John Wilson Shaffer (July 5, 1827 – October 31, 1870) was an American politician and businessman who served as the 7th Governor of Utah Territory.

Biography

Born in

Lewisburg, Pennsylvania Lewisburg is a borough in Union County, Pennsylvania, United States, south by southeast of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Williamsport and north of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. The population was 5,158 as of the United States Census 202 ...

, Shaffer was active in Republican politics in

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

. In 1849, Shaffer settled in

Freeport, Illinois Freeport is the largest city in Stephenson County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. The population was 23,973 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, and the mayor of Freeport is Jodi Miller, elected in 2017. Freeport is k ...

and was involved in the mercantile business. Then, in 1856, he was elected sheriff of

Stephenson County, Illinois Stephenson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 United States census, it had a population of 44,630. Its county seat is Freeport. Stephenson County is included in the Freeport, IL Micropolitan Sta ...

. He was elected clerk and recorder for the Illinois Circuit Court for Stephenson County. Shaffer served in the

15th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 15th Illinois Infantry Regimenty was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 15th Illinois Infantry Volunteer Regiment was raised under the 10 Regiment Act. The 15th Illinois Infantry was ...

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 ...

and later served as quartermaster; being

brevetted In military terminology, a brevet ( or ) is a warrant which gives commissioned officers a higher military rank as a reward without necessarily conferring the authority and privileges granted by that rank. The promotion would be noted in the of ...

brigadier general when the war ended. He was appointed governor of the territory of

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

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 ...

. He was known for his strict opposition of any hint of rebellion against the federal government, which led to concerns with the Mormon population. He died suddenly during his first year as governor.Thomas Mears Eddy, ed. ''The Patriotism of Illinois. A Record of the Civil and Military History of the State in the War for the Union'', vol. 2 (Chicago: Clark & Company Publishers, 1866), 353-56, "Colonel John Wilson Shaffer."

Notes

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Shaffer, John Wilson 1827 births 1870 deaths People from Lewisburg, Pennsylvania People from Freeport, Illinois Businesspeople from Illinois People of Illinois in the American Civil War Illinois Republicans Illinois sheriffs Governors of Utah Territory Utah Republicans Union army colonels 19th-century American businesspeople Military personnel from Pennsylvania

Biography

Notes

Further reading

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