Josiah Given (August 31, 1828 – February 3, 1908) was a justice of the Iowa Supreme Court from March 12, 1889 to December 31, 1901, appointed from

Polk County, Iowa Polk County is located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 492,401. It is Iowa's most populous county, and home to over 15% of the state's residents. The county seat is Des Moines, which is also the capital city ...

. He also served as colonel of the 74th Ohio Infantry Regiment during the American Civil War, receiving a

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

to brigadier general.

Biography

Given was born in Murrysville, Pennsylvania on August 31, 1828 of John and Jane Clendenning Given, who had immigrated from Ireland. In 1838 his family moved to Holmes County, Ohio. In 1847 he enlisted in an Ohio regiment and served in the Mexican–American War. At the end of the war he returned to Ohio to study law in the office of his older brother William, and was admitted to the bar in

Stark County, Ohio Stark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 374,853. Its county seat is Canton. The county was created in 1808 and organized the next year. It is named for John Stark, an officer in th ...

in 1850. He married Elizabeth Armor in Millersburg, Ohio on October 6, 1851. Starting in 1856 he had a law practice in Coshocton, Ohio. When the American Civil War started in 1861 he immediately re-enlisted, and during the war served with the

24th Ohio Infantry The 24th Ohio Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 24th Ohio Infantry Regiment was organized at Camp Jackson and Camp Chase near Columbus, Ohio and mustered in for three year ...

as a Captain, the

18th Ohio Infantry The 18th Ohio Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service Three-months regiment Companies A, C, and E enrolled at Ironton, Ohio, on April 22, 1861. Company B enrolled at Marietta, Ohio, o ...

as a Lieutenant Colonel and the

74th Ohio Infantry The 74th Ohio Infantry Regiment, sometimes 74th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (or 74th OVI) was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 74th Ohio Infantry was organized in Xenia, Ohio, beginning October 5 ...

as a colonel. He participated in 22 battles over the course of the war. After the war, he served as Postmaster of the United States House of Representatives during the

39th Congress The 39th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1865, ...

, sponsored by James A. Garfield, who was then a representative from Ohio. He moved to Des Moines, Iowa after that to practice law. He served as

District Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a l ...

in Polk County and various judicial positions including circuit judge, district judge, and justice of the Iowa Supreme Court. He died in Des Moines on February 3, 1908 and was buried in Woodland Cemetery.

References

Burials at Woodland Cemetery (Des Moines, Iowa) Justices of the Iowa Supreme Court Union Army colonels People of Ohio in the American Civil War 1828 births 1908 deaths People from Murrysville, Pennsylvania People from Holmes County, Ohio People from Des Moines, Iowa 19th-century American judges Military personnel from Pennsylvania Military personnel from Iowa {{Iowa-state-judge-stub