Joseph Russell Jones
Encyclopedia
Joseph Russell Jones was a successful US
merchant and politician, a close friend of Ulysses S. Grant
and an acquaintance of Abraham Lincoln
.
. This success gave Jones the financial means to build one of the grandest homes in Galena. His Italianate villa was situated next to the Greek revival mansion of Elihu Washburne
, who was a prominent attorney and U.S. congressman (1853-1869). The neighbors developed a rich friendship, which was highly beneficial to Jones’ political career.
In 1860, Jones was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives
. The same year, Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885) moved to Galena after resigning as a captain in the army. In Illinois, Grant struggled financially as an assistant in his father's leather shop. Grant became friends with Jones and Washburne whose recommendations aided his return to the army when the Civil War began.
Jones, as an enterprising businessman, saw financial opportunity in the lack of cotton in the North due to wartime restrictions. His friendship with Grant provided him with the necessary passes to bring Southern cotton to the North where it could be sold for significant profit. Their friendship extended beyond the political domain. Grant aided Jones in his cotton speculations, and Jones in return provided Grant with financial assistance.
In 1861, Abraham Lincoln became president and appointed Jones as U.S. Marshall for the Northern District of Illinois. Lincoln consulted Jones, Grant's confidant, to learn if Grant was planning to run against him in the next election. After President Lincoln was assassinated, Jones served as a pallbearer for Lincoln’s funeral train procession in Chicago.
In 1869, Grant was sworn in as president and nominated Jones as Minister Resident to Belgium
. In 1875, Jones asked to leave his post in Belgium. He returned to Illinois where Grant made him Collector of the Port of Chicago
. However, a year later Grant, urged by Generals Logan
and Hurlbut
, asked Jones to resign. This request, perceived as a public disgrace Jones felt at the hands of his old friend, severed their friendship permanently. Jones resumed various business ventures with continued financial success. He died at the age of 86 in Chicago, Illinois.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
merchant and politician, a close friend of Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
and an acquaintance of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
.
Biography
Jones' childhood was modest. His father died when he was two, necessitating the young Jones to curtail his formal education. At age 13, his career began as a store clerk. At 25, Jones had risen to become a partner in the mercantile firm of Benjamin H. Campbell in Galena, IllinoisGalena, Illinois
Galena is the county seat of, and largest city in, Jo Daviess County, Illinois in the United States, with a population of 3,429 in 2010. The city is a popular tourist destination known for its history, historical architecture, and ski and golf resorts. Galena was the residence of Ulysses S...
. This success gave Jones the financial means to build one of the grandest homes in Galena. His Italianate villa was situated next to the Greek revival mansion of Elihu Washburne
Elihu B. Washburne
Elihu Benjamin Washburne was one of seven brothers who played a prominent role in the early formation of the United States Republican Party...
, who was a prominent attorney and U.S. congressman (1853-1869). The neighbors developed a rich friendship, which was highly beneficial to Jones’ political career.
In 1860, Jones was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives
Illinois House of Representatives
The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The state House of Representatives is made of 118 representatives elected from...
. The same year, Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885) moved to Galena after resigning as a captain in the army. In Illinois, Grant struggled financially as an assistant in his father's leather shop. Grant became friends with Jones and Washburne whose recommendations aided his return to the army when the Civil War began.
Jones, as an enterprising businessman, saw financial opportunity in the lack of cotton in the North due to wartime restrictions. His friendship with Grant provided him with the necessary passes to bring Southern cotton to the North where it could be sold for significant profit. Their friendship extended beyond the political domain. Grant aided Jones in his cotton speculations, and Jones in return provided Grant with financial assistance.
In 1861, Abraham Lincoln became president and appointed Jones as U.S. Marshall for the Northern District of Illinois. Lincoln consulted Jones, Grant's confidant, to learn if Grant was planning to run against him in the next election. After President Lincoln was assassinated, Jones served as a pallbearer for Lincoln’s funeral train procession in Chicago.
In 1869, Grant was sworn in as president and nominated Jones as Minister Resident to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. In 1875, Jones asked to leave his post in Belgium. He returned to Illinois where Grant made him Collector of the Port of Chicago
Port of Chicago
The Port of Chicago consists of several major port facilities within the city of Chicago, Illinois operated by the Illinois International Port District . The central element of the Port District, Calumet Harbor, is maintained by the U.S...
. However, a year later Grant, urged by Generals Logan
John A. Logan
John Alexander Logan was an American soldier and political leader. He served in the Mexican-American War and was a general in the Union Army in the American Civil War. He served the state of Illinois as a state senator, congressman and senator and was an unsuccessful candidate for Vice President...
and Hurlbut
Stephen A. Hurlbut
Stephen Augustus Hurlbut , was a politician, diplomat, and commander of the U.S. Army of the Gulf in the American Civil War.-Biography:...
, asked Jones to resign. This request, perceived as a public disgrace Jones felt at the hands of his old friend, severed their friendship permanently. Jones resumed various business ventures with continued financial success. He died at the age of 86 in Chicago, Illinois.