John Jay Gosper (April 8, 1842 – May 14, 1913) was an American politician and businessman who served as

Secretary of State of Nebraska The secretary of state of Nebraska is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Nebraska. In Nebraska, the secretary of state is elected for a four-year term. Vacancies are filled by appointment by the governor of Nebraska. The c ...

and Secretary of

Arizona Territory The Territory of Arizona (also known as Arizona Territory) was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of ...

. Much of his service in Arizona was spent as Acting Governor due to Governor

John C. Frémont John Charles Frémont or Fremont (January 21, 1813July 13, 1890) was an American explorer, military officer, and politician. He was a U.S. Senator from California and was the first Republican nominee for president of the United States in 1856 ...

's virtual abandonment of his post.

Biography

Gosper was born in the vicinity of Mount Vernon, Knox County, Ohio to Adelia Freer and Nathan P. Gosper on April 8, 1842. The family moved to a farm close to

Geneva, Illinois Geneva is a city in and the county seat of Kane County, Illinois, United States. It is located on the western side of the Chicago suburbs. Per the 2020 census, the population was 21,393. Geneva is part of a tri-city area, located between S ...

in 1845 and Gosper's father died in 1850. From the age of eleven to eighteen he was apprenticed to a local farmer, leaving his employer early due to poor treatment. With the coming of 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 ...

, Gosper enlisted in the

8th Illinois Cavalry The 8th Illinois Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment served the duration of the war, and was the only Illinois cavalry regiment to serve the entire war in the Army of ...

and served in around 30 engagements during the next two years. Following his enlistment, Gosper was commissioned as

quartermaster Quartermaster is a military term, the meaning of which depends on the country and service. In land armies, a quartermaster is generally a relatively senior soldier who supervises stores or barracks and distributes supplies and provisions. In m ...

of the 29th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry. In his new role, Gosper served during the

Siege of Petersburg The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the Siege of Petersburg, it was not a cla ...

. He was wounded on December 4, 1864 and lost his left leg. Gosper was hospitalized until March 1865 and was discharged from the military two months later. When he was 25, Gosper married Waitie E. Polley Graham, a widow with a 12-year-old son. During the war she had served as a nurse for 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 ...

. After his discharge, Gosper returned to Illinois briefly before enrolling at

Eastman Business College The Eastman Business College was a business school located in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. It operated from 1859 until it closed in 1931. At the height of its success, the school was one of the largest commercial colleges in the United St ...

. Upon completing his education, he returned to Geneva where he farmed and raised hogs. In 1870, Gosper moved to

Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln is the capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Lancaster County. The city covers with a population of 292,657 in 2021. It is the second-most populous city in Nebraska and the 73rd-largest in the United Sta ...

. There he became a member of the

city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

, rising to president of the council in 1872. From January 13, 1873 to January 11, 1875, Gosper was the

. Gosper visited

in 1876. When the territorial secretary position became available the next year, he applied for the position. 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 governor ...

appointed Gosper to become Secretary of Arizona Territory on April 13, 1877. He took his oath of office in Yuma, Arizona Territory on May 24. He then proceeded on to

Tucson , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

, arriving there on May 30 only to learn the capital had been moved to Prescott. He was granted a divorce by the

10th Arizona Territorial Legislature The 10th Arizona Territorial Legislative Assembly was a session of the Arizona Territorial Legislature which convened on January 6, 1879, in Prescott, Arizona Territory. The session was the last to be composed of nine Council members and eightee ...

which February 7, 1879. Sent a letter to President Garfield on March 17, 1881 asking to be appointed Governor of Arizona Territory. This request likened the appointment to a "civil service" promotion and dropped the names of former President Grant and others who would recognize his name from his service during the civil war. In report to the Secretary of Interior submitted on October 6, 1881, Gosper requested Governor Frémont be required to either return to the territory or resign. "recommending either to you or to Congress that the regularly appointed governor of this territory be required to return to his post of duty, or be asked to step aside and permit some other gentleman to take his place and feel at liberty to act without restraint." He recommended the problem of dealing with hostile Indians be transferred entirely to the War Department. He felt that some

Indian agent In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with American Indian tribes on behalf of the government. Background The federal regulation of Indian affairs in the United States first included development of t ...

s aggravated the problems with the Indians through dishonesty and that Army officers would be more likely to act as honest brokers than individuals with short-term contracts. His second marriage was to Sarah Louise Watson in 1881. He requested Arizona Territory be granted a fourth judicial district, arguing that the then current three districts were too large and that the growing population justified an additional district. When

Chester A. Arthur Chester Alan Arthur (October 5, 1829 – November 18, 1886) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 21st president of the United States from 1881 to 1885. He previously served as the 20th vice president under President James ...

became President, Gosper wrote him requesting appointment as Governor, mentioning the loss of his leg during the war and the fact that he had served as Acting Governor for roughly 75% of the five years he had held the position of Territorial Secretary. He did not receive the desired appointment following Frémont's resignation but instead saw his position given to H.M. Van Arman. Gosper served as territorial secretary under Governors Hoyt and Frémont.

Gosper County, Nebraska Gosper County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 1,893. Its county seat is Elwood. The county was formed in 1873, and was organized in 1881. It was named for John J. Gospe ...

is named in his honor. Gosper died on May 14, 1913. After learning the former territorial secretary had died in poverty, the Arizona State Legislature passed a $200 appropriation to help defer Gosper's funeral expenses.

Notes

References

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gosper, John Jay 1842 births 1913 deaths Union Army colonels Secretaries of State of Nebraska Arizona Republicans Nebraska Republicans