Ebenezer Byron Finley (July 31, 1833 – August 21, 1916) was an American attorney and politician from Ohio. 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 ...

, he was most notable for his service as 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 ...

from 1877 to 1881. A native of

Orrville, Ohio Orrville is a city in Wayne County, Ohio, United States. It is about 9 miles east of Wooster and 20 miles southwest of Akron. The population was 8,380 at the 2010 census. The J.M. Smucker Co., owner of the Smucker's brand, is headquartered in ...

, Finley was educated in Orrville and worked at a variety of occupations prior to 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 ...

. In 1859, he commenced the study of law in the

Bucyrus, Ohio Bucyrus ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Crawford County, located in northern Ohio approximately 28 miles (45 km) west of Mansfield and southeast of Toledo. The population was 11,684 at the 2020 census. The c ...

office of his uncle,

Stephen Ross Harris Stephen Ross Harris (May 22, 1824 – January 15, 1905) was an American lawyer and politician who served one term as a U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1895 to 1897. He was an uncle of Ebenezer Byron Finley. Biography Born seven miles we ...

. 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 1861, but soon afterwards enlisted for the Civil War as a member of 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 ...

's 64th Ohio Infantry Regiment. Appointed a

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

in the regiment's Company K, Finley served for a year and took part in several battles before being discharged after he was injured in an accident. He settled in Bucyrus, where he established a successful law practice. Finley was active in politics as a

and served as mayor of Bucyrus from 1863 to 1865. He won election to the U.S. House in 1876 and served two terms, 1877 to 1881. During his second term he was chairman of the House's Committee on Public Expenditures. He declined to run for another term in 1880, and resumed practicing law in Bucyrus. From 1884 to 1886, he served as

adjutant general An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer. France In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...

of the

Ohio National Guard The Ohio National Guard comprises the Ohio Army National Guard and the Ohio Air National Guard. The commander-in-chief of the Ohio Army National Guard is the governor of the U.S. state of Ohio. If the Ohio Army National Guard is called to fede ...

with 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 a ...

. Finley died in Bucyrus on August 21, 1916. He was buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Bucyrus.

Early life

Finley was born in

, the son of William Finley and Rhoda (Harris) Finley. Finley was raised and educated in Orrville, and worked at a variety of occupations, including teaching school in Illinois, boatman on the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers, and crew member on Great Lakes cargo ships. In February 1858, he married Charlotte E. Codding (1841–1929). They were the parents of a son, Harry M. Finley (1859–1882). In 1859, he began to study law in the

office of

, who was his uncle. He was

in 1861, and began to practice in Bucyrus. Soon after he began practicing law, Finley joined the

for the

. He was active in recruiting Company K, 64th Ohio Infantry Regiment, in which he served as a

He took part in several engagements, including the April 1862

Battle of Shiloh The Battle of Shiloh (also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing) was fought on April 6–7, 1862, in the American Civil War. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater. The battlefield i ...

. Finley was injured in an accident, so he returned to Ohio to recuperate. He was mustered out of his company in July 1862, resigned in August, and was discharged in September. After the war, Finley was active in veterans' organizations, including 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 ...

and Society of the Army of the Cumberland and continued to practice law in Bucyrus. Among the prospective attorneys who studied under Finley was Edward Vollrath. He served as mayor of the village of Bucyrus from 1863 to 1865.

Later life

, in 1876 Finley was elected 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 ...

. He was reelected in 1878, and served in the 45th and 46th Congresses (March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1881). In his second term, Finley was chairman of the House Committee on Public Expenditures. He was not a candidate for re-nomination in 1880 and resumed practicing law in Bucyrus. In January 1884, Finley was appointed

Adjutant General of Ohio Ohio Adjutant General's Department is in the executive branch of government in the State of Ohio concerned with the military forces of the State of Ohio in the United States of America. The Adjutant General has responsibility for the Ohio Army N ...

. He was commissioned as a

and served until 1886. In 1886, he was selected to serve as permanent chairman of the state Democratic convention. Finley won a November 1896 election to fill a vacant seat as circuit court judge for Ohio's Third Circuit, and he served until February 1897. He was an at-large delegate to the

1896 Democratic National Convention The 1896 Democratic National Convention, held at the Chicago Coliseum from July 7 to July 11, was the scene of William Jennings Bryan's nomination as the Democratic presidential candidate for the 1896 U.S. presidential election. At age 36, B ...

. Finley died in Bucyrus on August 21, 1916. He was buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Bucyrus.

Notes

References

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Finley, Ebenezer Byron 1833 births 1916 deaths People from Orrville, Ohio People from Bucyrus, Ohio Union Army officers People of Ohio in the American Civil War Ohio lawyers Ohio state court judges Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio 19th-century American legislators 19th-century American judges 19th-century American lawyers