George Izard (October 21, 1776 – November 22, 1828) was a senior

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...

of the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

who served as the second governor of Arkansas Territory from 1825 to 1828. He was elected as a member to the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...

in 1807.

Early life and education

George Izard was born in Richmond,

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, to

Ralph Izard Ralph Izard (January 23, 1741/1742May 30, 1804) was a U.S. politician. He served as President pro tempore of the United States Senate in 1794, and owned slaves. Early life Izard was born at "The Elms" near Charleston, South Carolina. He was ...

, who was a delegate to the Continental Congress and

United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

, and Alice DeLancey, niece of

New York Governor The governor of New York is the head of government of the U.S. state of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor ha ...

James DeLancey James De Lancey (November 27, 1703 – July 30, 1760) served as chief justice, lieutenant governor, and acting colonial governor of the Province of New York. Early life and education De Lancey was born in New York City on November 27, 170 ...

and a descendant of

Stephanus Van Cortlandt Stephanus van Cortlandt (May 7, 1643 – November 25, 1700) was the first native-born mayor of New York City, a position which he held from 1677 to 1678 and from 1686 to 1688. He was the patroon of Van Cortlandt Manor and was on the governor' ...

and Gertrude Schuyler. He graduated from the

College of Philadelphia The Academy and College of Philadelphia (1749-1791) was a boys' school and men's college in Philadelphia, Colony of Pennsylvania. Founded in 1749 by a group of local notables that included Benjamin Franklin, the Academy of Philadelphia began as ...

(present-day

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

) in 1792. He attended military academies in England and Germany and received military engineering instruction in France.

Military career

On November 4, 1794, Izard was commissioned a

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

in the newly established U.S. Corps of Artillerists and Engineers. Returning from Europe, he was assigned to an engineer company at

West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York, West Point was identified by General George Washington as the most important strategic position in America during the Ame ...

. From there, he was ordered to oversee the construction of

Castle Pinckney Castle Pinckney was a small masonry fortification constructed by the United States government, in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina in 1810. It was used very briefly as a prisoner-of-war camp (six weeks) and artillery position during the A ...

. In January 1800, Izard became aide-de-camp to Army commander Alexander Hamilton. A few months later he was invited by

William Loughton Smith William Loughton Smith (1758December 19, 1812) was an American lawyer, politician, and diplomat from Charleston, South Carolina. He represented South Carolina in the United States House of Representatives from 1789 until 1797, during which time ...

, Minister Plenipotentiary to Portugal, to serve as his secretary, a position he accepted. He left Portugal the next year and returned to the United States. He officially resigned his army commission in June 1803. In March 1812, Izard was appointed as

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

of the newly organised 2d Artillery Regiment. He was promoted to Brigadier-General a year later, and served as

Wade Hampton Wade Hampton may refer to the following people: People * Wade Hampton I (1752–1835), American soldier in Revolutionary War and War of 1812 and U.S. congressman *Wade Hampton II (1791–1858), American plantation owner and soldier in War of 1812 * ...

's second in command until his resignation, when Izard succeeded him. Promoted to

Major-General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

in January 1814, he was in charge of the Northern Army protecting

Lake Champlain Lake Champlain ( ; french: Lac Champlain) is a natural freshwater lake in North America. It mostly lies between the US states of New York and Vermont, but also extends north into the Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. The New York portion of t ...

, until ordered to reinforce the Army of Niagara. He was discharged in June 1815.

Governor of Arkansas Territory (1825–1828)

Izard was appointed Governor of Arkansas Territory in March 1825, and served until his death in 1828. He died of complications of

gout Gout ( ) is a form of inflammatory arthritis characterized by recurrent attacks of a red, tender, hot and swollen joint, caused by deposition of monosodium urate monohydrate crystals. Pain typically comes on rapidly, reaching maximal intens ...

Little Rock ( The "Little Rock") , government_type = Council-manager , leader_title = Mayor , leader_name = Frank Scott Jr. , leader_party = D , leader_title2 = Council , leader_name2 ...

. Originally buried near the Peabody School there, Izard's remains were moved to

Mount Holly Cemetery Mount Holly Cemetery is a historic cemetery located in the Quapaw Quarter area of downtown Little Rock in the U.S. state of Arkansas, and is the burial place for numerous Arkansans of note. It was listed on the National Register of Historic ...

in 1843.

Legacy

Izard County, Arkansas Izard County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 13,696. The county seat is Melbourne. Izard County is Arkansas's 13th county, formed on October 27, 1825, and named for War of 1812 Gener ...

, is named after him. The unit he commanded still exists as 1st Battalion, 3d Air Defense Artillery Regiment.

References

External links