Ira Hobart Evans
Encyclopedia
Ira Hobart Evans was an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War
and received the Medal of Honor
. He was also a prominent Texas
businessman and philanthropist
.
on April 11, 1844. After the death of his father, his mother moved to Barre, Vermont, and he completed his education at Barre Academy.
in Company B, 10th Vermont Volunteer Infantry Regiment
. In December, 1863 he was commissioned as a First Lieutenant in the 9th U.S. Colored Troops. In January, 1865 he was promoted to Captain in the 116th U.S. Colored Troops
.
In March, 1865 he was promoted to brevet
Major
"for gallant conduct and meritorious services" and assigned as assistant Adjutant
of the XXV Army Corps, Army of the James
.
, as quoted in 1897’s “The Story of American Heroism” compiled by J.W. Jones:
"In the early days of April, 1865, when General Grant was moving on Petersburg
, my division (the Second of the 25th Corps) held a portion of the Union line near Hatcher's Run
. The main body was sheltered by a low ridge from the enemy's fire, but the rifle pits in which the pickets were posted and the open space between the pits and the ridge, was swept by the Confederate cannon and musketry. Confederate deserters were numerous, most of them reaching the rifle pits late at night or about daybreak, where, for their safety, they were detained until nightfall. An afternoon assault on the Confederate works being intended, it was very important to learn what changes had been made in them. I was directed from headquarters to have the newly arrived deserters interviewed. Being unwilling to order any member on my staff on so dangerous a duty, I called for a volunteer. Captain Evans was the only one who responded. Dismounting he passed rapidly over the ridge in front of the division, being at that time the only Union soldier in view from the Confederate line. The enemy opened a sharp fire of musketry upon him, and continued it until he disappeared in one of our rifle pits. Having questioned the deserters and obtained the desired information, he returned through another shower of bullets and reported to me. It was a gallant feat."
funeral cortège. He remained on active duty after the war, serving in Brownsville, Texas
as a member General Philip H. Sheridan's occupation force. In September, 1866 he was transferred to New Orleans. In February, 1867 he was discharged in Louisville, Kentucky
.
, but lost his investment through the dishonesty of his partner. Evans then joined the Freedmen's Bureau but quickly resigned out of anger with his superiors, whom he deemed incompetent. He then joined the Internal Revenue Service
, first in Eagle Pass and then in Corpus Christi.
. In 1870 he was elected Speaker of the House. Evans was removed from office when Democrats returned to power at the end of Texas Reconstruction in 1871.
and beginning a business career. He became General Manager of Houston's
Texas Land Company in 1872, and Secretary of the Houston and Great Northern Railroad Company in 1873. After the H. & G. N. merged with the International Railroad in 1874, Evans was elected Secretary of the International-Great Northern Railroad, and served as a member of the Board of Directors from 1875 to 1908. From 1880 to 1906 he was President of the New York and Texas Land Company. Evans was a founder of the Austin National Bank and served on the Board of Directors from 1890 until his death. In 1897 he was appointed Receiver of the Austin Rapid Transit Railway Company, a post he held until 1902. From 1902 to 1903 he was President of the Austin Electric Railway Company. He was also a founder and President of the Texas Life Insurance Company.
) from 1881 to 1920, and President of the board from 1909 to 1920. Evans also donated the funds to construct a residence for the President of the college, and the funds to create a program to train construction workers. The college's Evans Industrial Building, constructed in 1912 and refurbished in 1984, was named for him and has been designated a Texas Historical Site.
Evans was active in both the Congregational and Presbyterian churches and served as President of the American Home Missionary Society. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of the First Presbyterian Church in Austin and President of the Board of Trustees of Austin's First Congregational Church of Austin for five years.
He was also involved in several civic causes. His Austin home was the meeting place for the Texas State Historical Association
. He was a member of the Society of Colonial Wars. Evans was also a member of the Sons of the American Revolution
and was the founder and first President of the Texas chapter. He was a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States
.
Evans' home the North-Evans Chateau, is now the location of the Austin Woman's Club and is an Austin Historic Landmark.
He was the cousin of Texas businessman Timothy Dwight Hobart
.
The Ira Hobart Evans Papers are part of the University of Tulsa's
McFarlin Library.
, in 1921 and died there on April 19, 1922. He was buried in Berlin Corners Cemetery, Berlin, Vermont
.
