John Jay Hardin (January 6, 1810 – February 23, 1847) 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 ...

and

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

general from

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

Biography

Born in Frankfort, Kentucky, the son of Martin D. Hardin, Hardin pursued classical studies and graduated from

Transylvania University Transylvania University is a private university in Lexington, Kentucky. It was founded in 1780 and was the first university in Kentucky. It offers 46 major programs, as well as dual-degree engineering programs, and is accredited by the Southern ...

, Lexington, Kentucky, where he studied law. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in Kentucky in 1831 and commenced practice in Jacksonville, Illinois. He served in the Illinois Militia during the

Black Hawk War The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans led by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis (Fox), and Kickapoos, known as the " British Band", cros ...

of 1832. He was

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 command during the

Illinois Mormon War The history of Nauvoo, Illinois, starts with the Sauk and Meskwaki tribes who frequented the area, on a bend of the Mississippi River in Hancock County, some north of today's Quincy. They called the area " Quashquema", named in honor of the Nat ...

Hancock County, Illinois Hancock County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 17,620. Its county seat is Carthage, and its largest city is Hamilton. The county is made up of rural towns with many farmers. Hanc ...

, in 1844. He later attained the rank of

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

. He was appointed prosecuting attorney of Morgan County in 1832. He served as member of the Illinois House of Representatives 1836–1842. His son

Martin Davis Hardin Martin Davis Hardin (June 26, 1837 – December 12, 1923) was a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was appointed a brigadier general on July 6, 1864, to rank from July 2, 1864, the date of U.S. Senate co ...

was born in 1837, and his daughter Ellen Hardin Walworth was born in 1832. He was co-editor/founder of the Illinoisan newspaper in Jacksonville in 1837. He was credited with helping to avert a duel between

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

and State Auditor James Shields.Abraham Lincoln: A Press Portrait by Herbert Mitgang, ©Copyright 2010 Fordham University Press. Pages 40–41. In February 1844, Hardin was present on the when one of its guns exploded, and he helped manage the aftermath of the disaster, staying on the ship for nearly a week. Hardin was elected as a Whig to the Twenty-eighth Congress (March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845). Despite large popularity in his district, he was not a candidate for renomination in 1844. It has been suggested that Hardin's premature death helped Lincoln's rise to prominence in Illinois politics. Despite being an unabashed Whig, Hardin was a fervent supporter of the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

that was advocated by

James K. Polk James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795 – June 15, 1849) was the 11th president of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1849. He previously was the 13th speaker of the House of Representatives (1835–1839) and ninth governor of Tennessee (183 ...

and many expansionist Democrats. During the war, he recruited the First Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, of which he was commissioned colonel. On February 23, 1847, he was killed at the

Battle of Buena Vista The Battle of Buena Vista (February 22–23, 1847), known as the Battle of La Angostura in Mexico, and sometimes as Battle of Buena Vista/La Angostura, was a battle of the Mexican–American War. It was fought between the US invading forces, l ...

, Mexico, after attempting to lead a charge against a Mexican battery. The outpouring of grief over his death was immense, and Hardin's funeral procession was attended by 15,000 people. He was interred in City Cemetery (East), Jacksonville, Illinois.

Hardin County, Iowa Hardin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,878. The county seat is Eldora. The county was named in honor of Col. John J. Hardin, of Illinois, who was killed in the Mexican–Americ ...

, was named in honor of the Colonel and his legacy, as was the town of

Hardin, Illinois Hardin is a village in Calhoun County, Illinois, United States. The population was 801 at the 2020 census, down from 967 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Calhoun County. Geography Hardin is located at (39.158271, -90.618239). Accor ...

Notes

;Attribution

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External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hardin, John J. 1810 births 1847 deaths People from Frankfort, Kentucky Hardin family of Kentucky American people of French descent Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois Members of the Illinois House of Representatives Illinois lawyers American newspaper editors American male journalists 19th-century American journalists 19th-century American male writers 19th-century American lawyers Transylvania University alumni American militia generals Military personnel from Illinois American people of the Black Hawk War American military personnel killed in the Mexican–American War