Ellsworth Burnett (August 5, 1836April 14, 1895) was an American politician 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 ...

pioneer. He served one term in the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

, representing Pierce County in the 1877 session.

Early life

Burnett was born in

Madrid, New York Madrid ( ) is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York. The population was 1,735 at the time of the 2010 census. The town is named after the capital of Spain. Madrid is in the northern part of the county, north of Canton. Madrid-Waddington Ce ...

, though reports have differed on the exact date. He later moved to

River Falls, Wisconsin River Falls is a city in Pierce and St. Croix counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is adjacent to the Town of River Falls in Pierce County and the Town of Kinnickinnic in St. Croix County. River Falls is the most populous city in Pierc ...

Career

After moving to Wisconsin, Burnett became involved in the lumber and farming industries. 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 ...

, Burnett originally enlisted with the 30th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment of the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

, where he became a sergeant. Later, he joined the 37th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment and was attached to the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confede ...

. He achieved the rank of captain and was

brevetted 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. ...

a major for his performance during the

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. Although it is more popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg, it was not a cla ...

. Burnett was a member of the Assembly during the 1877 session. Previously, he had been sheriff of Pierce County from January 1, 1872, until January 1, 1873. He was a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Personal life

On November 24, 1873, Burnett married Amelia Frances Cox. Amelia Cox was a daughter of Charles B. Cox, another prominent pioneer settler of Pierce County, who also served in the Wisconsin Legislature. They had no known children. Ellsworth Burnett died in

Santa Rosa, California Santa Rosa ( Spanish for " Saint Rose") is a city and the county seat of Sonoma County, in the North Bay region of the Bay Area in California. Its estimated 2019 population was 178,127. It is the largest city in California's Wine Country and ...

, on April 14, 1895.

References

External links

The Civil War and Northwest Wisconsin
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burnett, Ellsworth People from Madrid, New York People from River Falls, Wisconsin Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Wisconsin sheriffs People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War Union Army officers Union Army soldiers Farmers from Wisconsin 1895 deaths Burials in California 1836 births