John S. Phelps: Difference between revisions

John S. Phelps
John S. Phelps
23rd Governor of Missouri
	In office; January 8, 1877 – January 10, 1881
Lieutenant	Henry C. Brockmeyer
Preceded by	Charles Henry Hardin
Succeeded by	Thomas T. Crittenden
Member of the; U.S. House of Representatives; from Missouri
	In office; March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1863
Preceded by	James Madison Hughes
Succeeded by	Austin Augustus King
Constituency	At-large (1845–1847); 5th district (1847–1853); 6th district (1853–1863)
Member of the Missouri House of Representatives
	In office; 1840-1844
Personal details
Born	December 22, 1814; Simsbury, Connecticut
Died	November 20, 1886 (aged 71); St. Louis, Missouri
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Mary Whitney
Profession	Attorney

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John Smith Phelps (December 22, 1814 – November 20, 1886) was a politician and soldier during the American Civil War, and the 23rd Governor of Missouri.

Early life and career

John Smith Phelps, the son of Elisha Phelps, was born in Simsbury, Connecticut. He attended common schools and then studied law at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, graduating in 1832. He was admitted to the bar in 1835 and commenced practice in Simsbury. After his marriage to Mary Whitney on April 20, 1837,^[1] he moved to Springfield, Missouri, and quickly became one of the leading lawyers in southwest Missouri.

Phelps was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 1840. Four years later, on March 4, 1845, he was elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-Ninth Congress, and to eight succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1863). During his 18-year term, he served as Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means (Thirty-Fifth Congress) and came to be regarded as a champion of government bounties to soldiers, aid to railroads, and inexpensive postage.^[2]

Phelps was popular in Washington, D.C. and at home. In 1857 Missourians honored him by naming the newly created county of Phelps after him.^[3] He was not a candidate for renomination in 1862.

Civil War

At the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, Phelps returned to Springfield and enlisted as a private in Captain Coleman's Company of Missouri Infantry (Union). He was promoted to lieutenant colonel on October 2, 1861 and to colonel December 19, 1861. Following the Union defeat at the Battle of Wilson's Creek, Mary Phelps cared for the body of General Nathaniel Lyon, killed during the battle, while her husband retreated with the Union army to Rolla. By special arrangement with President Abraham Lincoln, Phelps organized an infantry regiment which bore his name, Phelps’s Regiment, Missouri Volunteer Infantry. The regiment spent most of the winter of 1861—62 as the garrison of Fort Wyman at Rolla. In March 1862, Phelps led his regiment in the fierce fighting at Pea Ridge in Arkansas. He was mustered out May 13, 1862. In July 1862, he was appointed by President Lincoln as Military Governor of Arkansas, but he resigned the position due to ill health.^[4]

Postbellum activities

Phelps returned to Springfield in 1864 to resume his law practice. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Missouri in 1868, but in 1876 was elected to the position as the only candidate who could successfully lead Northern and Southern factions in the state. During his tenure as governor, Phelps supported currency reform and increased support for public education. He retired in 1881, praised as one of Missouri’s best governors.

John Smith Phelps died in St. Louis, Missouri. He rests in Hazelwood Cemetery in Springfield, Missouri.^[5]

References

"Phelps, John Smith". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved September 18, 2005.
"Information Sheet: Phelps, John S." Western Historical Manuscript Collection - Rolla. Retrieved September 18, 2005.

^ "John S. Phelps and Mary Whitney". Connecticut, Marriages, 1729-1867. Family Search. Retrieved 12 Mar 2014.
^ Phelps, John S. (John Smith), 1814-1886. Receipt, 1864 [1] The State Historical Society of Missouri
^ "History". Phelps County. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
^ Warner, Ezra. Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1964
^ Eicher, John; Eicher, David (2002-06-01). Civil War High Commands. Stanford University Press. pp. 427, 676. ISBN 978-0-8047-8035-3.

External links

"John Smith Phelps". Generals and Brevets. Archived from the original on February 8, 2008. Retrieved September 18, 2005.

United States Congress. "John S. Phelps (id: P000296)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on 2008-11-01

Party political offices
Preceded by Thomas Lawson Price	Democratic nominee for Governor of Missouri 1868	Succeeded by Benjamin Gratz Brown
Preceded by Charles Henry Hardin	Democratic nominee for Governor of Missouri 1876	Succeeded by Thomas Theodore Crittenden
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by James Madison Hughes	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri's 5th congressional district 1845–1853	Succeeded by John Gaines Miller
Preceded by None	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri's 6th congressional district 1853–1863	Succeeded by Austin Augustus King
Political offices
Preceded by Charles Henry Hardin	Governor of Missouri 1877–1881	Succeeded by Thomas T. Crittenden

[1] "John S. Phelps and Mary Whitney". Connecticut, Marriages, 1729-1867. Family Search. Retrieved 12 Mar 2014.

[2] Phelps, John S. (John Smith), 1814-1886. Receipt, 1864 [1] The State Historical Society of Missouri

[3] "History". Phelps County. Retrieved 2024-04-10.

[4] Warner, Ezra. Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1964

[5] Eicher, John; Eicher, David (2002-06-01). Civil War High Commands. Stanford University Press. pp. 427, 676. ISBN 978-0-8047-8035-3.

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[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{short description|Politician and soldier during the American Civil War, and the 23rd Governor of Missouri}}
-{{Infobox Governor
+{{More citations needed|date=October 2020}}
+{{Infobox officeholder
 |image= John smith phelps.jpg
 |caption=
@@ Line 6: / Line 8: @@
 |term_start1= January 8, 1877
 |term_end1= January 10, 1881
-|lieutenant1=Henry C. Brockmeyer
+|lieutenant1=[[Henry Clay Brockmeyer|Henry C. Brockmeyer]]
 |predecessor1= [[Charles Henry Hardin]]
 |successor1=[[Thomas Theodore Crittenden|Thomas T. Crittenden]]
+|office2 = Member of the<br>[[U.S. House of Representatives]]<br>from [[Missouri]]
-|state2= [[Missouri]]
+|term_start2 = March 4, 1845
-|district2= [[Missouri's 6th congressional district|6th]]
-|term_start2= March 4, 1853
+|term_end2 = March 3, 1863
+|constituency2 = {{ushr|MO|AL|At-large}} (1845–1847)<br>{{ushr|MO|5|C}} (1847–1853)<br>{{ushr|MO|6|C}} (1853–1863)
-|term_end2= March 3, 1863
+|predecessor2 = [[James Madison Hughes]]
-|preceded2= ''District created''
-|succeeded2= [[Austin Augustus King|Austin A. King]]
+|successor2 = [[Austin Augustus King]]
-|state3= [[Missouri]]
+|office3= Member of the [[Missouri House of Representatives]]
+|term3= 1840-1844
-|district3= [[Missouri's at-large congressional district|at-large]] and [[Missouri's 5th congressional district|5th]]
-|term_start3= March 4, 1845 (at-large)
-|term_end3= March 3, 1853 (5th)
-|preceded3= [[James Madison Hughes]] (at-large)
-|succeeded3= [[John G. Miller]] (5th)
-|office4= Member of the [[Missouri House of Representatives]]
-|term4= 1840-1844
 |birth_date= {{birth date|1814|12|22}}
 |birth_place= [[Simsbury, Connecticut|Simsbury]], [[Connecticut]]
@@ Line 33: / Line 29: @@
 }}
-'''John Smith Phelps''' (December 22, 1814{{spaced ndash}}November 20, 1886) was a politician, soldier during the [[American Civil War]], and the [[List of Governors of Missouri|23rd Governor]] of [[Missouri]].
+'''John Smith Phelps''' (December 22, 1814{{spaced ndash}}November 20, 1886) was a politician and soldier during the [[American Civil War]], and the [[List of governors of Missouri|23rd Governor]] of [[Missouri]].
 ==Early life and career==
-John Smith Phelps, the son of [[Elisha Phelps]], was born in [[Hartford County, Connecticut|Simsbury, Hartford County, Connecticut]]. He attended common schools and then studied law at [[Trinity College (Connecticut)|Trinity College]] in [[Hartford, Connecticut]], graduating in 1832. He was admitted to the bar in 1835 and commenced practice in Simsbury. After his marriage to Mary Whitney on April 20, 1837,<ref>{{cite web|title=John S. Phelps and Mary Whitney|url=https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F7PH-TJV|work=Connecticut, Marriages, 1729-1867|publisher=Family Search|accessdate=12 Mar 2014}}</ref>  he moved to [[Springfield, Missouri]], and quickly became one of the leading lawyers in southwest Missouri.
+John Smith Phelps, the son of [[Elisha Phelps]], was born in [[Hartford County, Connecticut|Simsbury, Connecticut]]. He attended common schools and then studied law at [[Trinity College (Connecticut)|Trinity College]] in [[Hartford, Connecticut]], graduating in 1832. He was admitted to the bar in 1835 and commenced practice in Simsbury. After his marriage to [[Mary Whitney Phelps|Mary Whitney]] on April 20, 1837,<ref>{{cite web|title=John S. Phelps and Mary Whitney|url=https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F7PH-TJV|work=Connecticut, Marriages, 1729-1867|publisher=Family Search|access-date=12 Mar 2014}}</ref> he moved to [[Springfield, Missouri]], and quickly became one of the leading lawyers in southwest Missouri.
-Phelps was elected to the [[Missouri House of Representatives]] in 1840. Four years later, on March 4, 1845, he was elected as a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] to the [[Twenty-ninth United States Congress|Twenty-Ninth Congress]], and to eight succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1845{{spaced ndash}}March 3, 1863). During his 18-year term, he served as Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means ([[Thirty-fifth United States Congress|Thirty-Fifth Congress]]) and came to be regarded as a champion of government bounties to soldiers, aid to railroads, and inexpensive postage.
+Phelps was elected to the [[Missouri House of Representatives]] in 1840. Four years later, on March 4, 1845, he was elected as a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] to the [[Twenty-ninth United States Congress|Twenty-Ninth Congress]], and to eight succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1845{{spaced ndash}}March 3, 1863). During his 18-year term, he served as Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means ([[Thirty-fifth United States Congress|Thirty-Fifth Congress]]) and came to be regarded as a champion of government bounties to soldiers, aid to railroads, and inexpensive postage.<ref>Phelps, John S. (John Smith), 1814-1886. Receipt, 1864 [https://files.shsmo.org/manuscripts/rolla/R0562.pdf]
+[[State Historical Society of Missouri|The State Historical Society of Missouri]] </ref>
-Phelps was popular in Washington, D.C. and at home. In 1857 Missourians honored him by naming the newly created county of [[Phelps County, Missouri|Phelps]] after him. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1862.
+Phelps was popular in Washington, D.C. and at home. In 1857 Missourians honored him by naming the newly created county of [[Phelps County, Missouri|Phelps]] after him.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History |url=https://www.phelpscounty.org/history/ |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=Phelps County |language=en-US}}</ref> He was not a candidate for renomination in 1862.
 ==Civil War==
-At the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, Phelps returned to Springfield and enlisted as a [[private (rank)|private]] in Captain Coleman's Company of Missouri Infantry (Union). He was promoted to [[Lieutenant colonel (United States)|lieutenant colonel]] on October 2, 1861 and to [[Colonel (United States)|colonel]] December 19, 1861. Following the [[Union army|Union]] defeat at the [[Battle of Wilson's Creek]], Mary Phelps cared for the body of General [[Nathaniel Lyon]], killed during the battle, while her husband retreated with the Union army to [[Rolla, Missouri|Rolla]]. By special arrangement with President [[Abraham Lincoln]], Phelps organized an [[infantry]] [[regiment]] which bore his name, Phelps’s Regiment, Missouri Volunteer Infantry. The regiment spent most of the winter of 1861&mdash;62 as the garrison of Fort Wyman at Rolla. In March 1862, Phelps led his regiment in the fierce fighting at [[Battle of Pea Ridge|Pea Ridge]] in [[Arkansas]]. He was mustered out May 13, 1862. In July 1862, he was appointed by President Lincoln as Military Governor of Arkansas, but he resigned the position due to ill health.
+At the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, Phelps returned to Springfield and enlisted as a [[private (rank)|private]] in Captain Coleman's Company of Missouri Infantry (Union). He was promoted to [[Lieutenant colonel (United States)|lieutenant colonel]] on October 2, 1861 and to [[Colonel (United States)|colonel]] December 19, 1861. Following the [[Union army|Union]] defeat at the [[Battle of Wilson's Creek]], Mary Phelps cared for the body of General [[Nathaniel Lyon]], killed during the battle, while her husband retreated with the Union army to [[Rolla, Missouri|Rolla]]. By special arrangement with President [[Abraham Lincoln]], Phelps organized an [[infantry]] [[regiment]] which bore his name, Phelps’s Regiment, Missouri Volunteer Infantry. The regiment spent most of the winter of 1861&mdash;62 as the garrison of Fort Wyman at Rolla. In March 1862, Phelps led his regiment in the fierce fighting at [[Battle of Pea Ridge|Pea Ridge]] in [[Arkansas]]. He was mustered out May 13, 1862. In July 1862, he was appointed by President Lincoln as Military Governor of Arkansas, but he resigned the position due to ill health.<ref>Warner, Ezra. ''Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders''. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1964</ref>
 ==Postbellum activities==
-Phelps returned to Springfield in 1864 to resume his law practice. He was an [[Missouri gubernatorial election, 1868|unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Missouri in 1868]], but in [[Missouri gubernatorial election, 1876|1876]] was elected to the position as the only candidate who could successfully lead Northern and Southern factions in the state. During his tenure as governor, Phelps supported currency reform and increased support for [[public education]]. He retired in 1881, praised as one of Missouri’s best governors.
+Phelps returned to Springfield in 1864 to resume his law practice. He was an [[1868 Missouri gubernatorial election|unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Missouri in 1868]], but in [[1876 Missouri gubernatorial election|1876]] was elected to the position as the only candidate who could successfully lead Northern and Southern factions in the state. During his tenure as governor, Phelps supported currency reform and increased support for [[public education]]. He retired in 1881, praised as one of Missouri’s best governors.
-John Smith Phelps died in [[St. Louis, Missouri]]. He rests in Hazelwood Cemetery in Springfield, Missouri.
+John Smith Phelps died in [[St. Louis|St. Louis, Missouri]]. He rests in Hazelwood Cemetery in Springfield, Missouri.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Eicher |first1=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fs0Ajlnjl6AC&dq=phelps+Hazelwood+Cemetery&pg=PA676 |title=Civil War High Commands |last2=Eicher |first2=David |date=2002-06-01 |publisher=Stanford University Press |isbn=978-0-8047-8035-3 |pages=427, 676 |language=en}}</ref>
 ==See also==
-{{Portal|United States Army|American Civil War}}
+{{Portal|American Civil War}}
+*[[List of American Civil War generals (Union)]]
 ==References==
-*{{cite web |title=Phelps, John Smith |work=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress |url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=P000296 | accessdate=September 18, 2005 }}
+*{{cite web |title=Phelps, John Smith |work=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress |url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=P000296 | access-date=September 18, 2005 }}
-*{{cite web |title=Information Sheet: Phelps, John S. |work=Western Historical Manuscript Collection - Rolla |url=http://web.mst.edu/~whmcinfo/shelf23/r562/info.html | accessdate=September 18, 2005 }}
+*{{cite web |title=Information Sheet: Phelps, John S. |work=Western Historical Manuscript Collection - Rolla |url=http://web.mst.edu/~whmcinfo/shelf23/r562/info.html | access-date=September 18, 2005 }}
 {{Reflist}}
 ==External links==
-*{{cite web |title=John Smith Phelps|work=Generals and Brevets |url=http://www.generalsandbrevets.com/ngp/phelpsjs.htm  | accessdate=September 18, 2005 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080208215607/http://www.generalsandbrevets.com/ngp/phelpsjs.htm |archivedate = February 8, 2008}}
+*{{cite web |title=John Smith Phelps|work=Generals and Brevets |url=http://www.generalsandbrevets.com/ngp/phelpsjs.htm  | access-date=September 18, 2005 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080208215607/http://www.generalsandbrevets.com/ngp/phelpsjs.htm |archive-date = February 8, 2008}}
 {{CongBio|P000296}} Retrieved on 2008-11-01
 {{s-start}}
+{{s-ppo}}
+{{s-bef|before=[[Thomas Lawson Price]]}}
+{{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[List of Governors of Missouri|Governor of Missouri]]|years=[[1868 Missouri gubernatorial election|1868]]}}
+{{s-aft|after=[[Benjamin Gratz Brown]]}}
+{{s-bef|before=[[Charles Henry Hardin]]}}
+{{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[List of Governors of Missouri|Governor of Missouri]]|years=[[1876 Missouri gubernatorial election|1876]]}}
+{{s-aft|after=[[Thomas Theodore Crittenden]]}}
 {{s-par|us-hs}}
+{{US House succession box
-{{USRepSuccessionBox
 |state=Missouri
 |district=5
 |before=[[James Madison Hughes]]| after=[[John Gaines Miller]]| years=1845&ndash;1853}}
+{{US House succession box
-{{USRepSuccessionBox
 |state=Missouri
 |district=6
@@ Line 91: / Line 97: @@
 [[Category:1814 births]]
 [[Category:1886 deaths]]
-[[Category:People from Hartford County, Connecticut]]
+[[Category:People from Simsbury, Connecticut]]
-[[Category:Governors of Missouri]]
+[[Category:Democratic Party governors of Missouri]]
-[[Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri]]
-[[Category:Missouri Democrats]]
 [[Category:People of Missouri in the American Civil War]]
 [[Category:Union Army colonels]]
-[[Category:Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives]]
+[[Category:Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri]]
-[[Category:Democratic Party state governors of the United States]]
 [[Category:19th-century American politicians]]
+[[Category:Deans of the United States House of Representatives]]

v t e Governors of Missouri
Territorial (1805–1820)	Wilkinson Lewis Howard Clark
State (since 1820)	McNair Bates Williams Miller Dunklin Boggs Reynolds M. Marmaduke Edwards King Price Polk H. Jackson Stewart C. Jackson Gamble Hall Fletcher McClurg Brown Woodson Hardin Phelps Crittenden J. Marmaduke Morehouse Francis Stone Stephens Dockery Folk Hadley Major Gardner Hyde Baker Caulfield Park Stark Donnell Donnelly Smith Donnelly Blair Dalton Hearnes Bond Teasdale Bond Ashcroft Carnahan Wilson Holden Blunt Nixon Greitens Parson

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