William Henry Harries (January 15, 1843July 23, 1921) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

lawyer and Democratic politician. He was a member of 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 ...

, representing

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

during the

Fifty-second Congress The 52nd 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, 1891, ...

. Earlier, he served in the famed Iron Brigade of the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confedera ...

through most 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 ...

Early life

Harries was born near

Dayton Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Da ...

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 ...

. He moved to

La Crosse, Wisconsin La Crosse is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of La Crosse County. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's population as of the 2020 census w ...

, and enlisted as a private in Company B,

2nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment The 2nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It spent most of the war as a member of the famous Iron Brigade of the Army of the Potomac. It suffered the largest number ...

on April 18, 1861. He was wounded at the Battle of Antietam. He was commissioned captain of Company F, Third Regiment, United States Veteran Volunteers, General Hancock's corps, on December 21, 1864, and was honorably discharged on April 17, 1866.

Legal career

Harries graduated from the law school of 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 ...

Ann Arbor Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna (name), Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah (given name), Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie (given name), ...

in 1868. He was admitted to the bar in 1868, and commenced practice in

Hokah, Minnesota Hokah ( ) is a city in Houston County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 580 at the 2010 census. Hokah is located near the confluence of the Root and Mississippi rivers, opposite La Crosse, Wisconsin, and is part of the La Cross ...

. He later practiced in

Caledonia Caledonia (; ) was the Latin name used by the Roman Empire to refer to the part of Great Britain () that lies north of the River Forth, which includes most of the land area of Scotland. Today, it is used as a romantic or poetic name for all ...

. He served as prosecuting attorney of Houston County, Minnesota, from 1874 to 1878.

Political career

He was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the

and served March 4, 1891, to March 3, 1893. Harries was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1892 to the

Fifty-third Congress The 53rd 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, 1893, ...

. He was then 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 ...

as collector of internal revenue for Minnesota and served from 1894 to 1898, residing in

St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center o ...

Later years

He resumed his law practice in Caledonia, Minnesota, in 1898. He served as president of the village of Caledonia and a member of its board of education, department commander of the Minnesota department 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 ...

in 1901, member of the board of trustees of the Minnesota Soldiers’ Home in 1903, secretary of the board 1907 to 1911, and commandant of the home 1911 to 1918. Harries died in

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

, on July 23, 1921, and is interred in Evergreen Cemetery, Caledonia, Minnesota.

Personal life

Capt. Harries married Austis L. Dunbar in 1870, and after she died he married her sister Hattie Hadley Dunbar in 1882. Hattie died in 1895. The father of these two sisters was William F. Dunbar, the first state auditor of Minnesota. The eleven children of these two marriages are Mary Lucretia, Anna Belle, Ethelind, Paul W., Anstice, Hattie, George, Alice, Beth Bernice, Edna Beatrice, and Donald Dunbar.Harries Family Genealogical Records

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harries, William Henry 1843 births 1921 deaths University of Michigan Law School alumni Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota Politicians from Dayton, Ohio People from Houston County, Minnesota People from Caledonia, Minnesota Grand Army of the Republic officials