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...
and received the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
. He was also a prominent Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
businessman and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
.
Early life
Evans was born in Piermont, New HampshirePiermont, New Hampshire
Piermont is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 790 at the 2010 census. It is home to several summer camps.-History:...
on April 11, 1844. After the death of his father, his mother moved to Barre, Vermont, and he completed his education at Barre Academy.
Civil War military service
In July, 1862 he enlisted for the Civil War as a PrivatePrivate (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
in Company B, 10th Vermont Volunteer Infantry Regiment
10th Vermont Infantry
The 10th Vermont Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 10th Vermont Infantry was organized at Brattleboro, Vermont and mustered in for three years service on September 1, 1862 under the command of Colonel Albert Burton Jewett.The regiment...
. In December, 1863 he was commissioned as a First Lieutenant in the 9th U.S. Colored Troops. In January, 1865 he was promoted to Captain in the 116th U.S. Colored Troops
116th Regiment Infantry U.S. Colored Troops
The 116th Regiment, United States Colored Troops was an American Civil War era Union Army organization made up of African-American troops and white officers.- Organization and Assignment History :The 116th Regiment, U.S.C.T...
.
In March, 1865 he was promoted to 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...
Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
"for gallant conduct and meritorious services" and assigned as assistant Adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
of the XXV Army Corps, Army of the James
Army of the James
The Army of the James was a Union Army that was composed of units from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and served along the James River during the final operations of the American Civil War in Virginia.-History:...
.
Medal of Honor action
General William BirneyWilliam Birney
William Birney was a professor, Union Army general during the American Civil War, attorney and author. An ardent abolitionist, he was noted for encouraging thousands of free black men to join the Union army....
, as quoted in 1897’s “The Story of American Heroism” compiled by J.W. Jones:
"In the early days of April, 1865, when General Grant was moving on Petersburg
Siege of Petersburg
The Richmond–Petersburg Campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War...
, my division (the Second of the 25th Corps) held a portion of the Union line near Hatcher's Run
Battle of Hatcher's Run
The Battle of Hatcher's Run, also known as Dabney's Mill, Armstrong's Mill, Rowanty Creek, and Vaughn Road, fought February 5–7, 1865, was one in a series of Union offensives during the Siege of Petersburg, aimed at cutting off Confederate supply traffic on Boydton Plank Road and the Weldon...
. The main body was sheltered by a low ridge from the enemy's fire, but the rifle pits in which the pickets were posted and the open space between the pits and the ridge, was swept by the Confederate cannon and musketry. Confederate deserters were numerous, most of them reaching the rifle pits late at night or about daybreak, where, for their safety, they were detained until nightfall. An afternoon assault on the Confederate works being intended, it was very important to learn what changes had been made in them. I was directed from headquarters to have the newly arrived deserters interviewed. Being unwilling to order any member on my staff on so dangerous a duty, I called for a volunteer. Captain Evans was the only one who responded. Dismounting he passed rapidly over the ridge in front of the division, being at that time the only Union soldier in view from the Confederate line. The enemy opened a sharp fire of musketry upon him, and continued it until he disappeared in one of our rifle pits. Having questioned the deserters and obtained the desired information, he returned through another shower of bullets and reported to me. It was a gallant feat."
Post-Civil War military service
On April 17, 1865 Evans was one of the officers in the honor guard of President Abraham Lincoln'sAbraham 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...
funeral cortège. He remained on active duty after the war, serving in Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
as a member General Philip H. Sheridan's occupation force. In September, 1866 he was transferred to New Orleans. In February, 1867 he was discharged in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
.
Reconstruction in Texas
Deciding to take part in the Reconstruction of Texas, he started a ranch near Corpus ChristiCorpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
, but lost his investment through the dishonesty of his partner. Evans then joined the Freedmen's Bureau but quickly resigned out of anger with his superiors, whom he deemed incompetent. He then joined the Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
, first in Eagle Pass and then in Corpus Christi.
Member of the Texas House of Representatives
At the urging of Republican gubernatorial candidate Edmund Jackson Davis, in 1869 Evans ran for and won a seat in the Texas House of RepresentativesTexas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
. In 1870 he was elected Speaker of the House. Evans was removed from office when Democrats returned to power at the end of Texas Reconstruction in 1871.
