Ebenezer Byron Finley | |
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| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives from Ohio | |
| In office March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1881 | |
| Preceded by | Jacob P. Cowan |
| Succeeded by | J. Warren Keifer |
| Constituency | 8th district (1877-1879) 14th district (1879-1881) |
| Judge of theOhio Circuit Court for the Third Circuit | |
| In office November 17, 1896 – February 8, 1897 | |
| Preceded by | John K. Rohn |
| Succeeded by | Caleb H. Norris |
| Mayor ofBucyrus, Ohio | |
| In office April 13, 1863 – April 10, 1865 | |
| Preceded by | William M. Scroggs |
| Succeeded by | Chapman D. Ward |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1833-07-31)July 31, 1833 Orrville, Ohio, US |
| Died | August 21, 1916(1916-08-21) (aged 83) Bucyrus, Ohio, US |
| Resting place | Oakwood Cemetery, Bucyrus, Ohio |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Charlotte E. Codding (m. 1858) |
| Relations | Stephen Ross Harris (uncle) |
| Children | 1 |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States (Union) Ohio |
| Service | Union Army Ohio National Guard |
| Years of service | 1861–1862 (Union Army) 1884–1886 (National Guard) |
| Rank | First Lieutenant (Union Army) Major General (National Guard) |
| Unit | 64th Ohio Infantry Regiment (Union Army) Ohio Adjutant General's Department (National Guard) |
| Commands | Ohio National Guard |
| Wars | American Civil War |
Ebenezer Byron Finley (July 31, 1833 – August 21, 1916) was an American attorney and politician from Ohio. ADemocrat, he was most notable for his service as aU.S. Representative from 1877 to 1881.
A native ofOrrville, Ohio, Finley was educated in Orrville and worked at a variety of occupations prior to theAmerican Civil War. In 1859, he commenced thestudy of law in theBucyrus, Ohio office of his uncle,Stephen Ross Harris. He wasadmitted to the bar in 1861, but soon afterwards enlisted for the Civil War as a member of theUnion Army's64th Ohio Infantry Regiment. Appointed afirst lieutenant in the regiment's Company K, Finley served for a year and took part in several battles before being discharged after he was injured in an accident. He settled in Bucyrus, where he established a successful law practice.
Finley was active in politics as aDemocrat and served as mayor of Bucyrus from 1863 to 1865. He won election to the U.S. House in 1876 and served two terms, 1877 to 1881. During his second term he was chairman of the House's Committee on Public Expenditures. He declined to run for another term in 1880, and resumed practicing law in Bucyrus. From 1884 to 1886, he served asadjutant general of theOhio National Guard with the rank ofmajor general.
Finley died in Bucyrus on August 21, 1916. He was buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Bucyrus.
Finley was born inOrrville, Ohio, the son of William Finley and Rhoda (Harris) Finley.[1][2] Finley was raised and educated in Orrville, and worked at a variety of occupations, including teaching school in Illinois, boatman on the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers, and crew member on Great Lakes cargo ships.[3] In February 1858, he married Charlotte E. Codding (1841–1929).[3] They were the parents of a son, Harry M. Finley (1859–1882).[1] In 1859, he began tostudy law in theBucyrus, Ohio office ofStephen Ross Harris, who was his uncle.[4] He wasadmitted to the bar in 1861, and began to practice in Bucyrus.[3]
Soon after he began practicing law, Finley joined theUnion Army for theAmerican Civil War.[3] He was active in recruiting Company K,64th Ohio Infantry Regiment, in which he served as afirst lieutenant[3][5][a] He took part in several engagements, including the April 1862Battle of Shiloh.[6] Finley was injured in an accident, so he returned to Ohio to recuperate.[6] He was mustered out of his company in July 1862,[7] resigned in August,[8] and was discharged in September.[6]
After the war, Finley was active in veterans' organizations, including theGrand Army of the Republic[9] andSociety of the Army of the Cumberland[10] and continued to practice law in Bucyrus.[5] Among the prospective attorneys who studied under Finley wasEdward Vollrath.[6] He served as mayor of the village of Bucyrus from 1863 to 1865.[5]
ADemocrat, in 1876 Finley was elected to theUnited States House of Representatives.[2] He was reelected in 1878, and served in the45th and46th Congresses (March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1881).[2] In his second term, Finley was chairman of the House Committee on Public Expenditures.[2] He was not a candidate for re-nomination in 1880 and resumed practicing law in Bucyrus.[4]
In January 1884, Finley was appointedAdjutant General of Ohio.[11] He was commissioned as amajor general and served until 1886.[12][13] In 1886, he was selected to serve as permanent chairman of the state Democratic convention.[14]
Finley won a November 1896 election to fill a vacant seat as circuit court judge for Ohio's Third Circuit, and he served until February 1897.[15] He was an at-large delegate to the1896 Democratic National Convention.[1]
Finley died in Bucyrus on August 21, 1916.[1] He was buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Bucyrus.[1]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromOhio's 14th congressional district 1877-1879 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromOhio's 8th congressional district 1879-1881 | Succeeded by |
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