Mason Brayman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 7th Governor ofIdaho Territory | |
| In office July 24, 1876 – August 3, 1880 | |
| Nominated by | Ulysses S. Grant |
| Preceded by | David P. Thompson |
| Succeeded by | John Baldwin Neil |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 23, 1813 |
| Died | February 27, 1895(1895-02-27) (aged 81) |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Mary Williams Brayman 1816-1886 |
| Profession | printer, attorney, military officer, politician |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1861–1865 |
| Rank | |
| Commands | 29th Illinois Infantry Regiment |
| Battles/wars | |
Mason Brayman (May 23, 1813 – February 27, 1895) was an American attorney, newspaperman, and military officer. During his service to theUnion Army during theAmerican Civil War, he rose to the rank ofmajor general with the 29th Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Later in life, he became the seventh governor of theIdaho Territory.
Brayman was born inBuffalo, New York on May 23, 1813.[1] Raised with aCalvinist outlook and a hatred of liquor, he was apprenticed to a printer at the age of 17. Five years later, he became editor of a local newspaper. In addition to his work with newspapers, he studied law and wasadmitted to theNew York Bar in 1836.[2]
The year after his admission to the bar, Brayman married a woman named Mary. She was a direct descendant ofRoger Williams, and they had two daughters and a son. Following his marriage, Brayman began a series of westward moves, working as acity attorney inMichigan and newspaper editor inOhio, before settling inSpringfield, Illinois, during the early 1840s.[2]
In Springfield, Brayman practiced law withJesse B. Thomas Jr., and wrote editorials for the town's newspapers. In addition to spending time with persons such asAbraham Lincoln andStephen A. Douglas, he oversaw the American Baptist Publishing Society, was active in thetemperance movement, and was a leader of the localBaptist church.[2]
In 1844, Brayman gained statewide prominence by accepting a commission from GovernorThomas Ford to revise the Illinois legal code.[1][2] Two years later he was commissioned as aspecial prosecutor to deal with incidents occurring during theIllinois Mormon War.[1] In this capacity he devised the agreement which allowed theMormons to leave Illinois.[2]
In the 1850s, Brayman joined the staff of theIllinois Central Railroad, working to gain rights of way for the expanding railroad. In 1855, he sold his position with the Illinois Central and took a position with the Cairo and Fulton Railroad. This move proved to be a financial blunder as the new railroad eventually failed, while the Illinois Central prospered. During 1858, Brayman campaigned for Abraham Lincoln's Illinois senate candidacy.[2]
With the outbreak of theAmerican Civil War, Brayman joined with other railroad executives and secured amilitary commission.[2] Initially serving as amajor with the29th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment underGeneral McClernand, he was promoted tocolonel on April 15, 1862, and command of his regiment.[3] Following theBattle of Fort Donelson, Brayman stopped shaving and grew a beard that would eventually reach his belt. He also had his horse shot out from under him twice. AtShiloh he became a minor hero, rallying his troops by charging between the Union and Confederate lines. During theSiege of Vicksburg he suffered a bout ofheatstroke that forced him into garrison duty. By the end of the war, he had achieved the rank of Major General and was serving as head of a claims commission inNew Orleans.[4] Major General Mason Brayman was the highest-ranking Civil War officer to have lived in the Lincoln's neighborhood. Mason Brayman – 42 years old, served as a Major General with the 29th IL Volunteer Infantry. He lived in the neighborhood two times—once as a renter in the Lincoln Home and once as a renter in what is now called the Shutt House.
Following the war, Brayman attempted to revive his career with the Cairo and Fulton before returning to work as a newspaper editor in Springfield andQuincy, Illinois. In 1873, he entered semi-retirement on a farm inRipon, Wisconsin; however, thePanic of 1873 destroyed most of his wealth, and by 1876 he was lobbying for apatronage appointment.[4]
Brayman was nominated by PresidentUlysses S. Grant as Governor of the Idaho Territory on July 24, 1876.[5] Being unfamiliar with the territory, the new governor consulted with the territorial delegate,Stephen S. Fenn, to learn what he could of his new appointment. Fenn was a Democratic politician who gained much of his support from the territory'sMormon population. The delegate was also a rival of the Boise Ring, a clique of influential Anti-Mormon Republican politicians. The delegate used the opportunity to accuse Territorial Secretary and Acting Governor E. J. Curtis of drunkenness, fraud, and misuse of public funds. Fenn's advice, combined with Brayman's natural inclinations, created a distrust of the Ring by the new governor.[6]
Upon his arrival in Idaho, the locals initially considered Brayman to be a somewhat pompousgreenhorn who was otherwise harmless. The new governor, in turn, acted with caution while learning about the territory. Opinions of the governor changed, however, when the 9th legislative session began in December 1876 and Brayman promoted a number of administrative improvements and economic reforms. At the same time, Brayman observed during the legislative session that there were political factions within the territory opposed to the Boise Ring.[7]
