John Smith (politician, 1832)

John Corson Smith (born February 13, 1832 in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , †  December 31, 1910 in Chicago , Illinois ) was an American politician . Between 1885 and 1889 he was lieutenant governor of the state of Illinois.

Career

John Smith came to Illinois in 1854. Nothing is known about his youth and school education. When the civil war broke out , he joined the Union Army as a volunteer in a unit from Illinois . He took part in many battles and was wounded in the meantime. At the end of the war, he achieved the rank of Brevet Brigadier General within the volunteer troops. The volunteers had their own officers who were paid and appointed by the states. However, these troops and officers were subordinate to the Union forces.

Politically, Smith joined the Republican Party . In his homeland he held several official offices. Among other things, he was State Treasurer Treasurer of Illinois between 1870 and 1881 . He held this office again between 1883 and 1885. In 1876 he was state commissioner for the exhibition of the century. He also took on some positions in the service of the federal government.

In 1884, Smith was elected Lieutenant Governor of Illinois alongside Richard James Oglesby . He held this office between January 30, 1885 and January 14, 1889. He was Deputy Governor . John Smith was also active with the Freemasons for many years . He held various offices within this organization. He also wrote several books on Freemasonry. He died in Chicago on December 31, 1910, at the age of 78.

Web links

• John Smith in the database of Find a Grave (English)
• The Political Graveyard
• Text of the obituary