John J. Hardin
John J. Hardin | |
---|---|
Edward D. Baker | |
Personal details | |
Born | Frankfort, Kentucky, U.S. | January 6, 1810
Died | February 23, 1847 Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico | (aged 37)
Political party | Whig |
Spouse | Sarah Ellen Smith[citation needed] |
Parent | Martin D. Hardin (father) |
Occupation | Politician • Soldier |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States |
Branch/service | Illinois Militia |
Rank | Brigadier general |
Battles/wars |
|
John Jay Hardin (January 6, 1810 – February 23, 1847) was a U.S. Representative and militia general from Illinois.
Biography
Born in
He was co-editor/founder of the Illinoisan newspaper in Jacksonville in 1837.
Hardin was elected as a Whig to the Twenty-eighth Congress (March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1845). Despite large popularity in his district, he was not a candidate for renomination in 1844.[3] It has been suggested that Hardin's premature death helped Lincoln's rise to prominence in Illinois politics.[4]
Despite being an unabashed Whig, Hardin was a fervent supporter of the Mexican–American War that was advocated by James K. Polk and many expansionist Democrats. During the war, he recruited the First Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, of which he was commissioned colonel. On February 23, 1847, he was killed at the Battle of Buena Vista, Mexico, after attempting to lead a charge against a Mexican battery.[5] The outpouring of grief over his death was immense, and Hardin's funeral procession was attended by 15,000 people. He was interred in City Cemetery (East), Jacksonville, Illinois. Hardin County, Iowa, was named in honor of the Colonel and his legacy, as was the town of Hardin, Illinois.
Notes
- ^ Newspapers and Periodicals of Illinois 1814-1879 by Franklin William Scott, published by the Illinois State Historical Library, Springfield, IL. 1910. Page 203.
- ^ Abraham Lincoln: A Press Portrait by Herbert Mitgang, ©Copyright 2010 Fordham University Press. Pages 40–41.
- ^ a b Greenberg 2013, p. 87.
- ^ Greenberg 2013, p. 181.
- ^ Greenberg 2013, pp. 158–159.
- Attribution
This article incorporates public domain material from Hardin, John J. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
References
- Greenberg, Amy S. (2013). A Wicked War: Polk, Clay, Lincoln, and the 1846 U.S. Invasion of Mexico. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-307-47599-2.
External links
- Works by or about John J. Hardin at Internet Archive
- John J. Hardin at Find a Grave
- "Hardin family papers, 1733-1943". Chicago Historical Society.