Lewis Ledyard Weld (May 13, 1833 – January 10, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and

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 ...

officer. Weld, the third son of Lewis Weld, was born in Hartford, Connecticut, May 13, 1833. He graduated from

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

in 1854. After two years spent in teaching, he pursued the study of law in Cleveland, Ohio and

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

, and he was subsequently admitted to the bar in 1857. In 1858-1859 he was settled as an Attorney at Leavenworth, Kansas, and he took strong opposition to the

Lecompton Constitution The Lecompton Constitution (1859) was the second of four proposed constitutions for the state of Kansas. Named for the city of Lecompton where it was drafted, it was strongly pro-slavery. It never went into effect. History Purpose The Lecompton C ...

. Afterward, he moved to the neighborhood of

Pike's Peak Pikes Peak is the highest summit of the southern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, in North America. The ultra-prominent fourteener is located in Pike National Forest, west of downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado. The town of Manitou Sprin ...

, settled in

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, and continued the practice of his profession. When the

Colorado Territory The Territory of Colorado was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 28, 1861, until August 1, 1876, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Colorado. The territory was organized in the ...

was organized in 1861, he was made the Secretary of State of Colorado, and was, for some time, the

Acting Governor An acting governor is a person who acts in the role of governor. In Commonwealth jurisdictions where the governor is a vice-regal position, the role of "acting governor" may be filled by a lieutenant governor (as in most Australian states) or an ...

, exerting a powerful influence for the maintenance of the national authority. He is the namesake of

Weld County, Colorado Weld County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. As of the 2020 census, the population was 328,981. The county seat is Greeley. Weld County comprises the Greeley, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Denver ...

. In 1862, he resigned his office, aiming to engage in military service. While awaiting a suitable opportunity he edited the '' Denver Commonwealth'' newspaper. In Oct 1863, he passed the examining board as Major, and subsequently became Lieutenant Colonel of the 41st U.S. Colored Troops. He served in Maryland, South Carolina, Florida, and in the

Army of the James The Army of the James was a Union Army that was composed of units from the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and served along the James River during the final operations of the American Civil War in Virginia. History The Union Department ...

before Richmond, Virginia, where he died Jan. 10, 1865, from an acute disease brought on by exposure. Lewis' brother, Charles Theodore Weld, also served in the Civil War. Charles died in May 1863 of wounds he suffered during the

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Chancellorsville is known as Lee's "perfect battle" because h ...

in Virginia. A memorial to both brothers was erected in Hartford's Old North Cemetery in 1865.

References

External links

Lewis Weld family papers, Yale University
{{DEFAULTSORT:Weld, Lewis Ledyard 1833 births 1865 deaths Politicians from Hartford, Connecticut People of Connecticut in the American Civil War Yale College alumni Colorado lawyers Secretaries of State of Colorado Union Army colonels American newspaper editors 19th-century American politicians Lawyers from Hartford, Connecticut Military personnel from Hartford, Connecticut 19th-century American lawyers Infectious disease deaths in Maryland