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James W. Denver | |
|---|---|
 Portrait byMathew Bradyc. 1861–1863 | |
| 8th and 10thCommissioner of Indian Affairs | |
| In office November 8, 1858 – March 31, 1859 | |
| President | James Buchanan |
| Preceded by | Charles Eli Mix |
| Succeeded by | Alfred B. Greenwood |
| In office April 17, 1857 – June 17, 1857 | |
| President | James Buchanan |
| Preceded by | George Washington Manypenny |
| Succeeded by | Charles Eli Mix |
| 5thTerritorial Governor of Kansas | |
| In office June 17, 1857 – November 8, 1858 | |
| Appointed by | James Buchanan |
| Preceded by | Robert J. Walker |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Medary |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia'sat-large district | |
| In office March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857 | |
| Preceded by | Milton S. Latham |
| Succeeded by | Joseph C. McKibbin |
| 2ndSecretary of State of California | |
| In office 1853–1855 | |
| Governor | John Bigler |
| Preceded by | William Van Voohies |
| Succeeded by | Charles Hempstead |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James William Denver (1817-10-23)October 23, 1817 Winchester,Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | August 9, 1892(1892-08-09) (aged 74) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Children | Matthew |
| Education | Cincinnati Law School (LLB) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States (Union Army) |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1847–1850 1861–1863 |
| Rank | Brigadier general |
| Unit | Army of the Tennessee Department of Kansas XVI Corps |
| Battles/wars | |
James William Denver (October 23, 1817 – August 9, 1892) was an American politician, soldier, and lawyer. He served in the California state government, as an officer in theUnited States Army in two wars, and as aDemocratic member of theUnited States House of Representatives from California. He served as secretary and Governor of theKansas Territory during thestruggle over whether or notKansas would be open toslavery. The city ofDenver,Colorado, is named after him.
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James W. Denver was born nearWinchester, Virginia. His father was born inIreland, while his mother was of English descent.[1] He attended public schools and moved toOhio with his parents in 1830, settling nearWilmington. In 1841 he taught school inMissouri, and in 1844 he graduated from theCincinnati Law School. He was admitted to the bar and practiced law nearXenia, Ohio. He moved toPlatte City, Missouri, in 1845, where he continued his law practice and acting career.
In 1847, during theMexican–American War, he recruited a company for the 12th U.S. Volunteer Infantry and was commissioned acaptain, serving under GeneralWinfield Scott. After the war in 1850, Denver traveled to California, where he became a trader. Denver killed newspaper editorEdward Gilbert in aduel on August 2, 1852. Later that same year, he was elected to theCalifornia State Senate. He was later appointed asSecretary of State of California. In 1854 he was elected to theUnited States Congress as a representative from California, serving from March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1857. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1856. On April 17, 1857, PresidentJames Buchanan appointed him asCommissioner of Indian Affairs.
On June 17, 1857, Denver was appointed by Buchanan as Secretary of the Kansas Territory. In December 1857 he was appointed as Territorial Governor. On the day that Denver assumed the territorial governorship, citizens in the territory voted on theLecompton Constitution, which opened the territory to slavery. The vote offered a choice only between full slavery and limited slavery in the territory and was thus largely boycotted byFree-Staters who were in favor ofabolishing slavery. The pro-slavery constitution passed by an overwhelming margin. Later it was discovered that several thousand votes were cast fraudulently by "Border Ruffians" who had crossed into the territory fromMissouri in order to cast pro-slavery ballots; this scandal became known asBleeding Kansas. (The vote was overturned by a subsequent election in August 1858, and Kansas was later admitted to the Union, in 1861, as afree state.)
In November 1858, while Denver was still serving as territorial governor,William Larimer, Jr., a land speculator fromLeavenworth, planted the townsite of "Denver City" along theSouth Platte River in Arapaho County in westernKansas Territory (the present-day state ofColorado). Larimer chose the name "Denver" to honor the current territorial governor with the intention that the city would be chosen as the county seat of Arapaho County.
Denver retired as territorial governor in November 1858, was reappointed Commissioner of Indian Affairs, and served until his resignation on March 31, 1859.
A few months after the start of theAmerican Civil War in early 1861, PresidentAbraham Lincoln commissioned Denver a brigadier general in the volunteer army on August 14. In November 1861, he was ordered to report toFort Scott in Kansas and in December, he assumed command of all Federal troops in Kansas. During March and April 1862 he commanded theDistrict of Kansas until he was transferred to theDistrict of West Tennessee. On May 16, 1862, Denver assumed command of the 3rd Brigade/5th Division under Maj. Gen.William T. Sherman in the midst of theSiege of Corinth. The very next day Denver's brigade participated in thefight for Russell's House. Though his brigade suffered no casualties in this engagement it was nonetheless one of the two brigades leading the attack.[2] On May 27 General Sherman again selected Denver's brigade to be one of the leading units in anattack against the Double Log House. Denver andMorgan L. Smith's brigade successfully stormed thelog cabin turnedblock house. During this engagement Major GeneralUlysses S. Grant was present on the battlefield and indicated his approval of the handsome manner in which the troops behaved.[3] After the fall of Corinth, Denver continued in command of his brigade, serving on garrison duty in Mississippi. During the early stages of theVicksburg Campaign Denver was in command of the 1st Division,XVI Corps, until his resignation from the Union Army on March 5, 1863.
After the war, Denver practiced law in Washington, D.C., andWilmington, Ohio; he and his family lived in theRombach Place while residing in Wilmington.[4] He served as a delegate to theDemocratic National Convention in 1876, 1880, and 1884. He was mentioned as a possible Democratic presidential nominee in 1876 and 1884, although his name was never offered into formal nomination.
Denver reportedly visitedDenver, Colorado, in 1875 and 1882, but complained that his visits received little affection from the residents of the city named after him.[5]
He died in Washington, D.C., in 1892 and is buried in Sugar Grove Cemetery inWilmington, Ohio.
His son,Matthew R. Denver, was aU.S. Congressman from Ohio from 1907 to 1913.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by William Van Voohies | Secretary of State of California 1853–1855 | Succeeded by Charles Hempstead |
| Preceded by | Governor of the Kansas Territory 1857–1858 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's at-large congressional district 1855–1857 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
