Ebenezer Dumont (November 23, 1814 – April 16, 1871) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, serving two terms from 1863 to 1867. Prior to his service in

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

, he was a general in the Union Army during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

Early life and career

Born in

Vevay, Indiana Vevay ( ) is a town located in Jefferson Township and the county seat of Switzerland County, Indiana, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 1,741 at the 2020 census. History The first settlers who arrived in 1802 were Swiss im ...

, his parents were John Dumont, who was a member of the Indiana Legislature in 1822–23, and was afterward a candidate for the office of

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

, against David Wallace, and

Julia Louisa Dumont Julia Louisa Dumont (October 1794 – January 2, 1857) was an American educator and writer of prose. Born in Northwest Territory, she resided for 43 years at Vevay, Indiana. She is remembered as the first Hoosier to become known beyond the State th ...

, educator and writer. Dumont pursued classical studies at

Hanover College Hanover College is a private college in Hanover, Indiana, United States, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Founded in 1827 by Reverend John Finley Crowe, it is Indiana's oldest private college. The Hanover athletic teams participat ...

and studied law. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

and commenced practice in Vevay. He served as member of the State house of representatives in 1838. He served as the treasurer of Vevay from 1839 to 1845. He then signed up for military service during the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

, serving as a lieutenant colonel of the 4th Indiana Infantry Regiment. Upon his return to the Hoosier State, Dumont resumed his law practice. He served as member of the State house of representatives in 1850 and 1853.

Civil War

During the Civil War, Governor Oliver P. Morton appointed Dumont as

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), 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 colon ...

of the 7th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, which, after seeing initial action in

western Virginia Western Virginia is a geographic region in Virginia comprising the Shenandoah Valley and Southwest Virginia. Generally, areas in Virginia located west of, or (in many cases) within, the piedmont region are considered part of western Virginia. T ...

, primarily fought in the Western Theater. Dumont was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers on September 3, 1861, and served until February 28, 1863, when he resigned from the army to resume his political career.

Congress

Dumont was elected as a Unionist to the Thirty-eighth Congress and was reelected as a Republican to the Thirty-ninth Congress (March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1867). He served as chairman of the Committee on District of Columbia (Thirty-eighth Congress) and the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of the Interior (Thirty-ninth Congress). He was not a candidate for renomination in 1866.

Later career and death

He was appointed by President

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. In 1865, as Commanding General of the United States Army, commanding general, Grant led the Uni ...

as the Governor of Idaho Territory, but died in

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

, on April 16, 1871, before taking the oath of office. He was interred in

Crown Hill Cemetery Crown Hill Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located at 700 West 38th Street in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana. The privately owned cemetery was established in 1863 at Strawberry Hill, whose summit was renamed "The Crown", a high poi ...

References

Retrieved on February 12, 2008 {{DEFAULTSORT:Dumont, Ebenezer Union army generals People of Indiana in the American Civil War American military personnel of the Mexican–American War 1814 births 1871 deaths Burials at Crown Hill Cemetery Speakers of the Indiana House of Representatives Hanover College alumni Indiana Unionists Unionist Party members of the United States House of Representatives People from Vevay, Indiana Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Indiana General Assembly

Early life and career

Civil War

Congress

Later career and death

See also

References