Solomon L. Hoge
Encyclopedia
Solomon Lafayette Hoge (July 11, 1836 – February 23, 1909) was a lawyer, soldier, judge and politician in Ohio
and South Carolina
.
Hoge was born in Pickrelltown, Ohio
, and he received his early childhood education at the public schools in the nearby city of Bellefontaine
. Afterwards, he received a classical education at Geneva College
in Northwood
and he graduated from Cincinnati Law School in 1859. Hoge was admitted to the bar the same year and commenced the practice of law in Bellefontaine. Upon the outbreak of the Civil War
in 1861, Hoge enrolled in the Union Army
as a First Lieutenant
in the Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was promoted to captain
and became the commander of a Federal company
of infantry
.
After the war, Hoge settled in Columbia, South Carolina
, and despite possessing little legal experience was elected in 1868 as an associate justice to the South Carolina Supreme Court
. While on the bench, Hoge never wrote a single opinion and "I concur" was the extent of his legal analysis. He was aware of his incapacity as a judge and he only served eighteen months on the bench before moving on to the House of Representatives
.
Hoge won a seat as a Republican
to represent the 3rd congressional district
after he successfully challenged the election of Democrat
J.P. Reed to the Forty-first Congress
. Since the Republicans controlled Congress
, the two Democrats elected from South Carolina were unseated and Hoge filled the seat on April 8, 1869 and served the remainder of the term until March 3, 1871. Running on the Republican ticket with Franklin J. Moses, Jr.
for governor
in 1872
, Hoge won the race for comptroller general against the Independent Republican
candidate J. Scott Murray of Anderson
. In 1874, Hoge waged another run for Congress to represent the 3rd district and he defeated Samuel McGowan
, a Conservative Party
candidate, to win the seat.
In 1876 Hoge appointed Johnson Chesnut Whittaker
, an African-American, to the United States Military Academy
.
Upon the completion of his term in 1877, South Carolina Republicans
were in a state of disarray following Wade Hampton's
victory in the 1876 gubernatorial election
. Most white carpetbagger
s left the state and Hoge was no different. He moved to Kenton, Ohio
and practiced law there until 1882 when he became president of the First National Bank of Kenton. Hoge died in Battle Creek, Michigan
, and was interned at Grove Cemetery in Kenton.
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...
and South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
.
Hoge was born in Pickrelltown, Ohio
Pickrelltown, Ohio
Pickrelltown is an unincorporated community located at the intersection of two roads in northern Monroe Township, Logan County, Ohio, United States. It has also been known as Frogtown, and its current name has also been spelled Pickereltown, Pickeretown, and Pickreltown...
, and he received his early childhood education at the public schools in the nearby city of Bellefontaine
Bellefontaine, Ohio
Bellefontaine is a city in and the county seat of Logan County, Ohio, United States. The population was 13,069 at the 2000 census. It is the center of the Bellefontaine Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau in 2003...
. Afterwards, he received a classical education at Geneva College
Geneva College
Geneva College is a Christian liberal arts college in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, United States, north of Pittsburgh. Founded in 1848, in Northwood, Ohio, the college moved to its present location in 1880, where it continues to educate a student body of about 1400 traditional undergraduates in...
in Northwood
Northwood, Logan County, Ohio
Northwood is a small, unincorporated crossroads village in northern Logan County, Ohio, United States. It lies along the line between Richland Township and McArthur Township, approximately two miles south of the village of Belle Center and near the South Fork of the Great Miami River. Northwood...
and he graduated from Cincinnati Law School in 1859. Hoge was admitted to the bar the same year and commenced the practice of law in Bellefontaine. Upon the outbreak of the 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...
in 1861, Hoge enrolled 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...
as a First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
in the Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was promoted to captain
Captain (OF-2)
The army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery...
and became the commander of a Federal company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
of infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
.
After the war, Hoge settled in Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
, and despite possessing little legal experience was elected in 1868 as an associate justice to the South Carolina Supreme Court
South Carolina Supreme Court
The South Carolina Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The court is composed of a Chief Justice and four Associate Justices.-Selection of Justices:...
. While on the bench, Hoge never wrote a single opinion and "I concur" was the extent of his legal analysis. He was aware of his incapacity as a judge and he only served eighteen months on the bench before moving on to the House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
.
Hoge won a seat as a Republican
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...
to represent the 3rd congressional district
South Carolina's 3rd congressional district
The 3rd Congressional District of South Carolina is a congressional district in western South Carolina bordering both Georgia and North Carolina. It includes all of Abbeville, Anderson, Edgefield, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick, Oconee, Pickens and Saluda counties and approximately half of Aiken...
after he successfully challenged the election of Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
J.P. Reed to the Forty-first Congress
41st United States Congress
-House of Representatives:- Senate :* President : Schuyler Colfax* President pro tempore: Henry B. Anthony - House of Representatives :* Speaker: James G. Blaine -Members:This list is arranged by chamber, then by state...
. Since the Republicans controlled Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, the two Democrats elected from South Carolina were unseated and Hoge filled the seat on April 8, 1869 and served the remainder of the term until March 3, 1871. Running on the Republican ticket with Franklin J. Moses, Jr.
Franklin J. Moses, Jr.
Franklin Israel Moses, Jr. was a lawyer, editor and Republican politician. His middle initial was confused for the letter J and thereafter he became known simply as Franklin J. Moses, Jr.-Early life and career:...
for governor
Governor of South Carolina
The Governor of the State of South Carolina is the head of state for the State of South Carolina. Under the South Carolina Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the South Carolina executive branch. The Governor is the ex officio...
in 1872
South Carolina gubernatorial election, 1872
The 1872 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on October 16, 1872 to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Franklin J. Moses, Jr...
, Hoge won the race for comptroller general against the Independent Republican
Independent Republican Party of South Carolina
The Independent Republican Party of South Carolina was a political party of South Carolina during Reconstruction. It was founded in 1872 to oppose the election of Franklin J. Moses Jr. for Governor of South Carolina after he had been nominated by the Republicans on August 21, 1872...
candidate J. Scott Murray of Anderson
Anderson, South Carolina
Anderson is a city in and the county seat of Anderson County, South Carolina, United States. The population was estimated at 26,242 in 2006, and the city was the center of an urbanized area of 70,530...
. In 1874, Hoge waged another run for Congress to represent the 3rd district and he defeated Samuel McGowan
Samuel McGowan (general)
Samuel McGowan was a general from South Carolina in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He commanded a brigade in A.P. Hill's famous "Light Division" and was wounded several times...
, a Conservative Party
Conservative Party of South Carolina
The Conservative Party of South Carolina was a political party of South Carolina during Reconstruction. It was founded in 1874 by James Chestnut from the State Tax Union to provide an organization for the mobilization of white voters. The absence of an active and statewide Democratic Party led many...
candidate, to win the seat.
In 1876 Hoge appointed Johnson Chesnut Whittaker
Johnson Chesnut Whittaker
Johnson Chesnut Whittaker was one of the first black men to win an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. When at the academy, he was brutally assaulted and then expelled after being falsely accused and convicted of faking the incident...
, an African-American, to the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
.
Upon the completion of his term in 1877, South Carolina Republicans
South Carolina Republican Party
The South Carolina Republican Party and the South Carolina Democratic Party are the two major political parties within the U.S. state of South Carolina...
were in a state of disarray following Wade Hampton's
Wade Hampton III
Wade Hampton III was a Confederate cavalry leader during the American Civil War and afterward a politician from South Carolina, serving as its 77th Governor and as a U.S...
victory in the 1876 gubernatorial election
South Carolina gubernatorial election, 1876
The 1876 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 1876 to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. The election campaign was a referendum on the Radical Republican-led state government and their Reconstruction policies...
. Most white carpetbagger
Carpetbagger
Carpetbaggers was a pejorative term Southerners gave to Northerners who moved to the South during the Reconstruction era, between 1865 and 1877....
s left the state and Hoge was no different. He moved to Kenton, Ohio
Kenton, Ohio
Kenton is a city in and the county seat of Hardin County, Ohio, United States, along the Scioto River. The population was 8,262 at the 2010 census. It is named for Kentucky/Ohio frontiersman, Simon Kenton...
and practiced law there until 1882 when he became president of the First National Bank of Kenton. Hoge died in Battle Creek, Michigan
Battle Creek, Michigan
Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek Rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Calhoun county...
, and was interned at Grove Cemetery in Kenton.