Gen. George Wallace Jones (1804-1896)

JONES

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 7/29/2009 at 21:11:18

Jackson Sentinel, Maquoketa, Iowa, May 30, 1872.

GEN. GEORGE W. JONES

Visit of a distinguished pioneer to Milwaukee

We had the pleasure of receiving a call at the News office yesterday from Gen. George W. Jones, of Dubuque, one of the most distinguished men in the public history of the Northwest. His visit was made in company of B. K. Miller, Esq.

Gen. Jones is a native of Indiana and was bred a lawyer. He was appointed Clerk of the United States District Court, Missouri, in 1820, served as aid de camp to George Henry Dodge in the Black Hawk War, was Colonel of the militia in 1832, and was afterwards promoted to Major General-in 1835 he was elected delegate to Congress in the Territory of Michigan, and was chiefly instrumental in procuring the land grant for the Milwaukee and Rock River Canal. He was second to the Cilley-Graves duel and failed of an election in 1838. In 1839 he was appointed Surveyor General of the Northwest Territory by President Van Buren, was removed in 1841 on political grounds, but was reinstated by President Polk in 1845 and held office until 1848. In 1848, on admission of Iowa into the Union he was elected United States Senator for a fractional term ending in 1853, when he was re-elected and served until 1859. He was then appointed Minister to Guatamala and remained in that office until 1861. In that year during the terrible excitement in political affairs and on the opening of the war he was arrested and confined a short time in Fort Warren on a fictitious charge of disloyalty.

Gen. Jones was in early time a great favorite of Wisconsin people and he is now remembered with great honor and kindness by the old settlers. An interesting relic of the past lies before us in a letter to him by Solomon Juneau, Byron Kilbourn, Gen. Reed, F. A. Winfield, Giles A. Brisbaine, William Brown and George A. Dousman, dated August 23rd, 1837, rendering him a public dinner, which he was obliged to decline as he was hurrying on to Washington, and his passage was engaged in the boat which left the next morning. We also have a similar complimentary expression from the citizens of Racine, the well remembered name of B. B. Cary, standing at the head of the best of the list of signers

Gen. Jones is in the enjoyment of a vigorous old age, yet not so old as to preclude the hope that he has many years of usefulness before him. He is greatly interested in works of internal improvement, and is engaged in active business and professional pursuits at his home in Dubuque which we hope soon to be connected by rail.-Milwaukee News.

Jones Grave
 

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