Business career
Unlike most Republicans who were active in post-Civil War Reconstruction, after leaving politics Evans did not return to the northern states, instead settling in AustinAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
and beginning a business career. He became General Manager of Houston's
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
Texas Land Company in 1872, and Secretary of the Houston and Great Northern Railroad Company in 1873. After the H. & G. N. merged with the International Railroad in 1874, Evans was elected Secretary of the International-Great Northern Railroad, and served as a member of the Board of Directors from 1875 to 1908. From 1880 to 1906 he was President of the New York and Texas Land Company. Evans was a founder of the Austin National Bank and served on the Board of Directors from 1890 until his death. In 1897 he was appointed Receiver of the Austin Rapid Transit Railway Company, a post he held until 1902. From 1902 to 1903 he was President of the Austin Electric Railway Company. He was also a founder and President of the Texas Life Insurance Company.
Philanthropy, religious activity and civic involvement
Evans maintained a lifelong interest in the cause of educating African-Americans, including serving on the Board of Trustees of Austin's Tillotson College (now Huston-Tillotson UniversityHuston-Tillotson University
Huston–Tillotson University is a historically black university in Austin, Texas, United States. The school is affiliated with the United Methodist Church, the United Church of Christ, and the United Negro College Fund....
) from 1881 to 1920, and President of the board from 1909 to 1920. Evans also donated the funds to construct a residence for the President of the college, and the funds to create a program to train construction workers. The college's Evans Industrial Building, constructed in 1912 and refurbished in 1984, was named for him and has been designated a Texas Historical Site.
Evans was active in both the Congregational and Presbyterian churches and served as President of the American Home Missionary Society. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of the First Presbyterian Church in Austin and President of the Board of Trustees of Austin's First Congregational Church of Austin for five years.
He was also involved in several civic causes. His Austin home was the meeting place for the Texas State Historical Association
Texas State Historical Association
The Texas State Historical Association or abbreviated TSHA, is a non-profit educational organization, dedicated to documenting the rich and unique history of Texas. It was founded on March 2, 1897. As of November 2008, TSHA moved from Austin to the University of North Texas in Denton.The executive...
. He was a member of the Society of Colonial Wars. Evans was also a member of the Sons of the American Revolution
Sons of the American Revolution
The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution is a Louisville, Kentucky-based fraternal organization in the United States...
and was the founder and first President of the Texas chapter. He was a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States
The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, also known by its acronym MOLLUS or simply as the Loyal Legion, is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by officers of the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps of the United States who "had aided in maintaining the honor,...
.
Evans' home the North-Evans Chateau, is now the location of the Austin Woman's Club and is an Austin Historic Landmark.
Personal life
Ira Evans was married twice. In July, 1871 he married Frances A. Hurlbut of Upper Alton, Illinois, with whom he had three sons, William Leslie Evans, Francis Hurlbut Evans, and Hobart Yale Evans. After their 1917 divorce, in 1920 he married Jessie M. Stewart.He was the cousin of Texas businessman Timothy Dwight Hobart
Timothy Dwight Hobart
Timothy Dwight Hobart was a Vermont-born businessman, landowner, surveyor, and civic leader in the Texas Panhandle. He lived primarily in Pampa, the seat of Gray County, which he had helped to establish in 1902. He was elected mayor of Pampa in 1927...
.
The Ira Hobart Evans Papers are part of the University of Tulsa's
University of Tulsa
The University of Tulsa is a private university awarding bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. It is currently ranked 75th among doctoral degree granting universities in the nation by US News and World Report and is listed as one of the "Best 366 Colleges" by...
McFarlin Library.
Retirement and death
Evans retired to San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, in 1921 and died there on April 19, 1922. He was buried in Berlin Corners Cemetery, Berlin, Vermont
Berlin, Vermont
Berlin is a town in Washington County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,864 at the 2000 census. Being the town between Barre, Vermont and Montpelier, Vermont, the two largest cities in the region, much of the commercial business of the region can be found in Berlin, including parts of...
.
Medal of Honor citation
Citation:For extraordinary heroism on 2 April 1865, while serving with Company B, 116th Colored Infantry, in action at Hatcher's Run, Virginia. Captain Evans voluntarily passed between the lines, under a heavy fire from the enemy, and obtained important information.