Silas Demarcus Coffey (February 23, 1839 – March 6, 1904) was a justice of the

Indiana Supreme Court The Indiana Supreme Court, established by Article 7 of the Indiana Constitution, is the highest judicial authority in the state of Indiana. Located in Indianapolis, the Court's chambers are in the north wing of the Indiana Statehouse. In Dec ...

from January 7, 1889 to January 7, 1895.

Early life, education, and military service

Born in

Owen County, Indiana Owen County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. In 1920 the United States Census Bureau calculated the mean center of U.S. population to fall within this county. As of the 2020 United States census, it had a population of 21,321. Its co ...

, Coffey attended

Indiana University at Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington, Indiana University, IU, IUB, or Indiana) is a public university, public research university in Bloomington, Indiana, United States. It is the flagship university, flagship campus of Indiana Univer ...

in 1860, but "withdrew when the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

erupted".Minde C. Browning, Richard Humphrey, and Bruce Kleinschmidt,
Biographical Sketches of Indiana Supreme Court Justices
, ''

Indiana Law Review Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law (IU McKinney) is the law school of Indiana University Indianapolis, a public research university in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has been based in Lawrence W. Inlow Hall in Indianapolis ...

'', Vol. 30, No. 1 (1997), section reproduced i
Indiana Courts Justice Biographies page
He enlisted in the Union Army for a three month tour of duty. His regiment, the Fourteenth Indiana Infantry, was deployed, and remained in the military for three years. While serving, " carried a copy of Blackstone's Commentaries with him", and "studied while halting on a march and read at night by the light of the campfires". He served actively until June 1863, when he was transferred to the

Veteran Reserve Corps The Veteran Reserve Corps (originally the Invalid Corps) was a military reserve organization created within the Union Army during the American Civil War to allow partially disabled or otherwise infirm soldiers (or former soldiers) to perform li ...

for the remainder of his service.

Legal and judicial career

Coffey returned to private life on November 1, 1864, and continued to study law, entering private practice in

Bowling Green, Indiana Bowling Green is an unincorporated town in Washington Township, Clay County, Indiana. It is part of the Terre Haute Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The town was probably named after Bowling Green, Virginia. The first post office was ...

, then the county seat of

Clay County Clay County is the name of 18 counties in the United States. Most are named for Henry Clay, U.S. Senator and statesman: * Clay County, Alabama * Clay County, Arkansas (named for John Clayton, and originally named Clayton County) * Clay County, Fl ...

. He partnered with influential Indiana Bar member Allen T. Rose until 1868, and then with Major W. W. Carter. During this time, Coffey "was an active participant in the Republican Party". On March 25, 1881, Governor Porter appointed Coffey to a seat on the Indiana Circuit Court, to fill the unexpired term of Judge Turman. In June of the following year, Coffey "was nominated by acclamation to continue the position of circuit judge", serving until his election to the Indiana Supreme Court in 1888. Coffey retired from the bench in 1895, returning to private practice in Brazil, Indiana, in partnership with Judge McGregor, until his death.

Personal life

Coffey married Caroline Byles, from a Pennsylvania family, with whom he had six children, of whom three daughters and one son lived. He died in

Brazil, Indiana Brazil is a city in Clay County, Indiana, United States. The population was 8,176 at the 2022 census. The city is the county seat of Clay County. It is part of the Terre Haute Metropolitan Statistical Area. There is a fountain from the country o ...

. The Clay County Bar passed a resolution stating, of Coffey, "In his death this community has lost a useful and valuable citizen; the bar has lost an able lawyer, and his family a kind, devoted, and affectionate husband and father".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coffey, Silas Justices of the Indiana Supreme Court Indiana Republicans 1839 births 1904 deaths People of Indiana in the American Civil War People from Owen County, Indiana U.S. state supreme court judges admitted to the practice of law by reading law Union army soldiers Indiana University Bloomington alumni 19th-century Indiana state court judges