Harry Eugene Eastman (March 25, 1819March 22, 1898) 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, businessman, and

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

pioneer. He was the 3rd mayor of Green Bay, Wisconsin, and served as a

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 of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

cavalry officer 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 ...

. In historical documents, his name is often abbreviated as H. E. Eastman.

Biography

Eastman was born Harry Eugene Eastman on March 25, 1819, in

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...

and lived for several years in Maine's Franklin County, where he became a lawyer. In 1840, he came west to the

Wisconsin Territory The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin. Belmont was ...

and settled at Green Bay. That year, he formed a law partnership with

Morgan Lewis Martin Morgan Lewis Martin (March 31, 1805December 10, 1887) was a delegate to the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin Territory during the 29th United States Congress (1845–1847). He also served as a member of the Wisconsin State ...

, and subsequently partnered with Timothy O. Howe. After 1846, he began dealing in real estate, and was successful for several years. Politically, he became involved with the Whig Party. He was chairman of the Wisconsin delegation to the

1848 Whig National Convention The 1848 Whig National Convention was a presidential nominating convention held from June 7 to 9 in Philadelphia. It nominated the Whig Party's candidates for president and vice president in the 1848 election. The convention selected General Za ...

, where his delegation consistently supported Senator Henry Clay for President. Later that year, Eastman stood for election to the

Wisconsin State Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...

in the 1st State Senate district, but was defeated by Democrat Lemuel Goodell. After Green Bay incorporated as a city, Eastman won election as the 3rd mayor of the city in 1856 and was subsequently re-elected to another one-year term in 1857. Leaving office, Eastman purchased a line of steamboats to operate a ferry line between Green Bay and

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...

. His work was interrupted by the

. In the first year of the war, he volunteered for service and was commissioned major of the 2nd battalion of the 2nd Wisconsin Cavalry Regiment. The 2nd Wisconsin Cavalry was involved in heavy campaigning in the western theater of the war, and assisted in 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 Mis ...

in 1863. Major Eastman was promoted to lieutenant colonel in April 1864, but was forced to resign due to illness just two months later. After returning to Wisconsin, he spent several weeks confined to his bed. In his later years, he relocated to

Benton Harbor, Michigan Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is 46 miles southwest of Kalamazoo and 71 miles southwest of Grand Rapids. According to the 2020 census, its population was 9,103. It is the smaller, by population, o ...

, where he died in 1898.

Personal life and family

Eastman married Elizabeth Margaret Arndt on March 3, 1843. Arndt was the daughter of

John Penn Arndt John Penn Arndt (November 25, 1780 – June 10, 1861) was an American merchant, pioneer, and legislator. Born in Durham, Pennsylvania, Arndt built Durham boats with his family near Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He moved to Buffalo, New York, a ...

, a prominent early settler of Green Bay. The Eastman marriage produced six children.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Eastman, H. E. 1819 births 1898 deaths People from Franklin County, Maine Mayors of Green Bay, Wisconsin People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War Union Army colonels 19th-century American politicians