Durbin Ward facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jesse Durbin Ward
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sketch by Henry Howe
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| Born | February 11, 1819 Augusta, Kentucky |
| Died | May 22, 1886 (aged 67) Lebanon, Ohio |
| Allegiance | United States Union |
| Service/ |
United States Army Union Army |
| Rank |  Colonel Brevet Brigadier General |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
| Signature |  |
Jesse Durbin Ward (born February 11, 1819 – died May 22, 1886) was a notable person from Ohio. He was a lawyer, a politician, and even owned a newspaper. He also served as an officer in the American Civil War.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jesse Durbin Ward was born in Augusta, Kentucky. His mother named him after a famous Methodist preacher, John Price Durbin.
Around 1823, his family moved to Fayette County, Indiana. Even though he didn't have many books, Jesse loved to read. A historian named Josiah Morrow said that by age eighteen, Jesse had read every book he had ever seen! He always loved to learn.
Jesse went to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio for two years. After that, he taught school in Warren County, Ohio. He then studied law with Judge George J. Smith and Thomas Corwin. Corwin later became the Governor of Ohio. After Jesse became a lawyer, he worked with Corwin.
A Career in Politics
In 1845, Jesse Ward was elected as Warren County's Prosecuting Attorney. He was a member of the Whig Party at that time. He held this job from 1846 to 1850.
From 1853 to 1854, he represented Warren County in the Ohio General Assembly. This was Ohio's state legislature. During this time, he helped pass a law to close the Warren County Canal. This canal was not making money for the state.
After leaving the legislature, Jesse opened a law office in Cincinnati, Ohio. He still lived in Lebanon. Around this time, he joined the Democratic Party. He ran for Congress in 1856 and for Ohio Attorney General in 1858, but he did not win these elections.
Serving in the Civil War
When the American Civil War began, President Abraham Lincoln asked for volunteers. Jesse Ward was one of the first people in his area to join the army. He started as a private, even though he could have been an officer.
He quickly rose through the ranks and became a major in the 17th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He fought in several important battles, including Mill Springs, Corinth, Stone River, Hoover's Gap, and Chickamauga.
At the Battle of Chickamauga, Jesse was badly wounded in his left arm. This injury left his arm permanently crippled. On March 1, 1864, he was made a colonel of the 17th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He left the army on November 8, 1864.
After the war, in 1866, President Andrew Johnson honored Jesse Ward. He was given the rank of brevet brigadier general. This was to recognize his brave actions at the Battle of Chickamauga.
Life After the War
After the Civil War ended, President Andrew Johnson appointed Jesse Ward as the United States Attorney for Southern Ohio. In 1870, he was elected as a senator in the Ohio General Assembly again.
Jesse Ward also started a newspaper in Lebanon called The Lebanon Patriot. It was a Democratic newspaper. The first issue was published on January 16, 1868. He sold the newspaper to Edward Warwick in the 1870s.
In 1883, Jesse Ward became the president of the Ohio State Bar Association. This is a group for lawyers in Ohio.
Later Years
Jesse Durbin Ward passed away in Lebanon, Ohio on May 22, 1886. He was buried in the Lebanon Cemetery.
