Abram A. Hammond

Infobox Politician
name =Abram A. Hammond


birth_date= March 21 1814
birth_place= Brattleboro, Vermont
death_date= August 27 1874
death_place= Denver, Colorado
party = Whig, Democrat
order1 =12th
office =Lieutenant Governor of Indiana
term_start =December 4, 1852
term_end =October 5, 1860
office1 =Governor of Indiana
term_start1 =October 5, 1860
term_end1 =December 4, 1860
predecessor1 =Ashbel Willard
successor1 =Henry S. Lane

Abram Adams Hammond (March 21 1814–August 27 1874) was twelfth governor of the U.S. state of Indiana. He succeeded to the office upon the death of Governor Ashbel P. Willard and completed the remaining three months of Willard's term.

Biography

Abram Adams Hammond was born in Brattleboro, Vermont March 21, 1814. He moved to Indiana at the age of six when his family settled in Brookville, Indiana. He attended school and later studied law and was admitted to the bar. In 1835 he moved to Greenfield where he opened a law office. In 1840 he moved again this time to Columbus where he partnered in a law office with John H. Bradley. He was briefly the prosecuting attorney for Bartholomew County.Woollen, p. 113]

He moved again in 1846 moved to Indianapolis where he and his partner relocated their law office. They moved again in 1847 to Cincinnati, Ohio. Still on the move, they returned to Indianapolis on 1849 adding Hugh O'Neal to their law firm. In 1850 the Indiana legislature created a Court of Common Pleas and Hammond was selected to become it's first judge. He held the post only briefly and resigned in 1852 to move to San Francisco to form a new law office with Rufus A. Lockwood. He returned to Indiana in 1853 and in 1855 moved to Terre Haute, Indiana where he formed yet another law office with Thomas H. Nelson. He remained in Terre Haute until he was elected Lieutenant Governor.

Political career

In 1852 John C. Walker was nominated by the Democrat Convention to be the candidate for Lieutenant Governor. But when it was found he was ineligible due to his age the party's Central Committee choose Hammond, and former Whig. The remnants of the state Whig Party completely integrated with the state Democrat party in 1852, and Hammond was one of its many member who merged. [Woollen, p. 114] Hammond was included in the 1856 Democratic ticket as Lieutenant Governor with Governor Ashbel P. Willard, in hopes of drawing the Whigs who had went to the Republican Party.

When Governor Ashbel Willard died on October 5, 1860, Hammond was raised to the position of Governor where he served for three months. The death of Willard left the Democratic party without a candidate for governor. Hammond did not seek reelection as the party was in the midst of splitting with many member leaving to join the new Republican Party. Hammond supported Stephen Douglas. Hammond continued to advocate for the peaceful solution to the issue of slavery. [Woollen, pp. 115&ndash117]

His only act of significance was an address to the General Assembly on January 11, 1860. In it he suggested several new laws, and offered a temporary solution to the problems cause by the gridlock in the assembly. His main theme though, was to maintain harmony in the Union. He said,

It gives me great pleasure to say that Indiana as a state, has hitherto faithfully kept the bond of Union with all her sister States. Her record is unstained by any act of bad faith. She has never attempted, directly or indirectly, the evade or avoid any of the requirements of the Federal Constitution, and no man could doubt that if the same could be said of every other state, instead of discord, harmony would reign throughout our borders. Let us take pride in maintaining the high position we have thus far occupied as a conservative, union-loving state, and while we throw our weight into the scale in favor of any practice mode of settling the present trouble, let us continue to aid in the permanent and more lasting settlement that must flow from any restoration of amity and cordiality among our people, North and South. [Woollen, p. 116]

The nation was already set for war, and Indiana would become to first western state to mobilize forces for the invasion of the south less that four months later. Soon after he had completed his term as governor, Hammond came to be severely afflicted with rheumatism and asthma, and retired from public life. He died in Denver, Colorado in 1874

ee also

*List of Governors of Indiana

Notes

References

*cite book|title=Indiana and Indianans|author=Dunn, Jacob Piatt|publisher=American Historical Society|year=1919
*cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=PCbZ8rS-84gC|title=Biographical and Historical Sketches of Early Indiana|author=Woollen, William Wesley|publisher=Ayer Publishing|year=1975|isbn=0405068964

External links

* [http://www.in.gov/history/4468.htm Biography and portrait from Indiana State Library]