John Rufus Edie (January 14, 1814 – August 27, 1888) was an Opposition Party 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 ...

member of the

U.S. 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 ...

from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

and a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

officer 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 ...

Early life

John Rufus Edie was born in

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Gettysburg (; non-locally ) is a borough and the county seat of Adams County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The Battle of Gettysburg (1863) and President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address are named for this town. Gettysburg is home to th ...

in 1814. He attended the public schools and then Emmitsburg College in

Emmitsburg, Maryland Emmitsburg is a town in Frederick County, Maryland, Frederick County, Maryland, United States, south of the Mason-Dixon line separating Maryland from Pennsylvania. Founded in 1785, Emmitsburg is the home of Mount St. Mary's University. The town ...

. He served as principal of the Gettysburg schools for several years. Edie studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1840 and commenced practice in

Somerset, Pennsylvania Somerset is a borough in and the county seat of Somerset County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,046 at the 2020 census. The borough is surrounded by Somerset Township. Somerset is just off Exit 110 of the Pennsylvania Turnpi ...

. His son, John R. Edie Junior, was an 1861 graduate of the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York, West Point was identified by General George Washington as the most important strategic position in America during the Ame ...

Political activities

Edie served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate in 1845 and 1846. He was appointed deputy attorney general in 1847 and served until 1850; afterwards serving as district attorney from 1850 to 1854. He was elected as an Opposition Party candidate to the Thirty-fourth Congress and reelected as a Republican to the Thirty-fifth Congress. He was not a candidate for renomination in

1858 Events January–March * January – ** Benito Juárez (1806–1872) becomes Liberal President of Mexico. At the same time, conservatives install Félix María Zuloaga (1813–1898) as president. ** William I of Prussia becomes regen ...

Civil War service

Edie was commissioned a major of the 15th Infantry Regiment on May 14, 1861; and commanded its field detachment that served in the western theater. He frequently served as commander of the Regular Brigade in the

XIV Corps 14 Corps, 14th Corps, Fourteenth Corps, or XIV Corps may refer to: * XIV Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * XIV Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army prior to and during World ...

of the

Army of the Cumberland The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio. History The origin of the Army of the Cumberland dates back to the creation ...

. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel of the 8th Infantry Regiment in September 1864 and brevetted colonel the same month. He served until January 1871, when he was honorably discharged. Colonel Edie then resumed the practice of law in Somerset and died there in 1888, being interred in the local Union Cemetery.

References

Sources

Retrieved on 2008-02-14
The Political Graveyard

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Edie, John R. 1814 births 1888 deaths People from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Opposition Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania Republican Party Pennsylvania state senators Union Army colonels Pennsylvania lawyers United States Military Academy alumni 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American lawyers Military personnel from Pennsylvania