Jasper Packard (February 1, 1832 – December 13, 1899) was an American attorney, Civil War veteran, and politician who served as a member of 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 house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

for

Indiana's at-large congressional district From its statehood in 1816 until 1823, Indiana was allocated only one representative, who was elected at-large. During the 43rd Congress, from 1873 to 1875, Indiana elected three of its thirteen representatives to the United States House of Repres ...

and Indiana's 11th congressional district.

Early life and education

Born in

Austintown, Ohio Austintown is an unincorporated community and census-designated place within Austintown Township, Mahoning County, Ohio, Austintown Township, Mahoning County, Ohio, Mahoning County, Ohio, United States. The population was 29,594 at the 2020 United ...

, Packard moved with his parents to

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

in 1835. He attended local public schools and graduated from the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

in 1855.

Career

Packard then taught school and he settled in

La Porte, Indiana La Porte (French for "The Door") is a city in LaPorte County, Indiana, United States, of which it is the county seat. Its population was estimated to be 21,341 in 2022. It is one of the two principal cities of the Michigan City-La Porte, India ...

. He studied law and was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1861. During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

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

as a private in the Forty-eighth Regiment. He was promoted to first lieutenant on January 1, 1862. He served as

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

September 12, 1862. He also served as

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

of the 128th Indiana Infantry and was promoted to

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 of ...

June 26, 1865. He served as the Auditor of La Porte County from November 15, 1866, to March 1, 1869 Packard was elected as 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 ...

to the Forty-first, Forty-second, and Forty-third Congresses (March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1875). He served as chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of State (Forty-third Congress), Committee on Private Land Claims (Forty-third Congress). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1874. He engaged in newspaper pursuits. He was later appointed commandant of the State soldiers' home at

Lafayette, Indiana Lafayette ( , ) is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, located northwest of Indianapolis and southeast of Chicago. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, whi ...

on July 1, 1899.

Death

Packard died in Lafayette on December 13, 1899 and was interred in the Soldiers' Home Cemetery.

References

Retrieved on 2009-5-12 {{DEFAULTSORT:Packard, Jasper 1832 births 1899 deaths University of Michigan alumni People of Indiana in the American Civil War People from Austintown, Ohio Union Army colonels 19th-century American politicians Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana