History of Posey County Indiana United States of America

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Alvin Peterson Hovey, governor of Indiana, was born in Posey county, Ind., Sept. 6, 1821; son of Abiel and Prances (Peterson) Hovey; grandson of the Rev. Samuel and Abigail (Cleveland) Hovey; and a descendant of Samuel and Elizabeth (Perkins) Hovey, who resided in Windham, Conn., in 1743. His parents removed from Vermont to Indiana, where he was a bricklayer and gained his education without attending school. He began teaching school when nineteen years old and was admitted to the bar in 1843. He was a delegate to the state constitutional convention of 1850; judge of the third judicial circuit, 1851-54; judge of the state supreme court, 1854-56; president of the Democratic state convention, 1855, and U.S. district attorney for Indiana, 1856-58. He was defeated in 1858 for representative in the 36th congress. He was colonel of the 24th Indiana volunteers, 1861-62; brigadier-general in the volunteer service, 1862-64, and brevet major-general, 1864-65. In the civil war he commanded the eastern district of Arkansas, 1863, and the district of Indiana in 1864-65. He was credited by General Grant, in his official report, for the victory at Champion Hills, May 16, 1863, and in 1864 recruited 10.000 unmarried men to serve in the U.S. army. He was U.S. minister to Peru, by appointment of President Lincoln, 1865-70. He was a Republican representative in the 50th congress, 1887-89; governor of Indiana, 1889-91, and Republican candidate for U.S. senator in January, 1891. He died in Indianapolis, Ind., Nov. 23, 1891.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Posey County Indiana

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