Henry M. Hoyt
Encyclopedia
Henry Martyn Hoyt, Sr. (June 8, 1830 – December 1, 1892) was the 18th Governor of Pennsylvania
from 1879 to 1883, as well as a general in the Union army
during the American Civil War
.
and attended Wyoming Seminary. He initially attended Lafayette College before moving on to Williams College where he graduated in 1849, with Phi Beta Kappa honors, as a member of The Kappa Alpha Society
. From 1851 to 1853 he taught Mathematics at Wyoming Seminary and then studied law. Hoyt first held elected office as a district attorney. He was married to Mary Loveland and had three children, one of them the minor poet
Helen Hoyt
, and Henry Martyn Hoyt, Jr.
(December 1856 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
– 1910) and Maud Buckingham Hoyt (July 12, 1859 in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. – ?). He was also the grandfather of the poet Elinor Wylie
. A member of the Whig Party, Hoyt participated in John Fremont's 1856 presidential campaign
.
Henry M.Hoyt was the son of Ziba and Nancy (Herbert) Hoyt. Ziba Hoyt was born in Connecticut on September 1788 died in December 1853 Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
. Henry M. Hoyt was grandson of Daniel and Ann (Gunn) Hoyt, nephew of Levi Hoyt. The Hoyts settled in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Henry M. Hoyt married Mary Elizabeth Loveland daughter of Elijah and Mary (Buckingham) Loveland. Henry and Mary Elizabeth (Loveland) Hoyt were married On September 25, 1855. Mary Elizabeth (Loveland) Hoyt was born April 1833 and died October 1890 Luzerne County,Pennsylvania.
of the 52nd Pennsylvania Infantry
, leading it during the Peninsula Campaign
and subsequent actions of the Army of the Potomac
until January 1863, the regiment was ordered to Charleston, South Carolina
.
He participated in the siege of Morris Island
under Brig. Gen. Quincy A. Gillmore. Hoyt led troops in a rare night attack on Fort Johnson, steathily arriving in the darkness via boats. He initially captured the fort, but was unable to hold it for lack of reinforcements and he and many of his men were captured in a Confederate
counterattack
. After being confined in Macon, Georgia
, Hoyt was taken back to Charleston, and escaped briefly before being recaptured.
Upon his eventual exchange, he rejoined his regiment, with which he remained till the close of the war, when he was mustered out with the rank of brevet
brigadier general.
In 1881 he received the degree of LL. D. from the University of Pennsylvania
and also from Lafayette College
. He authored two books—"Controversy between Connecticut and Pennsylvania" (Philadelphia, 1879) and "Protection vs. Free Trade" (New York, 1885).
campus of the Pennsylvania State University
named after him.He is buried next to his wife in the Forty Fort
Cemetery in Luzerne County, Pa.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
from 1879 to 1883, as well as a general in the Union army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Early life and career
Hoyt was born in Kingston, PennsylvaniaKingston, Pennsylvania
Kingston is a municipality located in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States, on the Susquehanna River opposite Wilkes Barre. Kingston was incorporated as a borough in 1857. Kingston has adopted a home rule charter which became effective in January 1976. It is part of the greater metropolitan...
and attended Wyoming Seminary. He initially attended Lafayette College before moving on to Williams College where he graduated in 1849, with Phi Beta Kappa honors, as a member of The Kappa Alpha Society
Kappa Alpha Society
The Kappa Alpha Society , founded in 1825, was the progenitor of the modern fraternity system in North America. It was the first of the fraternities which would eventually become known as the Union Triad...
. From 1851 to 1853 he taught Mathematics at Wyoming Seminary and then studied law. Hoyt first held elected office as a district attorney. He was married to Mary Loveland and had three children, one of them the minor poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
Helen Hoyt
Helen Hoyt
Helen Lyman commonly known as Helen Hoyt or Helen Hoyt Lyman was an American poet.-Life and work:...
, and Henry Martyn Hoyt, Jr.
Henry M. Hoyt (Solicitor general)
Henry Martyn Hoyt, Jr. served as Solicitor General of the United States from 1903 to 1909. His father, also named Henry Martyn Hoyt, served as governor of Pennsylvania from 1879 to 1883.-Biography:...
(December 1856 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...
– 1910) and Maud Buckingham Hoyt (July 12, 1859 in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. – ?). He was also the grandfather of the poet Elinor Wylie
Elinor Wylie
Elinor Morton Wylie was an American poet and novelist popular in the 1920s and 1930s. "She was famous during her life almost as much for her ethereal beauty and personality as for her melodious, sensuous poetry."...
. A member of the Whig Party, Hoyt participated in John Fremont's 1856 presidential campaign
United States presidential election, 1860
The United States presidential election of 1860 was a quadrennial election, held on November 6, 1860, for the office of President of the United States and the immediate impetus for the outbreak of the American Civil War. The nation had been divided throughout the 1850s on questions surrounding the...
.
Henry M.Hoyt was the son of Ziba and Nancy (Herbert) Hoyt. Ziba Hoyt was born in Connecticut on September 1788 died in December 1853 Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
- Demographics :As of the 2010 census, the county was 90.7% White, 3.4% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 3.3% were of some other race, and 1.5% were two or more races. 6.7% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino ancestry...
. Henry M. Hoyt was grandson of Daniel and Ann (Gunn) Hoyt, nephew of Levi Hoyt. The Hoyts settled in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Henry M. Hoyt married Mary Elizabeth Loveland daughter of Elijah and Mary (Buckingham) Loveland. Henry and Mary Elizabeth (Loveland) Hoyt were married On September 25, 1855. Mary Elizabeth (Loveland) Hoyt was born April 1833 and died October 1890 Luzerne County,Pennsylvania.
Military career
As a soldier in the Civil War, Hoyt was initially commissioned as Lieutenant Colonel, then as colonelColonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
of the 52nd Pennsylvania Infantry
52nd Pennsylvania Infantry
The 52nd Pennsylvania Volunteers was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-History:The regiment was organized in August 1861 from the northeast counties of Pennsylvania. John C. Dodge, Jr. recruited the unit and served as its first colonel...
, leading it during the Peninsula Campaign
Peninsula Campaign
The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The operation, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B...
and subsequent actions of the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
until January 1863, the regiment was ordered to Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
.
He participated in the siege of Morris Island
Morris Island
Morris Island is an 840 acre uninhabited island in Charleston Harbor in South Carolina, accessible only by boat. The island lies in the outer reaches of the harbor and was thus a strategic location in the American Civil War.-History:...
under Brig. Gen. Quincy A. Gillmore. Hoyt led troops in a rare night attack on Fort Johnson, steathily arriving in the darkness via boats. He initially captured the fort, but was unable to hold it for lack of reinforcements and he and many of his men were captured in a Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
counterattack
Counterattack
A counterattack is a tactic used in response against an attack. The term originates in military strategy. The general objective is to negate or thwart the advantage gained by the enemy in attack and the specific objectives are usually to regain lost ground or to destroy attacking enemy units.It is...
. After being confined in Macon, Georgia
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
, Hoyt was taken back to Charleston, and escaped briefly before being recaptured.
Upon his eventual exchange, he rejoined his regiment, with which he remained till the close of the war, when he was mustered out with the rank of brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
brigadier general.
Law career
After the war, Hoyt returned to his law practice. After briefly serving as a judge, he rose in influence with the Republican party and chaired the state Republican party from 1875 to 1876. He won the governor's seat in 1878, the third consecutive Civil War general to hold the office. During his term, the debt of the state was reduced to $10,000,000, and refunded at the rate of three per cent.In 1881 he received the degree of LL. D. from the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
and also from Lafayette College
Lafayette College
Lafayette College is a private coeducational liberal arts and engineering college located in Easton, Pennsylvania, USA. The school, founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter,son of General Andrew Porter of Norristown and citizens of Easton, first began holding classes in 1832...
. He authored two books—"Controversy between Connecticut and Pennsylvania" (Philadelphia, 1879) and "Protection vs. Free Trade" (New York, 1885).
In memoriam
Hoyt has a residence hall in the South Halls section of the University ParkUniversity Park, Pennsylvania
University Park, Pennsylvania is an unincorporated community in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States, and is the location of the flagship campus of the Pennsylvania State University....
campus of the Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
named after him.He is buried next to his wife in the Forty Fort
Forty Fort
Forty Fort was a stronghold built by settlers from Connecticut on the Susquehanna River in Westmoreland County, Connecticut, now Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.It was a place of refuge for displaced settlers during the Battle of Wyoming in 1778....
Cemetery in Luzerne County, Pa.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals