Martin Welker (April 25, 1819 – March 15, 1902) was a

United States 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 ...

from

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

for three terms from 1865 to 1871 and a

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of the

United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...

from 1873 to 1889.

Education and career

Welker was born on April 25, 1819, in Knox County,

. His father was an immigrant from the

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and an early

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an pioneer in Ohio. Welker left the family farm at the age of 14 to take a job as a clerk in a store in Millersburg, Ohio. Smith 1898 Volume I : 76 He attended the common schools and

read law Reading law was the method used in common law countries, particularly the United States, for people to prepare for and enter the legal profession before the advent of law schools. It consisted of an extended internship or apprenticeship under the ...

in 1840. He was admitted to the bar and entered private practice in Millersburg from 1840 to 1846. He was clerk of the Holmes County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas from 1846 to 1851. In 1848, Welker was the Whig nominee for the

31st United States Congress The 31st United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1849, ...

, but lost in the largely Democratic district. Smith 1898 Volume II : 329 In 1850, he again was offered the nomination, but declined it. He resumed private practice in Millersburg from 1851 to 1852. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the

33rd United States Congress The 33rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1853, ...

in 1852. He was a Judge of the Ohio Court of Common Pleas for the Sixth Judicial District from 1852 to 1857. He resumed private practice in Wooster, Ohio in 1857. He was elected the fourth

lieutenant governor of Ohio The position of lieutenant governor of Ohio was established in 1852. The lieutenant governor becomes governor if the governor resigns, dies in office or is removed by impeachment. Before 1852, the president of the Ohio State Senate would serve a ...

and president of the

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in the Fifty-third General Assembly, serving from 1857 to 1858, elected on the ticket with

Governor of Ohio A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Salmon P. Chase Salmon Portland Chase (January 13, 1808May 7, 1873) was an American politician and jurist who served as the sixth chief justice of the United States. He also served as the 23rd governor of Ohio, represented Ohio in the United States Senate, a ...

. He was a Colonel in the

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from 1861 to 1865, during 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 service

With the outbreak of the

, on May 14, 1861, Welker was appointed judge-advocate of the second brigade of the

Ohio Volunteer Militia The Ohio Army National Guard is a part of the Ohio National Guard and the Army National Guard of the United States Army. It is also a component of the organized militia of the state of Ohio, which also includes the Ohio Naval Militia, the Ohio ...

at rank of major, and served with General

Jacob Dolson Cox Jacob Dolson Cox, Jr. (October 27, 1828August 4, 1900), was a statesman, lawyer, Union Army general during the American Civil War, Republican politician from Ohio, Liberal Republican Party founder, educator, author, and recognized microbiologist ...

. Welker was appointed as an aide-de-camp, with 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 of ...

to the Governor of Ohio on August 10, 1861. He then served as Judge Advocate General of the State of Ohio for the balance of 1861, and was the superintendent of drafting under Governor

David Tod David Tod (February 21, 1805 – November 13, 1868) was an American politician and industrialist from the U.S. state of Ohio. As the 25th governor of Ohio, Tod gained recognition for his forceful and energetic leadership during the American Civil ...

, commencing August 15, 1862. He served as assistant

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in 1862. Welker enlisted on February 16, 1865 in 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 ...

as a

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in Company I, 188th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was mustered out September 21, 1865.

Congressional service

Welker was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1862 to the

38th United States Congress The 38th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1863, ...

. He was elected as a

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from

Ohio's 14th congressional district The 14th congressional district of Ohio is in the far northeast corner of the state, bordering Lake Erie and Pennsylvania. It is currently represented in the United States House of Representatives by Dave Joyce. As defined in January 2013, it ...

to the

United States 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 house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

of the 39th, 40th and

41st United States Congress The 41st United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1869, ...

es, serving from March 4, 1865, to March 3, 1871.1868 Fourteenth District Welker 13,575 Lyman R. Critchfield 13,113 Smith 1898 Volume I : 259 He was not a candidate for renomination to the

42nd United States Congress The 42nd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1871, ...

in 1870.

Federal judicial service

Welker received a

recess appointment In the United States, a recess appointment is an appointment by the president of a federal official when the U.S. Senate is in recess. Under the U.S. Constitution's Appointments Clause, the President is empowered to nominate, and with the advi ...

from President

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

on November 25, 1873, to a seat on the

vacated by Judge

Charles Taylor Sherman Charles Taylor Sherman (February 3, 1811 – January 1, 1879) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. Education and career Born on February 3, 1811, in Norwalk, Connecticut, Sher ...

. He was nominated to the same position by President Grant on December 2, 1873. He was confirmed by the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

on December 8, 1873, and received his commission the same day. His service terminated on June 1, 1889, due to his retirement.

Other service

Concurrent with his federal judicial service, Welker was a Professor of political science and international law at the

College of Wooster The College of Wooster is a private liberal arts college in Wooster, Ohio. Founded in 1866 by the Presbyterian Church as the University of Wooster, it has been officially non-sectarian since 1969 when ownership ties with the Presbyterian Church ...

from 1873 to 1890. He also served as President of the Wooster National Bank and Vice President of the Wayne County Fair Board, and member of the

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Il ...

Death

Welker died on March 15, 1902, in Wooster. He was interred in Wooster Cemetery.

Family

Welker married Maria Armour of Millersburg March 4, 1841. After she died, he married Flora Uhl of

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, January 16, 1896. Reed 1897 : 225–228

References

Sources

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Welker, Martin Lieutenant Governors of Ohio 1819 births 1902 deaths People of Ohio in the American Civil War Union Army soldiers Ohio lawyers Judges of the Ohio District Courts of Appeals Judges of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio People from Knox County, Ohio People from Millersburg, Ohio People from Wooster, Ohio United States federal judges appointed by Ulysses S. Grant 19th-century American judges American militia officers 19th-century American politicians Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio