Halbert Eleazer Paine (February 4, 1826April 14, 1905) was an American lawyer 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 of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

general 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 ...

, and after the war was elected to three terms in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

representing

Wisconsin's 1st congressional district Wisconsin's 1st congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in southeastern Wisconsin, covering Kenosha County, Racine County, and most of Walworth County, as well as portions of Rock Count ...

Biography

Paine was born in

Chardon, Ohio Chardon is a city in and the county seat of Geauga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 5,242 at the 2020 census.Eleazar A. Paine, who would also serve as a general in the Union Army in the Civil War. After attending the common schools, Paine graduated from Western Reserve College in 1845. He moved to

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

for a year to teach school but returned to

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

to read the law. In 1848 he passed the bar exam and established a practice. He married and started a family. In 1857, Paine took his family to

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

, where he continued his legal career. Beginning 1859, his law partner was Carl Schurz, though, with Paine's encouragement, Schurz took more of an interest in politics and public speaking than law.

American Civil War

With the outbreak of the Civil War, Paine entered the Union army as the

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 ...

of the

4th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment The 4th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War, primarily in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, Western Theater. It was later mounted and became the 4th Wiscons ...

. On April 9, 1863,

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

appointed Paine

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 March 13, 1863.Eicher, John H., and

David J. Eicher David John Eicher (born August 7, 1961) is an American editor, writer, and popularizer of astronomy and space. He has been editor-in-chief of ''Astronomy'' magazine since 2002. He is author, coauthor, or editor of 23 books on science and American ...

, ''Civil War High Commands.'' Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. . p. 726 The President had nominated Paine for the promotion on March 12, 1863, and the U.S. Senate had confirmed the appointment on March 13, 1863. Halbert Eleazer Paine2

Paine led widespread actions in the Lower Mississippi, which took him into Louisiana. These included involvement in the Vicksburg campaign, the capture of New Orleans, the Battle of Baton Rouge, and the Bayou Teche offensive. He also coordinated anti- guerrilla operations in southern Louisiana and Mississippi. In late-September 1862, Paine assumed command of the

Camp Parapet Camp Parapet was a Civil War fortification at Shrewsbury, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, a bit more than a mile upriver from the current city limits of New Orleans. History The fortification consisted of a Confederate defensive line about a mile ...

, a fortification about ten miles north of New Orleans under overall command of Brigadier General Thomas W. Sherman, who was in command of New Orleans defenses. With the Third Division of the Army of the Gulf, he took part in an assault on Priest Gap during the siege and Battle of Port Hudson in Louisiana. He suffered a wound that required amputation of his leg. After his recovery, Paine commanded troops in the defense of

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, ...

, during Jubal A. Early's raid in 1864. He resigned from the army on May 15, 1865, and returned to Wisconsin. On December 11, 1866,

Andrew Johnson nominated Paine for appointment to the brevet grade of

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 ...

of volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865. The U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment on February 6, 1867.

Politics

Paine, a

, was elected to the 39th, 40th and 41st Congress from

, serving from March 4, 1865, till March 3, 1871. He was a delegate to the 1866 National Union Convention in Philadelphia, which was attempting to encourage support for President Andrew Johnson in advance of the mid-term elections. Some attendees hoped to found a new political party, but this did not take place. In 1869, Paine championed the passage of a bill that provided for taking meteorological observations in the interior of the continent. He served as chairman of the Committee on Militia (Fortieth Congress), and the Committee on Elections (Forty-first Congress). After the expiration of his third term in Congress, he retired from politics and chose not to accept renomination.

Law

After serving in Congress, Paine practiced law in Washington, D.C., for several years, having established residency there. In 1879, he was appointed by President

Rutherford B. Hayes Rutherford Birchard Hayes (; October 4, 1822 – January 17, 1893) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 19th president of the United States from 1877 to 1881, after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and as governo ...

as the United States Commissioner of Patents, serving in that post for two years. While there, he promoted adoption by Federal agencies of useful innovations, such as

typewriters A typewriter is a mechanical or electromechanical machine for typing characters. Typically, a typewriter has an array of keys, and each one causes a different single character to be produced on paper by striking an inked ribbon selectively ...

Cases and memoir

In later years, Paine published two accounts of contested elections in which he had represented a candidate: ''Contested Election, Territory of Utah: George R. Maxwell V. George Q. Cannon'' (1888), and ''Contested Election, United States Senate: William H. Clagett v. Frederick T. Dubois'', based on his argument before the Committee on Privileges and Elections. These were related to his work in Washington, DC. In addition, he wrote a memoir of his Civil War years, reflecting on the complexities of its issues as a man of the North. Entitled ''A Wisconsin Yankee in Confederate Bayou Country: The Civil War Reminiscences of a Union General,'' the memoir was published for the first time in 2009, in an annotated edition edited by historian Samuel C. Hyde, Jr.Halbert E. Paine, ''A Wisconsin Yankee in Confederate Bayou Country: The Civil War Reminiscences of a Union General''
ed. by Samuel C. Hyde, Jr., Louisiana State University Press, 2009, at Project Muse It is described as "less celebration of the grand cause and greater analysis of the motives for his actions—and their inherent contradictions." Paine died April 14, 1905, in Washington, D.C. He was buried 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 ...

.Burial Detail: Paine, Halbert E (section 3, grave 1442)
– ANC Explorer

Works

Halbert E. Paine, ''Contested Election, Territory of Utah: George R. Maxwell V. George Q. Cannon''
(1888) * ''Contested Election, United States Senate: William H. Clagett v. Frederick T. Dubois : before the Committee on Privileges and Elections : argument of Halbert E. Paine, counsel for contestee'', Gibson Brothers (1891)
''A Wisconsin Yankee in Confederate Bayou Country: The Civil War Reminiscences of a Union General''
ed. by Samuel C. Hyde, Jr., Louisiana State University Press, 2009

References

External links

Retrieved on 2008-12-01
"Halbart Eleazer Paine, Major General, United States Army & Member of Congress"
at ArlingtonCemetery.net, an unofficial website ---- {{DEFAULTSORT:Paine, Halbert 1826 births 1905 deaths Ohio lawyers Wisconsin lawyers Union Army generals Burials at Arlington National Cemetery People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War People from Chardon, Ohio United States Commissioners of Patents Washington, D.C., Republicans Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin 19th-century American politicians