Alonzo J. Edgerton

Alonzo J. Edgerton
Judge of the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota
In office January 16, 1890 – August 9, 1896
Appointed by	Benjamin Harrison
Preceded by	new seat
Succeeded by	John Emmett Carland
United States Senator from Minnesota
In office March 12, 1881 – November 14, 1881
Preceded by	William Windom
Succeeded by	William Windom
Member of the Minnesota Senate
In office 1859 1876
Personal details
Born	Alonzo Jay Edgerton June 7, 1827 Rome, New York
Died	August 9, 1896 (aged 69) Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Political party	Republican
Alma mater	Wesleyan University
Military service
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Service/branch	United States Army Union Army
Years of service	1862-1867
Rank	Colonel Brevet Brigadier General
Unit	10th Minnesota Infantry Regiment 67th U.S. Colored Infantry Regiment
Battles/wars	American Civil War

Alonzo Jay Edgerton (June 7, 1827 – August 9, 1896) was an American politician, a United States federal judge and an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Biography

Alonzo Edgerton was born in Rome, New York. Edgerton graduated from Wesleyan University in 1850, and there became a member of the Mystical Seven. He read law in 1855. After residing in Mississippi and Illinois for periods of time, Edgerton settled in Mantorville in 1855 and was admitted to the bar.^[1] In 1859 he was elected to the Minnesota State Senate.^[2] In 1862 Edgerton organized a company of militia which later constituted Company B of the Tenth Minnesota Infantry Volunteers. By January 1864 he had risen to the rank of Colonel of the 67th Regiment Infantry U.S. Colored Troops. He was brevetted a Brigadier General on March 13, 1865 and confirmed on April 10, 1866.^[1]

Returning to Minnesota, he was in private practice of law in Mantorville, Minnesota from 1867 to 1871. Edgerton became a regent of the University of Minnesota and was in 1872 was appointed as the first state railroad commissioner. After his term ended in 1876 Edgerton returned to the state senate. He was appointed U.S. Senator from Minnesota as a Republican, and served from March 12, 1881 to November 14, 1881 in the 47th congress. Edgerton was a replacement for Senator William Windom, who became Secretary of the Treasury under President James A. Garfield; Windom left the cabinet after Garfield's brief presidency and then was re-elected to serve out the remainder of his own term. Edgerton was later appointed chief justice of the Territorial Supreme Court of Dakota.

When South Dakota was admitted as a State into the Union, he was made United States judge of that district. He also served as president of the constitutional convention of South Dakota.^[3] He was a freemason.^[3] He died in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Legacy

The town of Edgerton, Minnesota is named in his honor.^[4][5]

See also

• List of American Civil War generals
• List of American Civil War brevet Generals (Union)

References

1. Early Settlers of Edgerton webpage
2. Alonzo Jay Edgerton, Minnesota Legislators Past and Present
3. Jon K. Lauck, 'The Foundations of Political Culture in East River South Dakota', in The Plains Political Tradition: Essays on South Dakota Political Culture (eds. Jon K. Lauck, John E. Miller, Donald C. Simmons, Jr.), Pierre, South Dakota: South Dakota State Historical Society Press, 2011, p. 28
4. Early Settlers of Edgerton, Minnesota
5. Upham, Warren (1920). Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance. Minnesota Historical Society. p. 417.

• Alonzo J. Edgerton at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.

External links

• United States Congress. "Alonzo J. Edgerton (id: E000046)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.