John Charles Black was an American soldier and politician. He served at the Fifty-third United States Congress from 1893 to 1895.
Background
John Black was born on January 27, 1839, in Lexington, Mississippi, the son of John C. Black, a Presbyterian minister, and of Josephine (Culbertson) Black, both originally of western Pennsylvania. After John's birth his parents moved to Midway, Kenrucky, and then returned to western Pennsylvania. After the death of the father in 1844, the family of four, consisting of two boys and two girls, John being the oldest, were taken by their mother to Danville, Illinois, where her brother resided.
Education
At the opening of the Civil War, John was a junior in Wabash College. Later he also studie law.
Career
John enlisted immediately after the fall of Fort Sumter, serving in a company of Zouaves which was organized and commanded by Lew Wallace. For three months after this company became a part of the 11th Indiana Regiment he served as sergeant-major of the regiment. Then returning to Danville, he recruited a company for the 37th Illinois Infantry and was made major. With this regiment, he took part in thirteen battles and was severely wounded, losing, permanently, the full use of his right arm at the battle of Prairie Grove, Arkansas, December 7, 1862. Shortly after, he was made a colonel and for gallantry in action at the storming of Fort Blakely, Alabama, he was brevetted brigadier-general.
After studying law and being admitted to the bar, he began the practise of law at Danville, Illinois, but soon moved to Champaign, Illinois, where he attained prominence in his profession. Beginning in 1885, Black served for four years as commissioner of pensions, having been appointed by President Grover Cleveland. On retiring, he took up the practise of law in Chicago. While serving as congressman at large from Illinois, having been elected in 1892, he was once more rewarded by President Cleveland with appointment to office. Resigning his seat as a representative, he became United States attorney for the northern district of Illinois (1895 - 1898). For ten years, beginning with 1903, he was a member of the United States Civil Service Commission, serving nine years of the period as president of the Commission. In 1913, he retired from public life, but continued to devote much time to the interests of the Grand Army of the Republic.
Achievements
During the Civil War John Black took a conspicuous part at the battles of Pea Ridge, Prairie Grove, Vicksburg, Mobile, and in Blakely's Batteries, the last battle of the war. In 1862, at the Battle of Prairie Grove, after two other regiments had been repulsed he charged the enemy position at the head of his regiment. Even after being driven down the hill and severely wounded, he captured the Confederate battery. For his actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor and brevetted Brigadier General of US Volunteers. In 1903, Black was honored with the office of Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, the veterans organization for Civil War veterans of the Union Army, which position he held from 1903 to 1904.
Politics
Because of his ability as a public speaker, Black was in demand on patriotic occasions and in the conventions of the Democratic party of which he was a member. In 1866, 1880, and 1884, he was a candidate of that party for membership in the House of Representatives and in 1879 opposed John A. Logan for a seat in the Senate. Meantime, in 1872, on a fusion of the Liberal Republicans with the Democratic party Gustave Koerner and John C. Black were the nominees of their respective parties for governor of Illinois and lieutenant-governor. But they were defeated by Richard J. Oglesby and John L. Beveridge, representing the regular Republican party.
Personality
Black was described as a man of medium height, fair complexion, handsome features and of graceful movements.
