Edwin Eustace Bryant (January 10, 1835August 11, 1903) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

lawyer, Republican politician, and Union Army officer. He was dean of the

University of Wisconsin Law School The University of Wisconsin Law School is the Law school in the United States, law school of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, a Public university, public research university in Madison, Wisconsin. Founded in 1868, the school is guided by a ...

, served as a private secretary to Wisconsin Governor

Lucius Fairchild Lucius Fairchild (December 27, 1831May 23, 1896) was an American politician, soldier, and diplomat. He served as the tenth governor of Wisconsin and represented the United States as Minister to Spain under presidents Rutherford B. Hayes and Jam ...

, and was appointed an assistant attorney general for the

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...

by President

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States, serving from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. He was the first U.S. president to serve nonconsecutive terms and the first Hist ...

Early life

Edwin Bryant was born in

Milton, Vermont Milton is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,723. According to local legend, the town was named after the English poet John Milton, but the name most likely originated from William ...

, in 1835. He received an academic education and attended the

New Hampton Institute New Hampton School is an independent college preparatory high school in New Hampton, New Hampshire, United States. It has 330 students from over 30 states and 22 countries. The average class size is eleven, and the student-faculty ratio is five ...

for two years. In 1856 he moved to

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

, and, the following year, moved to

Janesville, Wisconsin Janesville is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 65,615, making it the List of cities in Wisconsin, tenth-most populous city in Wis ...

, where he was admitted to the

State Bar of Wisconsin The State Bar of Wisconsin (SBW) is the integrated (mandatory) bar association of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Created by the Wisconsin Supreme Court for all attorneys who hold a Wisconsin law license, the State Bar of Wisconsin aids the courts i ...

. Shortly thereafter, he moved to

Monroe, Wisconsin Monroe is a city in Green County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. The population was 10,661 at the 2020 census. The city is bordered by the town of Monroe to the north and the town of Clarno to the south. It is nicknamed the "C ...

, where he practiced law and became part-owner and editor of the ''Monroe Sentinel''.

Civil War service

At the outbreak of 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 ...

, Bryant volunteered for service with a Wisconsin militia company and was enrolled in the

3rd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment The 3rd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 3rd Wisconsin assembled at Camp Hamilton, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and mustered into Federal service on June ...

. He declined an officer's commission, but at the organization of the regiment, he was appointed

sergeant major Sergeant major is a senior Non-commissioned officer, non-commissioned Military rank, rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. History In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's ...

. Within a year, he received a commission anyway and was appointed adjutant to the regiment's colonel, Thomas H. Ruger. With the 3rd Wisconsin Infantry, Bryant participated in many of the significant battles of the eastern theater of the war, including

Antietam The Battle of Antietam ( ), also called the Battle of Sharpsburg, particularly in the Southern United States, took place during the American Civil War on September 17, 1862, between Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virgin ...

, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. In August 1863, he was with the brigade sent to quell the New York City draft riots. In the fall of 1863, he returned to Wisconsin as commissioner of the

draft board {{further, Conscription in the United StatesDraft boards are a part of the Selective Service System which register and select men of military age in the event of conscription in the United States. Local board The local draft board is a board tha ...

and served in that capacity for a year. In the spring of 1865, he was commissioned lieutenant colonel of the

50th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment The 50th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment was a United States Volunteers, volunteer infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 50th Wisconsin was organized at Camp Randall in Madison, Wiscons ...

and returned to federal service. After re-entering federal service, Colonel Bryant was detailed from his regiment to a military commission—he worked as a

judge advocate Judge-advocates are military lawyers serving in different capacities in the military justice systems of different jurisdictions. Australia The Australian Army Legal Corps (AALC) consists of Regular and Reserve commissioned officers that prov ...

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

for the next year.

Postbellum career

Bryant resigned from military service in 1866 and returned to Monroe, Wisconsin, where he resumed his law practice and became president of the board of directors of Monroe public schools. In 1868, however, he was called to

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the List of municipalities in Wisconsin by population, second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 269,840 at the 2020 Uni ...

