John S. Phelps

John S. Phelps
John S. Phelps
23rd Governor of Missouri
	In office; January 8, 1877 – January 10, 1881
Lieutenant	Henry C. Brockmeyer
Preceded by	Charles Henry Hardin
Succeeded by	Thomas T. Crittenden
Member of the; U.S. House of Representatives; from Missouri
	In office; March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1863
Preceded by	James Madison Hughes
Succeeded by	Austin Augustus King
Constituency	At-large (1845–1847); 5th district (1847–1853); 6th district (1853–1863)
Member of the Missouri House of Representatives
	In office; 1840-1844
Personal details
Born	December 22, 1814; Simsbury, Connecticut
Died	November 20, 1886 (aged 71); St. Louis, Missouri
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Mary Whitney
Profession	Attorney

John Smith Phelps (December 22, 1814 – November 20, 1886) was a politician and soldier during the American Civil War, and the 23rd Governor of Missouri.

Early life and career

John Smith Phelps, the son of Elisha Phelps, was born in Simsbury, Connecticut. He attended common schools and then studied law at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, graduating in 1832. He was admitted to the bar in 1835 and commenced practice in Simsbury. After his marriage to Mary Whitney on April 20, 1837,^[1] he moved to Springfield, Missouri, and quickly became one of the leading lawyers in southwest Missouri.

Phelps was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 1840. Four years later, on March 4, 1845, he was elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-Ninth Congress, and to eight succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1845 – March 3, 1863). During his 18-year term, he served as Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means (Thirty-Fifth Congress) and came to be regarded as a champion of government bounties to soldiers, aid to railroads, and inexpensive postage.^[2]

Phelps was popular in Washington, D.C. and at home. In 1857 Missourians honored him by naming the newly created county of Phelps after him.^[3] He was not a candidate for renomination in 1862.

Civil War

At the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861, Phelps returned to Springfield and enlisted as a private in Captain Coleman's Company of Missouri Infantry (Union). He was promoted to lieutenant colonel on October 2, 1861 and to colonel December 19, 1861. Following the Union defeat at the Battle of Wilson's Creek, Mary Phelps cared for the body of General Nathaniel Lyon, killed during the battle, while her husband retreated with the Union army to Rolla. By special arrangement with President Abraham Lincoln, Phelps organized an infantry regiment which bore his name, Phelps’s Regiment, Missouri Volunteer Infantry. The regiment spent most of the winter of 1861—62 as the garrison of Fort Wyman at Rolla. In March 1862, Phelps led his regiment in the fierce fighting at Pea Ridge in Arkansas. He was mustered out May 13, 1862. In July 1862, he was appointed by President Lincoln as Military Governor of Arkansas, but he resigned the position due to ill health.^[4]

Postbellum activities

Phelps returned to Springfield in 1864 to resume his law practice. He was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Missouri in 1868, but in 1876 was elected to the position as the only candidate who could successfully lead Northern and Southern factions in the state. During his tenure as governor, Phelps supported currency reform and increased support for public education. He retired in 1881, praised as one of Missouri’s best governors.

John Smith Phelps died in St. Louis, Missouri. He rests in Hazelwood Cemetery in Springfield, Missouri.^[5]

References

"Phelps, John Smith". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved September 18, 2005.
"Information Sheet: Phelps, John S." Western Historical Manuscript Collection - Rolla. Retrieved September 18, 2005.

^ "John S. Phelps and Mary Whitney". Connecticut, Marriages, 1729-1867. Family Search. Retrieved 12 Mar 2014.
^ Phelps, John S. (John Smith), 1814-1886. Receipt, 1864 [1] The State Historical Society of Missouri
^ "History". Phelps County. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
^ Warner, Ezra. Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1964
^ Eicher, John; Eicher, David (2002-06-01). Civil War High Commands. Stanford University Press. pp. 427, 676. ISBN 978-0-8047-8035-3.

External links

"John Smith Phelps". Generals and Brevets. Archived from the original on February 8, 2008. Retrieved September 18, 2005.

United States Congress. "John S. Phelps (id: P000296)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on 2008-11-01

Party political offices
Preceded by Thomas Lawson Price	Democratic nominee for Governor of Missouri 1868	Succeeded by Benjamin Gratz Brown
Preceded by Charles Henry Hardin	Democratic nominee for Governor of Missouri 1876	Succeeded by Thomas Theodore Crittenden
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by James Madison Hughes	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri's 5th congressional district 1845–1853	Succeeded by John Gaines Miller
Preceded by None	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri's 6th congressional district 1853–1863	Succeeded by Austin Augustus King
Political offices
Preceded by Charles Henry Hardin	Governor of Missouri 1877–1881	Succeeded by Thomas T. Crittenden