Charles Edward Hovey
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Charles Edward Hovey (April 26, 1827 – November 17, 1897) was an educator, college president, pension lobbyist and a brevet
major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...
in the
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during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
.


Early life

Hovey was born in
Thetford, Vermont Thetford is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States in the Connecticut River Valley. The population was 2,775 at the 2020 census. Villages within the town include East Thetford, North Thetford, Thetford Hill, Thetford Center, Rices Mil ...
, on April 26, 1827, to Alfred and Abigail Hovey (nee Howard). At the age of fifteen, he began teaching in Vermont before becoming a lumberjack for a short time. In 1848, he enrolled in Dartmouth to pursue his college degree, teaching during the summer to help pay for his education.Freed, John B., "Educating Illinois: Illinois State University, 1857-2007" (2009). Educating Illinois. 30. https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/eil/1 He graduated from Dartmouth in 1852. He briefly studied law and taught school in
Framingham, Massachusetts Framingham () is a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. Incorporated in 1700, it is located in Middlesex County and the MetroWest subregion of the Greater Boston metropolitan area. The city proper covers with a pop ...
, becoming the principal of the Framingham Academy and High School. Hovey moved to
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
after his time at the Framingham Academy, where he served as principal and then
superintendent of schools In the American education system, a superintendent or superintendent of schools is an administrator or manager in charge of a number of public schools or a school district, a local government body overseeing public schools. All school principal ...
in Peoria. He became president of the Illinois State Teacher's Association and a member of the first Illinois State Board of Education. He assisted in the organization of
Illinois State University Illinois State University (ISU) is a public university in Normal, Illinois. Founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University, it is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teaching and is recognized as one of th ...
, then known as Illinois State Normal University, serving as president of the university from 1857 to 1861. He was married to Harriette Farnham (Spofford) Hovey of
Nantucket, Massachusetts Nantucket () is an island about south from Cape Cod. Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck Island, Tuckernuck and Muskeget, it constitutes the Town and County of Nantucket, a Consolidated city-county, combined county/town government t ...
, and together had three children: Edward, Alfred, and Richard. Their son Richard Hovey became a well-known poet, artist, and college professor. A distant cousin, Alvin Peterson Hovey, also served as a Civil War general.


Military career

When the Civil War erupted in 1861, Hovey resigned from the university at the end of the school year and raised the 33rd Illinois Infantry, a regiment organized in McLean County and largely comprising teachers and former students from his school. He was commissioned
colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...
on August 15, 1861, and took the regiment to
Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
, where it saw service in a number of small actions during the winter. At the
Battle of Cotton Plant The Battle of Cotton Plant also known as Action at Hill's Plantation or Action at Cache River or Action at Round Hill (July 7, 1862) was fought during the American Civil War in Woodruff County, Arkansas. Frustrated in its attempt to march to Li ...
in July 1862, Hovey's badly outnumbered Illinois and
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...
repeatedly repulsed a series of poorly organized attacks by Confederate Col. William H. Parsons's two
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
cavalry
regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...
s. Hovey was appointed a
brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
of volunteers to rank from September 5, 1862; however, the
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did not to act upon his nomination within the statuary period, and it expired by law March 4, 1863.Elliott, Isaac H., and Virgil G. Way, comp. History of the Thirty-Third Regiment Illinois Veteran Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War, 22nd August, 1861, to 7th December, 1865. Gibson City, Illinois: The (Regimental) Association, 1902. 8-9. In the interim, he played a key role in the capture of Arkansas Post in January 1863, where
William T. Sherman William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
reported that Hovey had been "wounded in his arm by a shell, but continued and still continues to command his Brigade." Suffering lingering effects from his injury, Hovey soon left the field service. With the close of the war, he was given a
brevet promotion In many of the world's military establishments, a brevet ( or ) was a warrant giving a commissioned officer a higher rank title as a reward for gallantry or meritorious conduct but may not confer the authority, precedence, or pay of real rank. ...
to
major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...
"for gallant and meritorious conduct in battle, particularly at Arkansas Post, January 11, 1863."


Later years

After the war, Hovey and his wife lived in
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
Having once briefly studied law, he became a successful pension
lobbyist In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying, which ...
and practicing attorney. He died in Washington D.C. on November 17, 1897, and was buried with full military honors in
Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...
.


Legacy

A building at Illinois State University was renamed "Hovey Hall" in 1959 in honor of Charles E. Hovey. It houses administrative offices, including the Office of the President. A major street going through Bloomington-Normal is named "Hovey Avenue" after him.


See also

* List of American Civil War generals (Union)


Notes


References

* Warner, Ezra J., ''Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders'', Louisiana State University Press, 1964, .
Illinois Regiments in the Civil War: webpage for the 33rd Illinois
*Daniel Hovey Association. ''The Hovey Book, Describing the English Ancestry and American Descendants of Daniel Hovey of Ipswich, Massachusetts.'' Haverhill, Massachusetts: Press of Lewis R. Hovey, 1913. *Freed, John B. "Educating Illinois: Illinois State University, 1857–2007." ''Educating Illinois'' volume 1 (2009).


External links


1882 ISU History

Grandest of Enterprises

The Triumvirs of Four-and-a-half Street, by Hovey"Charles Hovey" Presidential History"Charles E. Hovey Presidential Papers, 1855-2009," Dr. JoAnn Rayfield Archives at Illinois State University
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hovey, Charles Edward 1827 births 1897 deaths School superintendents in Illinois People from Peoria, Illinois Union Army generals Burials at Arlington National Cemetery People of Vermont in the American Civil War People of Illinois in the American Civil War People from Thetford, Vermont Illinois State University Presidents of Illinois State University Thetford Academy, Vermont alumni American school principals