Thomas Curley (Wisconsin general)

Thomas Curley
Thomas Curley
	Hugh Porter
Personal details
Born	May 8, 1825; County Roscommon, Ireland, UK
Died	February 24, 1904 (aged 78); Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Resting place	Saint Gabriel Cemetery, Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
Political party	Democratic
Military service
Allegiance	United States; Irish Republican Brotherhood
Branch/service	United States Volunteers; Union Army
Years of service	1861–1865 (USV)
Rank	Colonel, USV; Brevet Brig. General, USV;
Unit	7th Reg. Miz. Vol. Infantry; 27th Reg. Miz. Vol. Infantry;
Battles/wars	American Civil War Vicksburg Campaign Battle of Jackson; Siege of Vicksburg; ; Chattanooga campaign Battle of Lookout Mountain; Battle of Missionary Ridge; ; Sherman's March to the Sea;

Thomas Curley (May 8, 1825 – February 24, 1904) was an Irish American farmer, soldier, and Democratic politician. He was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Crawford County in the 1883 and 1885 sessions. During the American Civil War, he served as an officer in the Union Army, rising to the rank of brigadier general.

Background and military service

Curley was born in

Vicksburg Campaign, the capture of Jackson, the campaign of the XV Army Corps from Vicksburg to Chattanooga, and the battles of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. He was with William Tecumseh Sherman in his march to the sea; fought at Resaca, Dallas, Kennesaw Mountain, Jonesborough, and Lovejoy's Station, and in the capture of Savannah and Fort McAllister. He was in the campaign through South Carolina which captured Charleston and Columbia; was in on the battle of Bentonville, capture of Raleigh, and many minor campaigns.^[1]^[2]

He was breveted brigadier general on March 17, 1865, for meritorious services during the war, and returned to St. Louis with his regiment.

Life after Missouri

Curley moved to Wisconsin in 1867, first settling in Mount Sterling.

In 1871, he was one of several Irish-American veteran officers who participated in an attack (not officially sanctioned by the Fenian Brotherhood and thus not considered by all a true "Fenian raid") by a combined force of Irish-Americans and Pembina-area Métis on the Hudson's Bay Company trading post at the international border in October 1871. The Americans were captured by a unit of the American army, and released after a hearing in which it was concluded that such an attack, however imprudent, did not violate American law. The Métis were not so lucky.^[3]

He moved to the

town supervisor in 1878, and ran for the Assembly that year, losing with 746 votes to 989 for Republican Atley Peterson, and 710 for Greenbacker S. L. Wannemaker.^[4]

Curley was elected to the Assembly in 1882 by five votes, drawing 1042 votes, to 1037 for Republican T. L. Brown, and 264 for old opponent Wannemaker, now running as a

standing committee on the militia, and on the committee on federal relations.^[5] He was re-elected in 1884 for the 1885-86 session, with 1,614 votes to 1,585 for Republican Peterson (to whom he had lost in 1878); in that session, Curley remained on the committees on the militia, and moved to the committee on agriculture.^[6]

He was not a candidate for reelection in 1886, and was succeeded by Republican Hugh Porter.

After the Assembly

His wife Elizabeth, like himself a native of Ireland, died in 1887. He died February 24, 1904, in Madison, and is buried with Elizabeth in Saint Gabriel Cemetery in Prairie du Chien.

References

Newspapers.com.

Newspapers.com.

^ Swan, Ruth & Edward A. Jerome. "'Unequal Justice': The Metis in O'Donoghue's Raid of 1871" Manitoba History 39, Spring/Summer 2000

^ Warner, Hans B., ed. The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin, for 1879. Containing the Constitutions of the United States and of the State; Jefferson's Manual; Rules and Orders of the Senate and Assembly, and Annals of the Legislature; also, Statistical Tables and History of State Institutions, Eighteenth Annual Edition; Madison: David Atwood, State Printer, 1879; p. 489

^ Heg, J. E., ed. The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin, Madison, 1883; pp. 487, 516.

^ Heg, James E., ed. The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin. Comprising the Constitutions of the United States and of the State of Wisconsin, Jefferson's Manual, Forms and Laws for the Regulation of Business; also Lists and Tables for Reference, etc., Twenty-Third Volume; Madison: Democrat Printing Co., State Printers, 1885; pp. 428, 452.

External links

Thomas Curley at Find a Grave

Wisconsin State Assembly

Preceded by
Atley Peterson
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Crawford district
January 1, 1883 – January 3, 1887 Succeeded by
Hugh Porter

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thomas_Curley_(Wisconsin_general)&oldid=1209055546"

[1] Newspapers.com.

[2] Newspapers.com.

[3] Swan, Ruth & Edward A. Jerome. "'Unequal Justice': The Metis in O'Donoghue's Raid of 1871" Manitoba History 39, Spring/Summer 2000

[4] Warner, Hans B., ed. The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin, for 1879. Containing the Constitutions of the United States and of the State; Jefferson's Manual; Rules and Orders of the Senate and Assembly, and Annals of the Legislature; also, Statistical Tables and History of State Institutions, Eighteenth Annual Edition; Madison: David Atwood, State Printer, 1879; p. 489

[5] Heg, J. E., ed. The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin, Madison, 1883; pp. 487, 516.

[6] Heg, James E., ed. The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin. Comprising the Constitutions of the United States and of the State of Wisconsin, Jefferson's Manual, Forms and Laws for the Regulation of Business; also Lists and Tables for Reference, etc., Twenty-Third Volume; Madison: Democrat Printing Co., State Printers, 1885; pp. 428, 452.

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