Henry Stanbery | |
|---|---|
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| 28th United States Attorney General | |
| In office July 23, 1866 – March 12, 1868 | |
| President | Andrew Johnson |
| Preceded by | James Speed |
| Succeeded by | William Evarts |
| 1st Attorney General of Ohio | |
| In office February 1846 – May 1851 | |
| Governor | Mordecai Bartley William Bebb Seabury Ford Reuben Wood |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Joseph McCormick |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 20, 1803 New York City, New York |
| Died | June 26, 1881 (aged 78) New York City |
| Resting place | Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Political party | Whig (Before 1854) Republican (from 1854) |
| Spouse(s) | Frances Elizabeth Beecher (m. 1829-1840, her death) Cecilia Key Bond (m. 1841-1881, his death) |
| Relations | William Stanbery (half-brother) Philemon Beecher (father-in-law) William Key Bond (father-in-law) |
| Children | 5 |
| Education | Washington and Jefferson College (BA) |
| Profession | Attorney |
| Signature |  |
Henry Stanbery (February 20, 1803 – June 26, 1881) was an American lawyer from Ohio. He was Ohio's first attorney general from 1846 to 1851 and the United States Attorney General from 1866 to 1868.
A native of New York City who was raised in Zanesville, Ohio, Stanbery graduated from Washington College in 1819 at age 16, studied law with two Zanesville attorneys, and attained admission to the bar as soon as he reached the minimum required age of 21.
Stanbery resided for many years in Lancaster, where he practiced law in partnership with Thomas Ewing. Stanbery was selected by the state legislature to serve as Ohio's first state attorney general, a post he held from 1846 to 1851. After leaving office he relocated to the Cincinnati area, where he continued to practice law.
In 1866, Stanbery was appointed U.S. Attorney General. He served until 1868 and worked to sustain President Andrew Johnson's view that the president should control post-Civil War Reconstruction, and that the former Confederate states should be readmitted to the Union even if they took no steps to guarantee rights to former slaves. In 1868, Stanbery resigned so he could join Johnson's defense team during his impeachment trial. Johnson was acquitted, and Johnson attempted to reappoint him as attorney general, but the U.S. Senate would not confirm him.
After Johnson left office, Stanbery returned to the Cincinnati area, where he continued to practice law until failing eyesight curbed his activities in 1880. He traveled to New York City for surgery to remove cataracts, which did not improve his vision, and he was blind for the last six months of his life. He was residing temporarily in New York City while continuing to seek treatment when he died on June 26, 1881. Stanbery was buried at Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati.