Iowa's Civil War governor, who raised the troops that made the state's wartime reputation.
Samuel Jordan Kirkwood settled near Iowa City and rose in politics as Iowa's governor at the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861. He threw the state's energy into raising and equipping Iowa's volunteer regiments.
After the war he served as a U.S. Senator and as Secretary of the Interior under President Garfield, becoming one of Iowa's most honored statesmen.
Kirkwood's leadership tied Iowa firmly to the Union cause and shaped the young state's identity. A statue of him long represented Iowa in the U.S. Capitol, and his name marks schools and a community college.
He is remembered as Iowa's great Civil War governor.
Iowa's Civil War governor, who raised the troops that made the state's wartime reputation.
Samuel Kirkwood was from Iowa City, Iowa.
1813–1894.
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Portrait: Wikimedia Commons (public domain or freely licensed).