Richard J. Oglesby

Richard J. Oglesby
c. 1875
14th Governor of Illinois
In office
January 16, 1865 – January 11, 1869
LieutenantWilliam Bross
Preceded byRichard Yates
Succeeded byJohn M. Palmer
In office
January 13, 1873 – January 23, 1873
LieutenantJohn Lourie Beveridge
Preceded byJohn M. Palmer
Succeeded byJohn Lourie Beveridge
In office
January 30, 1885 – January 14, 1889
LieutenantJohn Smith
Preceded byJohn Marshall Hamilton
Succeeded byJoseph W. Fifer
United States Senator
from Illinois
In office
March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1879
Preceded byLyman Trumbull
Succeeded byJohn A. Logan
Member of the Illinois Senate
In office
1860
Personal details
Born
Richard James Oglesby

(1824-07-25)July 25, 1824
Oldham County, Kentucky
DiedApril 24, 1899(1899-04-24) (aged 74)
Elkhart, Illinois
Political partyRepublican
Alma materUniversity of Louisville
Signature
Military service
AllegianceUnited States
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Union Army
Years of service1846–1847
1861–1864
Rank Major General
Battles/warsMexican–American War, American Civil War

Richard James Oglesby (July 25, 1824 – April 24, 1899) was an American soldier and Republican politician from Illinois, who served three non-consecutive terms as Governor of Illinois (from 1865 to 1869, for ten days in 1873, and from 1885 to 1889) and as a United States Senator from Illinois (from 1873 to 1879), and earlier was a member of the Illinois Senate, elected in 1860. The town of Oglesby, Illinois, is named in his honor,[1] as is an elementary school situated in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood of Chicago's south side.[2][3]

He served in the United States Army during the Mexican–American War of 1846–47, and after the war became a prospector during the California Gold Rush and was elected to the Illinois General Assembly. During the American Civil War, Oglesby volunteered for the Union Army and rose to the rank of major general, serving in the Western Theater; he left the army when he was elected Governor of Illinois in 1864.

  1. ^ "History of Oglesby, Illinois". City of Oglesby. Archived from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  2. ^ "Richard J. Oglesby Elementary". Richard J. Oglesby Elementary. Chicago Public Schools. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  3. ^ "Oglesby Elementary School". Oglesby Elementary School. Google Maps. Retrieved April 20, 2022.