Joel Funk Asper (April 20, 1822 – October 1, 1872) was a

U.S. Representative 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 c ...

from Missouri.

Early life and education

Born in Adams County, Pennsylvania, Asper moved to Ohio with his parents, who settled in Trumbull County in 1827. He attended the public schools and the local college in Warren, Ohio. He studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1844 and commenced practice in Warren, Ohio.

Early career

He served as a

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

in 1846. He served as prosecuting attorney of Geauga County in 1847. Asper served as a delegate to the Buffalo Free-Soil Convention in 1848. He was editor of the ''Western Reserve Chronicle'' in 1849. He moved to Iowa in 1850 and published the ''Chardon Democrat''.

Civil War service

Asper raised a company for the Civil War in 1861 and served as its captain. He was wounded in the Battle of Winchester. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1862. He mustered out of the service in 1863, because of wounds received in action. He became the Colonel of the 171st Ohio (a One Hundred Day Regiment) in May 1864 to August 1864. He served at the Prisoner of War Camp at Johnson's Island, Ohio. He was forced to surrender to John Hunt Morgan seven of the regiment's companies at Keller's Bridge, Kentucky on June 12, 1864. The units were illegally paroled. Asper and the regiment returned to Johnson's Island. He mustered out at end of term of service.

Other pursuits

He moved to Chillicothe, Missouri, in 1864 and resumed the practice of law. He founded the ''Spectator'' in 1866. He served as delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1868.

Congress

Asper was elected as a Republican to the Forty-first Congress (March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1871). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1870.

Death and legacy

Asper practiced law until his death. He died in Chillicothe, Missouri on October 1, 1872. He was interred in Edgewood Cemetery.

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Asper, Joel Funk 1822 births 1872 deaths People from Adams County, Pennsylvania Union Army colonels Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri 19th-century American politicians People from Warren, Ohio People from Chillicothe, Missouri Military personnel from Pennsylvania