Jeremiah Tilford Boyle

Background

Jeremiah Tilford Boyle was born on May 22, 1818 and was the fourth son of Elizabeth (Tilford) and John Boyle, chief justice of the Kentucky court of appeals (1810 - 26) and one of the most noted of early western jurists.

Education

After the orthodox classical education at Centre and Princeton, Jeremiah studied law in the office of Governor Owsley and at Transylvania and upon the completion of his work entered upon the practice of his profession at Danville, Kentucky. Here he remained in apparent content until the outbreak of the Civil War.

Career

Boyle was a slaveholder in Kentucky. Not suspecting the coming of emancipation, he determined his attitude toward secession more by his political affiliations than by his economic interests and became one of the most active of Union men during the short-lived effort for neutrality.

In November 1861, his zeal in recruiting for the Union army gained for him a commission as brigadier-general of volunteers. His ensuing military career was distinguished more by activity than by success although he fought with "conspicuous gallantry" at Shiloh. Shortly after this battle Secretary Stanton appointed him military commander of Kentucky, the appointment apparently being due to the pressing solicitations of the Kentucky delegation in Congress.

Boyle remained military commander until January 12, 1864, and his conduct during the period has been a subject of acrimonious controversy until this day.

Upon retiring from the army, he helped organize the Louisville City Railway Company, of which he soon became president.

In 1866, he became president of the moribund Evansville, Henderson & Nashville Railroad and made it a successful enterprise. He came to have large interests in railway and land properties in the West and amassed a large fortune before his death.

Achievements

• Jeremiah Boyle is known as a successful lawyer in Boyle County and argued for the emancipation of slaves as a delegate to the State Constitutional Convention in 1849. He led his brigade at the Battle of Shiloh and was later appointed as the Military Governor for the Department of Kentucky. He resigned in 1864 and moved to Louisville, Kentucky where he became engaged in the development of city transportation. He also was the president of the Louisville City Railway Company and later the president of the Evansville, Henderson, and Nashville Railroad.

Politics

Boyle was a Whig. It cannot be said that he proved himself very efficient against his armed enemies. John Morgan raided the state almost at will, guerrillas ravaged the country, and Louisville itself (Boyle's headquarters) was saved from Bragg only by the dilatoriness of Bragg himself.

In fact, Boyle was finally removed from his position because of his military ineptitude. Against non-combatants, however, he displayed considerable ability although Kentucky historians are inclined to question the wisdom of his measures.

His arrests of people suspected of sympathizing with the Confederacy, his use of troops to control elections, and his domination of the judiciary made open enemies of many people who had hitherto been neutral. His policy of assessing upon "disloyal" people of the neighborhood the damages caused by guerrillas alienated the more moderate of the Union men. Whatever the merits of these measures he succeeded in keeping the support of the active Union leaders of Kentucky.

By his policy, he forced the resignation of Gov. Magoffin and undoubtedly increased the bitterness between factions throughout the state. For the most part, he acted on his own initiative and on occasion his zeal seemed to outrun that of Stanton himself.

Personality

Boyle retained, throughout, the respect of both friend and enemy for his personal integrity and after his removal, whatever feeling existed against him was soon forgotten in the general execration of his successors.

Connections

From his marriage (1842) with Elizabeth, Owsley Anderson were born twelve children, four of whom survived him.

Father:

John Boyle

28 October 1774 - 28 February 1834

Mother:

Elizabeth Tilford Boyle

1781 - 1833

Brother:

James Madison Boyle

18 March 1809 - 10 October 1892

Sister:

Ellen B Boyle Lagow McAllister

1816 - 31 July 1844

Sister:

Roberta Boyle Butler

1865 - 1927

Wife:

Elizabeth Owsley Anderson Boyle

25 May 1825 - 16 April 1886

Daughter:

Amelia Boyle Woolfolk

1854 - 1908

Daughter:

Roberta Boyle Butler

1865 - 1927

Son:

Henry Barret Boyle

12 December 1851 - 5 January 1870

Son:

Clayton Jewell Boyle

19 November 1819 - 11 September 1871

Son:

Boyle Gill Boyle

22 January 1867 - 5 December 1925

Son:

Simeon Anderson Boyle

1843 - 1844

Son:

Samuel Gill Boyle

4 June 1860 - 11 June 1927

Son:

St John Boyle, Sr

6 September 1847 - 7 January 1906

Son:

William Owsley Boyle

30 August 1845 - 18 December 1864

References

• Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders