washington D.C. and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals (Union)
- A Wisconsin Yankee in Confederate Bayou Country: The Civil War Reminiscences of a Union General, by Halbert Eleazer Paine, edited by Samuel C. Hyde, Jr., Baton Rouge, La.:Louisiana State University PressLouisiana State University PressThe Louisiana State University Press is a nonprofit book publisher and an academic unit of Louisiana State University. Founded in 1935, the press publishes scholarly, general interest, and regional books as part of the university’s mission to disseminate knowledge and culture...
, 2009 ISBN 978-0-8071-3418-4