, to serve as adjutant general of the

Wisconsin National Guard The Wisconsin National Guard consists of the Wisconsin Army National Guard and the Wisconsin Air National Guard. It is a part of the Government of Wisconsin under the control of the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs. The Wisconsin Nation ...

and private secretary to Governor

. In Madison, Bryant became closely associated with

John Coit Spooner John Coit Spooner (January 6, 1843June 11, 1919) was an American lawyer and Republican politician from Hudson, Wisconsin. He represented Wisconsin as a United States Senator from 1885 to 1891, then again from 1897 to 1907. In his latter stint ...

and

William Freeman Vilas William Freeman Vilas (July 9, 1840August 27, 1908) was an American lawyer, politician, and United States Senator. In the U.S. Senate, he represented the state of Wisconsin for one term, from 1891 to 1897. As a prominent Bourbon Democrat, he wa ...

, both of whom later went on to become United States senators. After the end of the Fairchild administration in 1872, Bryant and Vilas were appointed by the

Wisconsin Supreme Court The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the Supreme court, highest and final court of appeals in the state judicial system of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. In addition to hearing appeals of lower Wisconsin court decisions, the Wisconsin Supreme Court also ...

to revise and annotate 18 volumes of the Wisconsin reports (Supreme Court decisions). At the same time, Bryant and Vilas entered into a law partnership which would continue for the next decade. In 1874, Bryant was the Republican nominee for

district attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...

Dane County Dane County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 561,504, making it the second-most populous county in Wisconsin after Milwaukee County, Wiscon ...

, but was defeated by the Democratic incumbent, Burr W. Jones. In May 1876, Bryant was re-appointed adjutant general of Wisconsin by Governor

Harrison Ludington Harrison Ludington (July 30, 1812June 17, 1891) was an American businessman, Republican politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He served as the 13th governor of Wisconsin and was the 20th and 22nd mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Early life and car ...

, and was retained in that office by Ludington's successor, William E. Smith. While serving as adjutant general, in 1877, Bryant was elected to one term in the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Assembly is controlled by the Republican ...

from

's 2nd Assembly district (at the time this district comprised the city of Madison and southeast Dane County). After his term as adjutant general expired in 1882, he was appointed chief clerk of the U.S. House Committee on Public Lands, under the chairmanship of Wisconsin congressman Thaddeus C. Pound, and moved to

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

A year later, however, Bryant returned to Madison, purchased a one-third stake in the ownership of the ''Madison Democrat'', and converted his political affiliation to the Democratic Party. In the

1884 United States presidential election United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 4, 1884. Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Governor Grover Cleveland of New York (state), New York narrowly defeated United States R ...

, Bryant campaigned extensively for

. After his election, Cleveland appointed Bryant assistant attorney general for the

. His longtime friend and colleague, William F. Vilas, was appointed U.S. Postmaster General. He ultimately served in that role for the entire Cleveland administration. In 1889, Bryant returned to Madison and was appointed dean of the

, where he served until his death in 1903. Bryant also served as chairman of the Fish Commission of Wisconsin. He also wrote about national law and Wisconsin. He died on a train near

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

while traveling to visit his birthplace in Vermont.''Proceedings of the State Bar Association of Wisconsin 1907'', Wisconsin Bar Association: 1907, Biographical Sketch of Edwin Eustace Bryant, pp. 260–264

Published works

* * *

Electoral history

Dane County District Attorney (1874)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 3, 1874

Wisconsin Assembly (1877)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 6, 1877

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bryant, Edwin E. 1835 births 1903 deaths People from Milton, Vermont Politicians from Janesville, Wisconsin People from Monroe, Wisconsin Lawyers from Madison, Wisconsin Writers from Madison, Wisconsin Politicians from Madison, Wisconsin Writers from Vermont Wisconsin lawyers Wisconsin Democrats Wisconsin Republicans Editors of Wisconsin newspapers People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War United States assistant attorneys general University of Wisconsin Law School faculty Members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Adjutants General of Wisconsin 19th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature