George Edwin Bryant (February 11, 1832February 16, 1907) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

lawyer, judge, and

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 ...

politician. He served as a

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 (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

officer 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 th ...

and afterwards served as 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 ...

in the

Wisconsin National Guard The Wisconsin National Guard consists of the Wisconsin Army National Guard and the Wisconsin Air National Guard. It is a part of the Government of Wisconsin under the control of the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs. The Wisconsin Natio ...

. He also served four years in the

Wisconsin Legislature The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house, Wisconsin State Senate, and the lower Wisconsin State Assembly, both of which have had Republican ...

, representing

Dane County Dane County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 561,504, making it the second-most populous county in Wisconsin. The county seat is Madison, which is also the state capital. Dane County is the ...

, and was appointed Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Property by Governor

Robert M. La Follette Robert Marion "Fighting Bob" La Follette Sr. (June 14, 1855June 18, 1925), was an American lawyer and politician. He represented Wisconsin in both chambers of Congress and served as the 20th Governor of Wisconsin. A Republican for most of his ...

, serving from 1901 until his death in 1907.

Biography

Bryant was born on February 11, 1832, in

Templeton, Massachusetts Templeton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,149 at the 2020 census. The town comprises four main villages: Templeton Center, East Templeton, Baldwinville, and Otter River. Geography According to ...

. He attended

Norwich University Norwich University – The Military College of Vermont is a private senior military college in Northfield, Vermont. It is the oldest private and senior military college in the United States and offers bachelor's and master's degrees on-campus ...

. At Norwich, he was a roommate of

George Dewey George Dewey (December 26, 1837January 16, 1917) was Admiral of the Navy, the only person in United States history to have attained that rank. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish–American War, with ...

, who went on to become

Admiral of the Navy Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

. On September 27, 1858, Bryant married Susie A. Gibson and they had three children.

Military career

Bryant was initially assigned to the

1st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment The 1st Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The original 1st Regiment Wisconsin was raised at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on April 16, 1861, and mustered into Fede ...

of the

during the

, having previously captained the Madison Guards. Before long, he was given command of the

12th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment The 12th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 12th Wisconsin was raised at Madison, Wisconsin, and mustered into Federal service October 18, 1861. The regim ...

. He served until 1864. In 1880, Bryant became Quartermaster General of the Wisconsin National Guard.

Political career

He was elected county judge of

Dane County, Wisconsin Dane County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 561,504, making it the second-most populous county in Wisconsin. The county seat is Madison, which is also the state capital. Dane County is the ...

, in the Spring 1865 election, and was re-elected in 1869 and 1873, ultimately serving 12 years. While serving as judge, he was also elected to the

Wisconsin State Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...

from the 7th State Senate district—which then comprised the eastern half of Dane County—serving in the 1875 and 1876 sessions. In 1898, he was elected to 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, ...

. He was a delegate to the

1880 Republican National Convention The 1880 Republican National Convention convened from June 2 to June 8, 1880, at the Interstate Exposition Building in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Delegates nominated James A. Garfield of Ohio and Chester A. Arthur of New York as the offic ...

, and was appointed postmaster of Madison from 1882 through 1886 and again from 1890 to 1894. In 1900, he was elected chairman of the

Republican Party of Wisconsin The Republican Party of Wisconsin is a right-wing political party in Wisconsin and is the Wisconsin affiliate of the United States Republican Party (GOP). The state party chair is Paul Farrow. The state party is divided into 72 county parties f ...

. After the

was elected governor later that year, however, Bryant was appointed Superintendent of Public Property.

Death and burial

He died on February 16, 1907, and was buried at Forest Hill Cemetery.

References

External links

The Political Graveyard
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Bryant, George People from Templeton, Massachusetts Politicians from Madison, Wisconsin Republican Party Wisconsin state senators Wisconsin state court judges Wisconsin postmasters Military personnel from Wisconsin People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War Union Army colonels Norwich University alumni 1832 births 1907 deaths Burials in Wisconsin 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American judges Military personnel from Massachusetts