John Azor Kellogg (March 16, 1828February 10, 1883) was an American lawyer, politician, and

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 from

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 ...

. He was one of the founders of the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

Early life

Born in

Bethany, Pennsylvania Bethany is a borough in Wayne County, Pennsylvania. The borough's population was 246 at the time of the 2010 United States Census. History The borough was named after Bethany, a place mentioned in the Bible. The Wilmot House and Wilmot Mansio ...

, Kellogg moved with his parents to Sauk County, Wisconsin, in 1840. At age 18, he studied law at the

University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an educational institution, institution of higher education, higher (or Tertiary education, tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. Universities ty ...

. In 1852, Kellogg married Adelaide Worthington of Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin. They had five children. In 1857, he was admitted to the

State Bar of Wisconsin The State Bar of Wisconsin (SBW) is the integrated (mandatory) bar association of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Created by the Wisconsin Supreme Court for all attorneys who hold a Wisconsin law license, the State Bar of Wisconsin aids the courts i ...

and moved to Mauston, Wisconsin, in Juneau County. He was elected

District Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a l ...

for Juneau County in 1860, but resigned in April 1861 to enter service with the

in 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 ...

Civil War

Kellogg helped raise Company K,

6th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 6th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It spent most of the war as a part of the famous Iron Brigade in the Army of the Potomac. Service The 6th Wisconsin was rai ...

, and was commissioned

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

for that Company on May 3, 1861, under Captain

Rufus Dawes Rufus R. Dawes (July 4, 1838August 1, 1899) was a military officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He used the middle initial "R" but had no middle name. He was noted for his service in the famed Iron Brigade, particularly duri ...

. Upon their arrival in Washington, D.C., the regiment was organized into a

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

along with three other regiments from Wisconsin and Indiana. Their brigade later became known as the Iron Brigade, 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 Confedera ...

for most of the war. Kellogg was promoted to

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 ...

of Company I in December 1861, and was made an

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

for the brigade in 1863. He returned to his role with the regiment in 1864. Kellogg was wounded on May 5, 1864, during the

Battle of the Wilderness The Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5–7, 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the first battle of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Arm ...

, and was believed dead. He had actually been taken prisoner. He was held in Virginia for a time, then transferred to Georgia. He escaped while en route to

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

, but was pursued and recaptured. On October 15, while being transferred from Charleston to

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...

, Kellogg escaped again. This time he successfully reached Union forces near

Calhoun, Georgia Calhoun is a city in Gordon County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 16,949. Calhoun is the county seat of Gordon County. History In December 1827, Georgia had already claimed the Cherokee lands that be ...

, having traveled 350 miles after his escape. While a prisoner of war, Kellogg had been promoted to

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

and then

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 ...

. In December 1864 he was made

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 ...

of the 6th Wisconsin Volunteer Regiment. On February 28, 1865, Kellogg was placed in command of the Iron Brigade. He commanded the brigade through the Appomattox Campaign at the close of the war and mustered out in August 1865. He was subsequently given a

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

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 recognition for his service.

Postbellum years

After the war, Kellogg moved to

La Crosse, Wisconsin La Crosse is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of La Crosse County. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's population as of the 2020 census w ...

, and served as a U.S. Pension Agent for La Crosse from 1866 to 1875. In 1875, Kellogg moved with his family to Wausau, Wisconsin, to return to his law practice. Kellogg remained active with the Republican Party throughout his life, and, in 1878, was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate, defeating Democrat M. H. Wadleigh.

Published works

Kellogg published articles about his involvement in the Civil War. In 1908, the articles were collected and published by the Wisconsin Historical Commission as ''Capture and Escape: A Narrative of Army and Prison Life''.

Electoral history

Citations

References

* * * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kellogg, John Azor 1828 births 1883 deaths People from Bethany, Pennsylvania Politicians from La Crosse, Wisconsin People from Sauk County, Wisconsin Politicians from Wausau, Wisconsin People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni Union Army colonels Wisconsin lawyers Writers from La Crosse, Wisconsin Writers from Pennsylvania Wisconsin state senators 19th-century American legislators 19th-century American lawyers Military personnel from Pennsylvania