John Wesley Emerson (also known as J. W. Emerson) was an

American lawyer ''The American Lawyer'' is a monthly legal magazine and website published by ALM Media. The periodical and its parent company, ALM (then American Lawyer Media), were founded in 1979 by Steven Brill.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 ...

commander,

Missouri Circuit Court The Missouri Circuit Courts are the state trial courts of original jurisdiction and general jurisdiction of the state of Missouri. Jurisdiction The Missouri Constitution provides for the Circuit Courts in Article V, Judicial Department. List ...

judge, and the founder and principal investor of the

Emerson Electric Company Emerson Electric Co. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Ferguson, Missouri. The ''Fortune'' 500 company manufactures products and provides engineering services for industrial, commercial, and consumer markets.

Early life

Emerson was born to William and Rosannah Ellen (Young) Emerson on July 26, 1832, in

Pepperell, Massachusetts Pepperell is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,604 at the 2020 census. It includes the village of East Pepperell. History Pepperell was first settled in 1720 as a part of Groton, and was offic ...

. He attended Iron City College in

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, and later 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 ...

, at Ann Arbor, Michigan. He studied law under William M. Moffatt, a

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

attorney, and was admitted to the

Missouri Bar The Missouri Bar is the official bar association for all Missouri lawyers and judges. Every licensed Missouri lawyer is automatically a member of The Missouri Bar. Every applicant for admission to the bar must meet a list of requirements set by t ...

in 1857. He practiced law in

Ironton, Missouri Ironton is a city in Iron County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,475 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Iron County, and is located 12 miles south of Belgrade. History Ironton was designated county seat in 1857, soon a ...

for the remainder of his life. On September 12, 1855, Emerson married Sarah Maria Young, in Oswego, New York. Sarah was descended from the Young and Elsworth families of Revolutionary war fame.

Military service

He was a volunteer aide (without rank

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) on the staff of

William "Bull" Nelson William "Bull" Nelson (September 27, 1824 – September 29, 1862) was a United States naval officer who became a Union general during the American Civil War. As a Kentuckian, Nelson could have sympathized with the Confederates but, like his st ...

at the

Battle of Richmond The Battle of Richmond, Kentucky, fought August 29–30, 1862, was one of the most complete Confederate victories in the war by Major General Edmund Kirby Smith against Union major general William "Bull" Nelson's forces, which were defending ...

, Kentucky in 1862, where he was reportedly wounded. In 1863, he was commissioned by

Missouri Governor The governor of Missouri is the head of government of the U.S. state of Missouri and the commander-in-chief of the Missouri National Guard. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by t ...

Hamilton R. Gamble Hamilton Rowan Gamble (November 29, 1798 – January 31, 1864) was an American jurist and politician who served as the Chief Justice of the Missouri Supreme Court at the time of the Dred Scott Decision, Dred Scott case in 1852. Although his coll ...

. He was given the rank of

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 o ...

in the 68th Enrolled Missouri Militia, which was subsequently disbanded. In 1864, he

enlisted Enlisted may refer to: * Enlisted rank An enlisted rank (also known as an enlisted grade or enlisted rate) is, in some armed services, any rank below that of a commissioned officer. The term can be inclusive of non-commissioned officers or ...

in the

47th Missouri Volunteer Infantry The 47th Missouri Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 47th Missouri Infantry Regiment was recruited in Missouri and organized in August and September 1864. It was ...

. His initial rank was

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. Soon he was commissioned major of the regiment. Detachments of the 47th Missouri were involved in the

Battle of Pilot Knob A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and forc ...

in September 1864. In October, he was tasked by General Rosecrans to reopen the Iron Mountain Railroad from

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

to Pilot Knob. In this mission he was again wounded in battle. In December 1864 Emerson's regiment was ordered to assist General George Thomas, at

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

. His regiment pursued General Hood as far as

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

, capturing more than 1000 prisoners. Emerson was in command of the regiment through the end of the war.

After the war

Emerson resumed his

law practice In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiations and court proceedings such as lawsuits, and is applied to the professi ...

at Ironton, and was appointed to the Judgeship of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Court, which he eventually resigned. After leaving the bench, he was appointed by President

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...

to the

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for the Eastern District of Missouri. He served in this capacity for four years.

Emerson Electric Company

In 1890, Emerson met two Scottish orphans, Alexander and Charles Meston, who wanted to manufacture electrical and mechanical devices. He provided $50,000 start-up capital and lent his name to a new corporation creating the "Emerson Electric Manufacturing Company", and served as the company's first President from 1890 to 1892. In 1892, Emerson retired, selling his interest in Emerson Electric to Herbert L. Parker, a former railroad executive.

Later life

Emerson became a Civil War historian. He joined the Missouri Commandery of

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or simply the Loyal Legion is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Army. The original membership was composed of members ...

and wrote a history of General Grant's campaign in the Mississippi Valley. Emerson died on June 20, 1899, in Ironton, Missouri. His gravesite is in Star of the West Masonic Cemetery on Russellville Road in Ironton, Missouri.

References

* Missouri Commandery of the MOLLUS, Circular No. 195, November 4, 1899. * Encyclopedia of the

History of Missouri The history of Missouri begins with settlement of the region by indigenous people during the Paleo-Indian period beginning in about 12,000 BC. Subsequent periods of native life emerged until the 17th century. New France set up small settlements, ...