Brayman's first confrontation with the Boise Ring came two days before the inauguration ofRutherford B. Hayes asPresident of the United States. An investigation had convinced the governor that Secretary E. J. Curtis, whom Brayman considered to be a leader of the Boise Ring, was guilty of wrongdoing. The governor confronted the secretary and convinced him that he was to be replaced by the new administration and could avoid prosecution by submitting his resignation.[8] The situation changed two months later when Curtis rescinded his resignation, claiming he had been tricked into giving it, and demanding reinstatement. Curtis was restored to his position and cleared of any wrongdoing.[9]
The outbreak of theNez Perce War led to additional problems for the governor. Lacking a legal basis for the creation of a militia, Brayman was forced to rely upon GeneralOliver O. Howard's response to the hostilities. This caused anger among residents of the northern counties who lacked the means to defend themselves against the hostile tribe.[10] Additional problems came for the governor following a visit toRocky Bar courthouse inAlturas County. The court faced a large backlog of cases involving mining disputes, and the delays thus caused were affecting the local economy. Brayman suggested that involved parties come to out-of-court settlements as a means of speeding resolution. Chief Justice Madison Hollister, presiding justice and member of the Boise Ring, took this suggestion as a personal affront.[11] The Ring in turn used the incident as an excuse to seek Brayman'sdisbarment. Brayman prevailed during the disbarment hearing but was publicly humiliated in the process.[12]
The governor's troubles continued to mount as a result of a racially charged murder trial. A dispute arose on June 10, 1877, between a group of Chinese workers and hot-tempered Irish miner John McGuinness. The dispute escalated to violence, and McGuinness killed two of the workers and wounded a third before the remaining workers stabbed him to death. The workers were convicted ofsecond degree murder by anall white jury. Brayman, believing the Chinese had acted in self-defense, chose topardon the convicted workers, and the white population reacted angrily to the pardons.[13]
Additional pressure came upon Brayman as a result of the May 30, 1878, outbreak of theBannock War. The 130carbines held by the territory were insufficient to arm the citizens seeking protection. Demands from the territory's residents for weapons to defend themselves eventually led the governor to seek permission to issue arms from the federal stockpile atFort Boise.[14] Complicating the governor's position was the revelation that Brayman had authorizedBannock leader Buffalo Horn, a formerarmy scout with a history of aiding the U.S. government, to purchaseUS$2 worth of ammunition (roughly 100 bullets and a pound ofblack powder) 13 days before outbreak of hostilities.[15]
On June 9, 1878, word arrived in Idaho thatJohn Philo Hoyt had been appointed the territory's new governor. Hoyt, who at the time was Governor ofArizona Territory and as unaware of the action as Brayman, was being removed by President Hayes to make way forJohn C. Frémont, who had used his political connections to secure an influential appointment. Hoyt was unsure about the situation and was deniedSenate confirmation after failing to respond to questions in a timely manner. Hayes then renominated Hoyt for the position, but Hoyt turned down the nomination after investigating the situation in Idaho.[16]
The effect of this was that Brayman, while technically suspended, was still thede facto governor. His political opponents, eager to see him gone, lobbied Hayes to appoint another replacement; however, Brayman still maintained considerable influence outside of the territory and used his connections to petition for reinstatement. Within the territory, there were four petitions circulated expressing support for the embattled governor, one by Mormon residents, one in the northern counties, and two by anti-Ring groups. With the conflicting opinions about Brayman, the Hayes administration decided to leave the governor in office till the expiration of his term on July 24, 1880.[17]
The remainder of his term saw Brayman's influence largely blocked by political infighting with pro-Ring elements. An effort to pass a militia bill during the 10th legislative session passed theupper house, but the governor was unable to pressure thelower house to pass the legislation.[18] Similar results occurred with efforts to bring railroad service to the southern portion of the Territory. The Territory's unwillingness to pass subsidy legislation caused the railroads to lose interest in routes that crossed the Territory in favor of other alternatives.[19]
Brayman's final efforts to defeat the Boise Ring came in his efforts forreapportionment. In 1879, he took a leave of absence to return to theEast Coast and lobby the U.S. Congress for changes.[20] Unsuccessful in this effort, he was forced to wait till after the1880 Census, when the governor would lead a three-man commission overseeing the allocation of territorial representation. His successor,John Baldwin Neil, was named and arrived in the territory to take the oath of office before Brayman was able to complete his plans.[21]
Brayman left Idaho on August 19, 1880, though his departure did not end his influence on Idaho politics.Lewiston-based newspaper editor Alonzo Leland, looking for a rallying point against the Boise Ring, nominated the former governor to be the Territorial delegate to the U.S. Congress during the 1880 campaign. As a result, Brayman received 904 of the 938 votes cast in the northern counties. This support was insufficient for victory, however, as the southeastern and southwestern counties completely ignored Brayman's candidacy.[22]Brayman died ofBright's Fever inKansas City, Missouri, on February 27, 1895.[23] Obituaries printed at the time tended to praise his earlier years while giving only passing mention to his time in Idaho.[24]
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Territorial Governor of Idaho 1876–1880 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
