Orris Sanford Ferry was a
RepublicanThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer and politician from
ConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
who served in the
United States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
and the
United States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. He was also a
Brigadier GeneralBrigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
in the
Union ArmyThe 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 WarThe 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
Ferry was born on August 15, 1823 in
Bethel, ConnecticutBethel is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, about sixty miles from New York City. Its population was 18,584 at the 2010 census. The town center is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place...
. He attended the
Hopkins SchoolThe Hopkins School is a private, college-preparatory, coeducational day school, located in New Haven, Connecticut....
, and worked at his father's shoe factory as a boy. It was here that he realized his love of books. At age 17, Ferry entered
YaleRapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
, where he served as one of the editors of the
Yale Literary MagazineThe Yale Literary Magazine, founded in 1836, is the oldest literary magazine in the United States and publishes poetry and fiction by Yale undergraduates twice per academic year.The magazine is published biannually...
and was a member of
Skull and BonesSkull and Bones is an undergraduate senior or secret society at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. It is a traditional peer society to Scroll and Key and Wolf's Head, as the three senior class 'landed societies' at Yale....
. He graduated in 1844. Ferry first settled in
Fairfield, ConnecticutFairfield is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is bordered by the towns of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Easton, Redding and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 59,404...
, where he studied law under Thomas B. Osborne. He then settled in
Norwalk, ConnecticutNorwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
, and served in the office of
Thomas B. ButlerThomas Belden Butler was a U.S. Representative from Connecticut.Born in Wethersfield, Connecticut, Butler attended the common schools....
. Ferry married Charlotte Bissell, the daughter of
Governor Clark BissellClark Bissell was an American politician and the 19th Governor of Connecticut.- Early life :Bissell was born in Lebanon, Connecticut on September 7, 1782. He studied at Yale College and graduated in 1806...
. He was admitted to the bar in 1846. The following year, he was commissioned a
Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
in the 12th Regiment of Connecticut Militia. During his time in the militia, Ferry did not fight in any battle or war.
Early political career
Ferry served as a probate judge soon after being admitted to the bar. At age 32, he was elected to a term in the
Connecticut SenateThe Connecticut State Senate is the upper house of the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The state senate comprises 36 members, each representing a district with around 94,600 inhabitants. Senators are elected to two-year terms without term limits...
. He then served as the
State's AttorneyIn the United States, the State's Attorney is, most commonly, an elected official who represents the State in criminal prosecutions and is often the chief law enforcement officer of their respective county, circuit...
for
Fairfield CountyFairfield County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The county population is 916,829 according to the 2010 Census. There are currently 1,465 people per square mile in the county. It is the most populous county in the State of Connecticut and contains...
from 1856 to 1859. Ferry was a member of the
Toleration PartyThe Toleration Party was a political party active in Connecticut in the early 19th century...
, but in 1856 became a
RepublicanThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. After joining the party, he campaigned for
John C. FrémontJohn Charles Frémont , was an American military officer, explorer, and the first candidate of the anti-slavery Republican Party for the office of President of the United States. During the 1840s, that era's penny press accorded Frémont the sobriquet The Pathfinder...
. In 1857, Ferry was nominated to serve in the
United States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, but lost the election. In 1859, he was again nominated, and this time he won.
House of Representatives
During his time in
CongressThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, Ferry was known for extemporaneous speaking. He gave numerous speeches against slavery. Ferry was chosen as Connecticut's representative to the
Committee of Thirty-ThreeThe Corwin Amendment is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution passed by the 36th Congress, 2nd Session, on March 2, 1861, in the form of House Resolution No. 80...
. This Committee was created in the hopes that peace could be settled between the
NorthernDuring the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
and
Southern statesThe Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
. However, Southern states continued to secede from the Union, and the committee was disbanded. Ferry also served on the Committee of Revolutionary Claims. In 1861, he was renominated for his seat, but lost the election.
American Civil War
At the outbreak of the
Civil WarThe 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...
, Ferry volunteered as part of the initial defence of Washington D. C..
On July 23, 1861, he was put in command of the 5th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, and given the rank of
ColonelColonel , 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...
. The original regiment was the 1st Regiment Colts Revolving Rifles of Connecticut and was supposed to be led by
Samuel ColtSamuel Colt was an American inventor and industrialist. He was the founder of Colt's Patent Fire-Arms Manufacturing Company , and is widely credited with popularizing the revolver. Colt's innovative contributions to the weapons industry have been described by arms historian James E...
