Norman S. Eddy (December 10, 1810 – January 28, 1872) was an American politician and military officer.

Early life

Norman S. Eddy was born on December 10, 1810, in

Scipio, New York Scipio is a town in Cayuga County, New York, United States. The population was 1,713 at the 2010 census. Scipio is centrally located in the southern half of the county, south of Auburn. History Scipio was part of the Central New York Military T ...

. He attended common schools. He graduated from Cazenovia Seminary. Eddy then sought admission into

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

, but was unsuccessful. He then studied law in the office of

William H. Seward William Henry Seward (May 16, 1801 – October 10, 1872) was an American politician who served as United States Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869, and earlier served as governor of New York and as a United States Senator. A determined oppon ...

. graduated from the

University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine The Perelman School of Medicine, commonly known as Penn Med, is the medical school of the University of Pennsylvania, a private research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1765, the Perelman School of Medicine is the oldest medi ...

, earning an

M.D. Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. T ...

in 1835.

Career

Eddy moved to

Mishawaka, Indiana Mishawaka is a city on the St. Joseph River, in Penn Township, St. Joseph County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 51,063 as of the 2020 census. Its nickname is "the Princess City". Mishawaka is a principal city of the South ...

after graduation in 1835. There, he practiced medicine until 1847, when he changed his focus to law and moved to

South Bend, Indiana South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan), St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 United S ...

. 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 ...

on April 1, 1847. In South Bend, he had a medical practice with

Louis Humphreys Louis Humphreys (September 21, 1816 – May 9, 1880) was a doctor, medical inspector for the Union Army during the American Civil War, and two-term mayor of South Bend, Indiana (1868 - 1872). Abraham Lincoln appointed him as one of eight medical ...

for a time. He formed a law partnership with Joseph Jernegan. He tried to organize a cavalry during 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 ...

, but the government did not accept it. His efforts shifted again three years later, when he commenced a political career in the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

with a post in the

Indiana State Senate The Indiana Senate is the upper house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The Senate is composed of 50 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. Senators serve four-year terms ...

in 1850. After holding that position and several other local offices, he was elected to the 33rd Congress, upon the retirement of

Graham N. Fitch Graham Newell Fitch (December 5, 1809November 29, 1892) was a United States representative and senator from Indiana, as well as a brigade commander in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Early life and career Born in Le Roy, New Y ...

. Eddy served only one term in this office, as he was defeated by

Schuyler Colfax Schuyler Colfax Jr. (; March 23, 1823 – January 13, 1885) was an American journalist, businessman, and politician who served as the 17th vice president of the United States from 1869 to 1873, and prior to that as the 25th speaker of the House ...

when he attempted to run for re-election. Undaunted, Eddy continued his political career as

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

of the

Territory of Minnesota The Territory of Minnesota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 3, 1849, until May 11, 1858, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Minnesota and wester ...

, serving as an appointee of President

Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. He was a northern Democrat who believed that the abolitionist movement was a fundamental threat to the nation's unity ...

in 1855. He was offered the role of Minister to the Hague and the Netherlands by President

James Buchanan James Buchanan Jr. ( ; April 23, 1791June 1, 1868) was an American lawyer, diplomat and politician who served as the 15th president of the United States from 1857 to 1861. He previously served as secretary of state from 1845 to 1849 and repr ...

, but he declined. Eddy was appointed commissioner for the sale of the Delaware trust lands in 1857. The outbreak 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 ...

marked a new phase of Eddy's life, as he organized the 48th Indiana Infantry and received a commission as its

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 ...

. Eddy served in this capacity for two years, but received disabling wounds in Mississippi at the

Battle of Iuka 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 force ...

and left the service in July 1863. He also fought in the

Battle of Grand Gulf The Battle of Grand Gulf was fought on April 29, 1863, during the American Civil War. As part of Major General Ulysses S. Grant's Vicksburg campaign, seven Union Navy ironclad warships commanded by Admiral David Dixon Porter bombarded Confederat ...

, Battle of Corinth and the

Siege of Vicksburg The siege of Vicksburg (May 18 – July 4, 1863) was the final major military action in the Vicksburg campaign of the American Civil War. In a series of maneuvers, Union Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee crossed the Missis ...

. Despite the wounds, he was fortunate, as 119 of his 420 men were killed or wounded in the engagement after Eddy bivouacked his unit in directly front of an enemy artillery location. After the close of his military career, Eddy resumed the practice of law. Eddy was Indiana's collector of internal revenue from 1865 to 1870, and then its

Secretary of State of Indiana The Secretary of State of Indiana is one of five constitutional officers originally designated in Indiana's State Constitution of 1816. Since 1851, it has been an elected position. The Secretary of State oversees four divisions, and is the third ...

from 1870 to 1872.

Personal life

Around 1835, Eddy married Anna M. Melchior. They had six children. Eddy died from a heart condition on January 28, 1872, at his home in

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

. An

Episcopalian Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the l ...

, Eddy was buried in

South Bend City Cemetery The South Bend City Cemetery is a historic cemetery in South Bend, Indiana. History The South Bend City Cemetery was established in 1831, when Lathrop Taylor and Alexis Coquillard donated the land upon which it was built. Jacob Roof was the firs ...

in South Bend.

References

External links

*
Eddy's official Congressional biography.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eddy, Norman United States Army officers 19th-century American Episcopalians 1810 births 1872 deaths People of Indiana in the American Civil War Secretaries of State of Indiana Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana People from Scipio, New York Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania alumni People from Mishawaka, Indiana Politicians from South Bend, Indiana 19th-century American politicians