(Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating bac...)
Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
https://www.amazon.com/Message-Excellency-General-Assembly-Pennsylvania/dp/1408687399?SubscriptionId=AKIAJRRWTH346WSPOAFQ&tag=prabook-20&linkCode=sp1&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=1408687399
John White Geary was born on December 30, 1819, near Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Richard and Margaret (White) Geary.
His father, a descendant of a Shropshire family one of whose members had originally settled in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, had been an ironmaster, but he had failed at this business and had sought to support his family by keeping a school.
When John was a student at Jefferson College, Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, his father died, leaving him an accumulation of debts. He was forced to leave college, temporarily at least.
Geary's career for the next few years was varied; he taught school, was a clerk in a store, studied civil engineering and law, was admitted to the bar, and went to Kentucky on a surveying expedition.
While in the Blue-Grass state, he was sufficiently successful in land speculation to pay off his father’s debts. His engineering experience then brought him a position as assistant superintendent and engineer of the Allegheny Portage Railroad.
Geary had been interested in military affairs for more than ten years and when but sixteen had been appointed a lieutenant in the militia. At the outbreak of the Mexican War, he was captain of the “American Highlanders” attached to the “Cambria Legion” and he and his company volunteered, joining the 2nd Pennsylvania Infantry at Pittsburgh, where he was elected lieutenant-colonel.
The regiment arrived at Vera Cruz April 11, 1847, via New Orleans and the Lobos Islands and participated in Scott’s advance to the city of Mexico. Since Col. Roberts, commander of the regiment, was in bad health much of the time, Geary had the responsibility of directing maneuvers.
In the attack on Chapultepec, he led the assault upon the fortress, and he was placed in charge of this work upon its capture. After the capture of the city, he remained there on duty until the end of the war, being elected colonel of his regiment on the death of Roberts.
When President Polk was called upon to organize California he chose Geary to establish the postal service, and on January 22, 1849, appointed him postmaster of San Francisco and mail agent for the Pacific Coast.
Geary and his wife arrived in San Francisco in April, but as President Polk had been succeeded by President Taylor, the new postmaster had hardly begun his service when his Whig successor arrived.
He was not at a loss for employment, however, for within eight days he was elected “first alcalde” of San Francisco. Shortly the military governor, Brig. -Gen. Riley appointed him “judge of the first instance. ”
Occupying these offices, he was the chief civil officer of the city, executive and judicial, and when American forms were adopted, in 1850, he became the first mayor. He was active in making California a free state and was chairman of the Democratic Territorial Committee.
Since Mrs. Geary’s health was failing, however, he returned with her to his Pennsylvania farm in 1852 and after her death the next year he remained in his old home. Geary declined President Pierce’s offer of the governorship of Utah, but when Kansas fell into anarchy he accepted the governorship of that territory.
Furthermore, he had been promised the full military support of the government. When he arrived in Kansas, September 9, 1856, he found a condition of virtual civil war, because the contending forces had been confident that the army bill would fail in Congress and thus make necessary the withdrawal of federal troops from the Territory.
The bill had passed, however, and Geary’s first act was to disband the pro-slavery militia which his immediate predecessor had called out. He then proceeded to substitute United States troops, organize his own militia, and arrest an irregular band of free-state sympathizers.
Within three weeks marked by vigorous activity, he could report “Peace now reigns in Kansas, ” in time to give this message sufficiently wide circulation to aid in Buchanan’s election.
Geary continued his vigorous activities as impartially as he could, endeavoring to protect Kansas from both factions. Becoming convinced that Lecompte the chief justice, Clarke the Indian agent, and Donalson the marshal, were flagrantly pro-slavery, he asked the President to remove them.
Pierce did so and the enmity of the pro-slavery group focussed itself upon the Governor. He got along fairly well, however, until the meeting of the legislature, January 12, 1857.
