Oscar Eugene Learnard (November 14, 1832 – November 6, 1911) was a campaigner for Free State Kansas, a Republican organizer, a colonel in 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 ...

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 state ...

, a railroad official, a two-term

Kansas State Senator The Kansas Senate is the upper house of the Kansas Legislature, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. State of Kansas. It is composed of 40 senators elected from single-member districts, each with a population of at ...

, and a school administrator.

Early life and education

Learnard was born in

Fairfax, Vermont Fairfax is a town in Franklin County, Vermont, United States. The population was 5,014 at the 2020 census. Geography The New England town of Fairfax is in southern Franklin County and is bordered by Chittenden County to the south. According to ...

on November 14, 1832, the son of Stephen Tracy and Polly (Dee) Learnard, and was educated at

Bakersfield Academy Bakersfield is a town in Franklin County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,273 at the 2020 census. Geography Bakersfield is located in southeastern Franklin County, bordered by Lamoille County to the southeast. Vermont Route 108 pass ...

before entering

Norwich University Norwich University – The Military College of Vermont is a private senior military college in Northfield, Vermont. It is the oldest private and senior military college in the United States and offers bachelor's and master's degrees on-cam ...

in 1852. He later studied at

Albany Law School Albany Law School is a private law school in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1851 and is the oldest independent law school in the nation. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and has an affiliation agreement with University at A ...

, and was admitted to the bar in 1855. He moved to Ohio in the summer of 1855. During the winter of 1855–1856, he moved to

Lawrence, Kansas Lawrence is the county seat of Douglas County, Kansas, United States, and the sixth-largest city in the state. It is in the northeastern sector of the state, astride Interstate 70, between the Kansas and Wakarusa Rivers. As of the 2020 census ...

and joined the effort to have Kansas admitted as a free state.

Career and military service

In 1857, Learnard helped set out the town of

Burlington, Kansas Burlington is a city in and the county seat of Coffey County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,634. History Burlington was founded in 1857. It was named after Burlington, Vermont, the native h ...

and built the first mill, the first business building, and a structure used as a school and church. He served as a member of the council of the first free state legislature from 1857 to 1859. Learnard was judge of the 5th Judicial Circuit after the state government was established. He supported the Free State Movemeent, opposing slavery, and was a local organizer for the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) *Republican Party ...

. Learnard resigned his judgeship at the beginning of the Civil War. He enrolled as a lieutenant colonel in the 1st Kansas regiment and served until he resigned his commission in 1863. He participated in

Price's Raid Price's Missouri Expedition (August 29 – December 2, 1864), also known as Price's Raid or Price's Missouri Raid, was an unsuccessful Confederate cavalry raid through Arkansas, Missouri, and Kansas in the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the Am ...

of Kansas, the

Battle of Little Blue River The Battle of Little Blue River was fought on October 21, 1864, as part of Price's Raid during the American Civil War. Major General Sterling Price of the Confederate States Army led an army into Missouri in September 1864 with hopes of ...

, and at

Westport, Missouri Westport is a historic neighborhood in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. Originally an independent town, it was annexed by Kansas City in 1897. It is one of Kansas City's main entertainment districts. Westport has a lending library, a branch of the K ...

in 1864. After the war, he served in the state senate from 1868 to 1871. He worked for the Kansas City, Fort Scott & Memphis Railroad Company as a tax commissioner and special attorney for a quarter of a century. Learnard became proprietor of the local daily and weekly newspaper, the ''Lawrence Journal'', which he ran beginning in 1884. Land that he had owned was used in 1889 to establish a native American school called the Haskill Institute, where he was superintendent for a year.

Personal life

On March 2, 1862, he married Mary Sophia Eldridge (1842–1933) in Lawrence; they had six children. His wife survived Quantrill's Raid, also called the

Lawrence massacre The Lawrence Massacre, also known as Quantrill's Raid, was an attack during the American Civil War (186165) by Quantrill's Raiders, a Confederate guerrilla group led by William Quantrill, on the Unionist town of Lawrence, Kansas, killing a ...

on August 21, 1863. He died on November 6, 1911. His papers, which provide insight into his political views and other topics, are held at the

Kansas Historical Society The Kansas Historical Society is the official state historical society of Kansas. Headquartered in Topeka, it operates as "the trustee of the state" for the purpose of maintaining the state's history and operates the Kansas Museum of History, Kans ...

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Learnard, Oscar People from Kansas Kansas state senators 1832 births 1911 deaths People from Kansas Territory American civil rights activists