John Wesley Emerson
Encyclopedia
John Wesley Emerson was an American lawyer, American Civil War
commander
, Missouri Circuit Court
judge
, and the founder and principal investor of the Emerson Electric Company
.
.
He attended Iron City College in Pennsylvania
, and later graduated from the University of Michigan
, at Ann Arbor, Michigan. He studied law under William M. Moffatt, a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
attorney
, and was admitted to the Bar association
in Missouri in 1857. He practiced law in Ironton, Missouri
for the remainder of his life.
On September 12, 1855, Emerson married Sarah Maria Young, in Oswego, New York
. Sarah was descended from the Young and Elsworth families of Revolutionary war
fame.
) on the staff of William "Bull" Nelson at the Battle of Richmond, Ky. in 1862, where he was reportedly wounded.
In 1863, he was commissioned by Missouri Governor Hamilton R. Gamble. He was given the rank of Colonel
in the 68th Enrolled Missouri Militia, which was subsequently disbanded.
In 1864, he enlisted in the 47th Missouri Volunteer Infantry
. His initial rank was Private
. Soon he was commissioned major
of the regiment.
Detachments of the 47th Missouri were involved in the Battle of Pilot Knob in September 1864. In October, he was tasked by General Rosecrans to reopen the Iron Mountain Railroad
from St. Louis, Missouri
to Pilot Knob. In this mission he was again wounded in battle.
in 1865 Emerson's Regiment was ordered to assist General Thomas Welsh
, at Nashville, Tennessee
. His regiment pursued General Hood as far as Alabama
, capturing more than 1000 prisoners. Emerson was in command of the regiment through the end of the war.
at Ironton, and was appointed to the Judgeship of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Court, which he eventually resigned. After leaving the bench, he was appointed by President Grover Cleveland
to the United States Marshall for the Eastern District of Missouri
. He served in this capacity for four years.
capital and lent his name to a new corporation creating the “Emerson Electric Manufacturing Company”, and served as the company’s first President from 1890 to 1892.
In 1892, Emerson retired, selling his interest in Emerson Electric to Herbert L. Parker, a former railroad executive.
and wrote a history of General Grant's campaign in the Mississippi Valley.
Emerson died on June 20, 1899 in Ironton, Missouri.
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...
commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
, Missouri Circuit Court
Missouri Circuit Courts
The Missouri Circuit Courts are the state trial courts of original jurisdiction and general jurisdiction of the state of Missouri.-Jurisdiction:The Missouri Constitution provides for the Circuit Courts in Article V, Judicial Department.-List of circuits:...
judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
, and the founder and principal investor of the Emerson Electric Company
Emerson Electric Company
Emerson Electric Company is a major multinational corporation headquartered in Ferguson, Missouri, United States. This Fortune 500 company manufactures products and provides engineering services for a wide range of industrial, commercial, and consumer markets.Emerson is one of the largest...
.
Early life
Emerson was born to William and Rosannah Ellen (Young) Emerson on July 26, 1832 in Pepperell, MassachusettsPepperell, Massachusetts
Pepperell is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,497 at the 2010 census. It includes the village of East Pepperell.-History:...
.
He attended Iron City College in Pennsylvania
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...
, and later graduated from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, at Ann Arbor, Michigan. He studied law under William M. Moffatt, a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, and was admitted to the Bar association
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
in Missouri in 1857. He practiced law in Ironton, Missouri
Ironton, Missouri
Ironton is a city in Iron County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,471 at the 2000 census and is 12 Miles South Of Belgrade. It is the county seat of Iron County.-Geography:Ironton is located at...
for the remainder of his life.
On September 12, 1855, Emerson married Sarah Maria Young, in Oswego, New York
Oswego, New York
Oswego is a city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 18,142 at the 2010 census. Oswego is located on Lake Ontario in north-central New York and promotes itself as "The Port City of Central New York"...
. Sarah was descended from the Young and Elsworth families of Revolutionary war
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
fame.
Military service
He was a volunteer aide (without rank or commissionOr Commission
The Or Commission was a panel of inquiry appointed by the Israeli government to investigate the events of October 2000 at the beginning of the Second Intifada in which 12 Arab citizens of Israel and one Palestinian were killed by Israeli police amidst several demonstrations...
) on the staff of William "Bull" Nelson at the Battle of Richmond, Ky. in 1862, where he was reportedly wounded.
In 1863, he was commissioned by Missouri Governor Hamilton R. Gamble. He was given the rank of Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in the 68th Enrolled Missouri Militia, which was subsequently disbanded.
In 1864, he enlisted in the 47th Missouri Volunteer Infantry
47th Missouri Volunteer Infantry
The 47th Missouri Volunteer Infantry was a Federal volunteer infantry regiment recruited in Missouri. It was organized in August and September 1864, and was attached to the District of St. Louis until December 1864. During this period, elements of the regiment participated in the Battle of Pilot...
. His initial rank was Private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
. Soon he was commissioned major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
of the regiment.
Detachments of the 47th Missouri were involved in the Battle of Pilot Knob in September 1864. In October, he was tasked by General Rosecrans to reopen the Iron Mountain Railroad
St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway
The St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway was a historic railroad that operated in Missouri, and Arkansas during the late 19th and early 20th centuries....
from St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
to Pilot Knob. In this mission he was again wounded in battle.
in 1865 Emerson's Regiment was ordered to assist General Thomas Welsh
Thomas Welsh (general)
Thomas Welsh was a soldier in the United States Army during the Mexican-American War and a Union brigadier general during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
, at Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. His regiment pursued General Hood as far as Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, capturing more than 1000 prisoners. Emerson was in command of the regiment through the end of the war.
After the war
Emerson resumed his law practicePractice of law
In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiations and court proceedings such as lawsuits, and is applied to the professional services of a lawyer or attorney at law, barrister,...
at Ironton, and was appointed to the Judgeship of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit Court, which he eventually resigned. After leaving the bench, he was appointed by President Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
to the United States Marshall for the Eastern District of Missouri
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri is a trial level federal district court based in St. Louis, Missouri, with jurisdiction over fifty counties in the eastern half of Missouri. The court is one of ninety-four district-level courts which make up the first tier of...
. He served in this capacity for four years.
Emerson Electric Company
In 1890, Emerson met two Scottish orphans, Alexander and Charles Meston, who wanted to manufacture electrical and mechanical devices. He provided $50,000 start-upStartup company
A startup company or startup is a company with a limited operating history. These companies, generally newly created, are in a phase of development and research for markets...
capital and lent his name to a new corporation creating the “Emerson Electric Manufacturing Company”, and served as the company’s first President from 1890 to 1892.
In 1892, Emerson retired, selling his interest in Emerson Electric to Herbert L. Parker, a former railroad executive.
Later life
Emerson became a Civil War historian. He joined the Missouri Commandery of Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United StatesMilitary Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States
The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, also known by its acronym MOLLUS or simply as the Loyal Legion, is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by officers of the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps of the United States who "had aided in maintaining the honor,...
and wrote a history of General Grant's campaign in the Mississippi Valley.
Emerson died on June 20, 1899 in Ironton, Missouri.