This body was overwhelmingly pro-slavery and acted in open hostility to the Governor, automatically disregarding his vetoes. His life was threatened, a seeming attempt to assassinate him failed, and his secretary was beaten and then arrested for murder.
Just as these things occurred, Gen. Persifor F. Smith declared himself unable or unwilling to supply Geary with more troops, and a letter arrived from William L. Marcy, secretary of state, asking Geary to explain some discrepancies between his charges and Lecompte’s reply; in the meantime as the Senate had not confirmed the appointment of Lecompte’s successor, the judge was still serving.
This cumulation of difficulties discouraged Geary, and on March 4, he resigned, straightway leaving the Territory and going to Washington to report to Buchanan.
When the news of that event reached Geary’s locality, he set up a recruiting office immediately and in a few days was made colonel of the 28th Pennsylvania. He was ordered to Harper’s Ferry, where on October 16, 1861, he was under fire at Bolivar Heights and was wounded.
The next March, he captured Leesburg, and shortly thereafter he was made brigadier-general. Badly wounded at Cedar Mountain, August 9, 1862, he had to return to his home for a while, but he was back in command of a division at Chancellorsville and distinguished himself at Gettysburg.
In the fall of 1863, he was sent with the XII Corps under Hooker to join Grant in Tennessee and was active in the operations there culminating at Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge; at Wauhatchie, October 28, 1863, he participated in a sharp engagement in which his son was killed.
He accompanied Sherman on his famous march to the sea, was military governor of Savannah after its capture, and shortly before the end of the war was made major-general by brevet.
After the Civil War, Pennsylvania politics were marked by a struggle between Curtin and Cameron for control of the National Union or Republican party. Shrewdly realizing the advantages of Geary’s military fame and his wide popularity, Cameron’s forces made Geary, now a Republican, the party candidate for governor and elected him.
He served two terms, from January 15, 1867, to January 21, 1873.
Within three weeks after his retirement from the governorship, he was suddenly stricken and died.
Geary acquired presidential ambitions as 1872 approached, and in the Labor Reform convention of that year, he led on the first ballot but was defeated by David Davis. He was active in making California a free state and was chairman of the Democratic Territorial Committee. Geary County, Kansas, was renamed in honor of John W. Geary in 1889, as is Geary Boulevard in San Francisco, a major artery in that city, Geary Avenue on the field at Gettysburg, Geary Street in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, Geary Street in Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania, and Geary Hall, an undergraduate dorm building in East Halls at Pennsylvania State University. There is a monument to Geary in the town center of Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania. Geary, Kansas was also named in his honor, but the town ceased to exist in 1905. In 1914, a monument to Geary was erected on Culp's Hill at Gettysburg, but it was not formally dedicated until August 11, 2007.
(Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating bac...)
Supremely self-confident, Geary pursued his downright, opinionated way and had many a battle with the legislature; of 9, 242 bills passed he vetoed 390.
He was active in trying to reduce the debt of the state and in safeguarding the treasury; toward the latter end, he sought to promote a plan for lending state funds to private enterprise so that large balances might earn money for the state and not prove to tempt to the treasurer.
He sought in vain to persuade the legislature to adopt a more careful and orderly procedure, and successfully recommended the calling of a state constitutional convention.
He advocated a general railroad law, the regulation of insurance, state control of gas companies, protection against accident in the mines, and safeguards for the public health, but on the other hand urged that taxes be shifted from business to land, especially because this change would aid Pennsylvania business in its competition with that of other states.
Geary was well qualified for the difficult post, for his whole person commanded respect. He was six feet five and a half inches tall, well built, and carried himself with military precision.
In 1843, Geary married Margaret Ann Logan.
In 1858, he married Mrs. Mary (Church) Henderson.
4 December 1828 - 12 December 1913
12 February 1823 - 28 February 1853
3 August 1861 - 28 March 1940
1 September 1845 - 29 October 1863
18 April 1849 - 6 December 1907
22 February 1869 - 25 February 1940
