John Allen Campbell (October 8, 1835July 14, 1880) was a politician and officer in 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 ...

, as well as the first Governor of the

Wyoming Territory The Territory of Wyoming was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 25, 1868, until July 10, 1890, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Wyoming. Cheyenne was the territorial capital. The bou ...

Biography

Campbell was born in

Salem, Ohio Salem is the largest city in Columbiana County, Ohio, with a small district in southern Mahoning County. At the 2020 census, the city's population was 11,915. It is the principal city of the Salem micropolitan area in Northeast Ohio. It is 18 ...

and attended public school in Ohio. As a young man, he was an attendee of the 1850 Ohio Women's Rights Convention. In 1861, he joined the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

in the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, during which time he served as a publicity writer and later as adjutant general on Major General John M. Schofield's staff. He advanced from

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 ...

to lieutenant colonel. On February 24, 1866,

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Andrew Johnson nominated Campbell for appointment to the grade of brevet

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

of volunteers, to rank from March 13, 1865, and the

United States Senate 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 pow ...

confirmed the appointment on April 10, 1866. John Campbell marrie
Isabella Wunderly
daughter of Benjamin Wunderly and Rachel Knettle Wunderly, on February 1, 1872. Campbell died 8 years later. Isabella never remarried and died on September 23, 1923 in Washington D.C.. Both John and Isabella are buried at the

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...

, Washington, D.C.

Career

Campbell continued to serve under Major General Schofield during the

Reconstruction Period The Reconstruction era was a period in History of the United States, American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebui ...

, and in Virginia Campbell helped set up senatorial and representative districts. President

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

appointed him Governor of

in 1869 and again in 1873. While Governor, Campbell approved the first law in United States history explicitly granting women the right to vote. The law was approved on December 10, 1869. This day was later commemorated as Wyoming Day. In 1875, Campbell served as

Third Assistant Secretary of State Assistant Secretary of State (A/S) is a title used for many executive positions in the United States Department of State, ranking below the under secretaries. A set of six assistant secretaries reporting to the under secretary for political affairs ...

under Secretary of State

Hamilton Fish Hamilton Fish (August 3, 1808September 7, 1893) was an American politician who served as the 16th Governor of New York from 1849 to 1850, a United States Senator from New York from 1851 to 1857 and the 26th United States Secretary of State ...

. Campbell was a member of the Republican Party. Campbell was appointed American Consul at

Basel, Switzerland , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS), ...

, on December 3, 1877, and resigned on February 4, 1880.

Death and legacy

Campbell died on July 14, 1880 and is interred at

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county ...

Campbell County, Wyoming Campbell County is a county in the U.S. state of Wyoming. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 47,026, making it the third-most populous county in Wyoming. Its county seat is Gillette. Campbell County comprises the Gillett ...

, was named either for him or for Robert Campbell, an early trapper, who was a fur trader associated with William Henry Ashley.

In popular culture

* Campbell is portrayed by

Ed Prentiss Paul Edward Prentiss (September 9, 1908 – March 19, 1992) was an actor in the era of old-time radio.DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, ...

in the '' Lawman'' episode "The Truce" (1960), starring John Russell. In the story line, a wanted outlaw, O.C. Coulsen (played by Robert McQueeney) turns himself in to Marshal Dan Troop in hopes that Governor Campbell will grant Coulsen

clemency A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the j ...

, because Coulsen had saved the governor's life during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. Meanwhile, a sheriff in pursuit seeks credit for Coulsen's arrest. The governor informs Coulsen that he must first undergo arrest and trial before there can be any consideration of a pardon. * Campbell is portrayed by

Jake Weber Jake T. Weber (born 12 March 1963) is an English actor, known in film for his role as Michael in '' Dawn of the Dead'' and for his role as Drew in '' Meet Joe Black''. On television, he is best-known for playing Joe DuBois, the sleep-deprived ...

, as a main character – the provisional governor of Wyoming and overseer of the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

, in ''Hell on Wheels fourth and fifth seasons. * Campbell is the Great Great Grandfather of famous internet celebrity Alex "Warlord" Campbell of Casper, Wyoming.

References

External links