, but the unit never took the field. Its organization failing, the regiment was reorganized in May 1861 as the 5th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. In early March 1862, Ferry led his troops across the
Potomac RiverThe Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
, and attacked the Confederates at
Winchester, VirginiaWinchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
. This action would later lead to what became the
First Battle of WinchesterThe First Battle of Winchester, fought on May 25, 1862, in and around Frederick County, Virginia, and Winchester, Virginia, was a major victory in Confederate Army Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's Campaign through the Shenandoah Valley during the American Civil War. Jackson enveloped the...
. Ferry was well praised for his ability as a leader and as a military strategist. Ferry was promoted to
Brigadier GeneralBrigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
on March 17, 1862. He was then put under the command of
General James ShieldsJames Shields was an American politician and United States Army officer who was born in Altmore, County Tyrone, Ireland. Shields, a Democrat, is the only person in United States history to serve as a U.S. Senator for three different states...
, whose division joined that of Gen.
Irvin McDowellIrvin McDowell was a career American army officer. He is best known for his defeat in the First Battle of Bull Run, the first large-scale battle of the American Civil War.-Early life:...
. It was under McDowell that Ferry fought at the
First Battle of WinchesterThe First Battle of Winchester, fought on May 25, 1862, in and around Frederick County, Virginia, and Winchester, Virginia, was a major victory in Confederate Army Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's Campaign through the Shenandoah Valley during the American Civil War. Jackson enveloped the...
. Ferry continued to serve under
ShieldsJames Shields was an American politician and United States Army officer who was born in Altmore, County Tyrone, Ireland. Shields, a Democrat, is the only person in United States history to serve as a U.S. Senator for three different states...
, during the Valley Campaign.
Battle of Cedar Mountain
Shortly after the
Battle of WinchesterThe First Battle of Winchester, fought on May 25, 1862, in and around Frederick County, Virginia, and Winchester, Virginia, was a major victory in Confederate Army Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's Campaign through the Shenandoah Valley during the American Civil War. Jackson enveloped the...
, Ferry, and the 5th Regiment Connecticut Volunteer Infantry were put under the command of
Major General Nathaniel BanksNathaniel Prentice Banks was an American politician and soldier, served as the 24th Governor of Massachusetts, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and as a Union general during the American Civil War....
. On August 9, Ferry, under Banks, encountered
Stonewall Jacksonຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
at
Cedar MountainThe Battle of Cedar Mountain, also known as Slaughter's Mountain or Cedar Run, took place on August 9, 1862, in Culpeper County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. Union forces under Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks attacked Confederate forces under Maj. Gen. Thomas J...
. The Union troops attacked to gain early advantage, but a Confederate counterattack repulsed Banks's corps and won the day. Later that day, Union reinforcements under
Major General John PopeJohn Pope was a career United States Army officer and Union general in the American Civil War. He had a brief but successful career in the Western Theater, but he is best known for his defeat at the Second Battle of Bull Run in the East.Pope was a graduate of the United States Military Academy in...
arrived. This led to a two day stand-off between the two armies. The battle ended in a
ConfederateThe Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
victory.
Services and resignation
During the war, Ferry served in the VII Corps, X Corps, and XVIII Corps. He was also the head of the District of Lehigh, from August 20, 1863 until May 1864, and served as the head of the District of Philadelphia from December 16, 1864 until July 15, 1865. Ferry was
brevetIn 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...
ted a
Major GeneralMajor general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
in recognition of his services during the
Peninsula CampaignThe 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...
. He resigned from the military on July 15, 1865. His resignation followed the Confederate surrender.
Senate career
After the
Civil WarThe 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...
, Ferry returned to both his political career and law practice. In 1866, he ran against
Lafayette S. FosterLafayette Sabine Foster was a nineteenth-century American politician and lawyer from Connecticut...
, the current incumbent of the Class III Connecticut Senate seat. Ferry won the election, and took his place in the
U.S. SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on March 4, 1867. He became very active in committees, and favored amnesty for members of the Confederacy. Ferry participated in the
Impeachment of President Andrew JohnsonThe Impeachment of Andrew Johnson, 17th President of the United States, was one of the most dramatic events in the political life of the United States during Reconstruction, and the first impeachment in history of a sitting United States president....
, voting to convict. In 1869, Ferry was attacked by a rare disease of his spine. This disease led to a slow deterioration of his spine. This slowed his workings in the Senate, but he continued to play an active role. From 1870 to 1871, he served as the chairman of the
Committee to Audit and Control the Contingent ExpensesThis committee of the United States Senate was created November 4, 1807. On January 2, 1947 its functions were transferred to the Committee on Rules and Administration....
. From 1871 to 1875, he was chairman of the
Committee on PatentsThe United States Senate Committee on Patents was a committee of the United States Senate. It was established September 7, 1837 as the "Committee on Patents and the Patent Office" when the Senate approved a resolution of Henry Hubbard of Kentucky...
. Ferry also served on the
United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and PensionsThe United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions generally considers matters relating to health, education, labor, and pensions...
. Ferry was considered a Liberal Republican, but he declined to be officially considered a Liberal Republican. In 1872, Ferry was reelected for a second term. His main supporters were
DemocratsThe Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
and Liberal Republicans.
Alexander Caldwell scandal
In 1871,
Alexander CaldwellAlexander Caldwell was a U.S. Senator from Kansas. Born at Drakes Ferry, Pennsylvania, he attended public schools, and enlisted in 1847 as a private in the Mexican-American War...
was elected to the
SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Kansas. From the start, allegations of corruption and pay-offs emerged.
In 1873,
Congressman Sidney ClarkeSidney Clarke was a U.S. Representative from Kansas, a Kansas state speaker of the house, and an Oklahoma territorial legislator. He was a part of the Oklahoma statehood movement.-Early life:...
, who assisted in Caldwell's election, testified that Caldwell's campaign had claimed that it would pay $250,000 to secure the election.
Kansas Governor Thomas CarneyThomas Carney was the second Governor of Kansas.Carney was born in Delaware County, Ohio to James and Sarah Carney. James died in 1828, and Thomas remained at home farming with his mother until age 19...
testified that he was paid $15,000 to drop out of the race. In investigation followed; its final report asked the Senate to expel Caldwell for not being "duly and legally elected". On March 21, 1873, Ferry took to the floor of the Senate and gave a speech asking the Senate to expel Caldwell: "The crime of bribery goes down to the very foundations of the institutions under which we live. We all know it and...we shall stifle our consciences if we do not vote to expel." After a survey of the Senate, Caldwell saw his inevitability of being expelled, and resigned, on March 23.
Later Senate career
In 1874, Ferry gave a speech against the future
Civil Rights Act of 1875The Civil Rights Act of 1875 was a United States federal law proposed by Senator Charles Sumner and Representative Benjamin F. Butler in 1870...
. After speaking,
Senator Charles SumnerCharles Sumner was an American politician and senator from Massachusetts. An academic lawyer and a powerful orator, Sumner was the leader of the antislavery forces in Massachusetts and a leader of the Radical Republicans in the United States Senate during the American Civil War and Reconstruction,...
, both a friend of Ferry's and the proposer of the bill, stood up and said, "Mr. Ferry, your speech is far the most damaging blow my measure has yet received". The
Civil Rights ActThe Civil Rights Act of 1875 was a United States federal law proposed by Senator Charles Sumner and Representative Benjamin F. Butler in 1870...
would eventually pass, but was deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, on the basis that Congress did not have the power to regulate the conduct of individuals. His last speech in Congress was considered an uncommonly eloquent dissertation on his former friend,
William Alfred BuckinghamWilliam Alfred Buckingham was a Republican United States Senator from Connecticut.Born in Lebanon, Connecticut, Buckingham attended the common schools and Bacon Academy in Colchester, Connecticut. He engaged in mercantile pursuits and in manufacturing. He served as the mayor of Norwich,...
.
Death
After his final speech, Ferry left the capital for a new medical treatment. The treatment was to help heal his decaying spine, but the procedure failed. On November 20, 1875, Ferry's friends and doctors helped take him home. He died of his spine disease the next day. His funeral was attended by dignitaries such as
Senator Carl SchurzCarl Christian Schurz was a German revolutionary, American statesman and reformer, and Union Army General in the American Civil War. He was also an accomplished journalist, newspaper editor and orator, who in 1869 became the first German-born American elected to the United States Senate.His wife,...
. Ferry was interred at Norwalk Cemetery.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals
External links
|-