Governor Morton: Much Heralded But Not Elected

Amy Vedra — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 08:00:00 -0500

Gov. Morton is known as the man who guided Indiana during the Civil War. However, he was not the man elected to carry the people of Indiana through the tough times that were brewing during the 1860 election that would shortly develop into the Civil War. As a governor, Oliver P. Morton was seen by many as a strong leader, while others saw him as a political opportunist or much worse. Considering the way that he obtained the governorship of Indiana, both views may be valid.

Henry S. Lane and Oliver P. Morton, competing for their party’s nomination, struck a deal to keep from having a drawn out nomination process that could cause problems during the fall election. In the event that the Republican Party took over the Indiana General Assembly and won the governorship, the governor, Lane, would be elevated to the U.S. Senate and Morton, the lieutenant-governor, would take over as governor. Henry S. Lane, 13th governor of Indiana, was in office for two days.

Only one four-year term was possible within an eight-year period during Morton’s tenure as governor. Morton, however, ran and attained a second term because he had not been elected to the position in 1860. Regardless of the length of his predecessor’s governorship, Morton had not served a full four-year term. Because he wasn’t technically elected to that first term, the governor who took us into the Civil War was able to see us through to the end of the war. Interestingly enough, Morton never served a full four-year term – he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1867 and served in that capacity until his death in 1877.

For more information about Oliver P. Morton and other Indiana governors, see The Governors of Indiana published by the Indiana Historical Society.

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Amy Vedra is a cataloger in Printed Collections at the Indiana Historical Society. She enjoyed going to historic sites when she was a kid, and even now few vacations pass without a visit to a Civil War battlefield or other equally historic site.

Man Once Thought Dead Elected Governor

Amy Vedra — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:00:00 -0400

When you think about elections, you don’t often consider electing an official who was thought to have died years before the election ever took place. The people of Indiana do not appear to have had any qualms about doing just that in the fall of 1928 for the state’s highest office.

Harry G. Leslie was the governor of Indiana from 1929 until 1933. However, more than 25 years prior to the election, he was lying in a morgue. On Oct. 31, 1903, the Purdue University and Indiana University rivalry game was scheduled. Two special trains were heading south from West Lafayette to Indianapolis where the game was to be played.

At the time, Leslie was captain of the football team at Purdue and riding with the other players in the first car. After rounding a bend, the Big Four Railroad's engine 350 collided with a coal train which had not been notified of the special’s presence on the tracks. The cars were destroyed and several bodies were taken to the morgue, among them the body of Harry G. Leslie.

Hours later, it was discovered that Leslie still had a pulse albeit faint. Although in grave condition immediately following the accident, he slowly recovered with the help of several operations. He carried the scars and limped as a result of that day for the rest of his life. Seventeen people lost their lives in the crash, including 14 players.

Incredibly, Harry G. Leslie was able to graduate from Purdue just one year behind schedule, continuing onto Indiana University to complete a law degree. He became involved in politics, holding various offices and was elected governor of Indiana just as the Great Depression was about to start. He served one term as governor.

For more information about Harry G. Leslie and other Indiana governors, see The Governors of Indiana published by the Indiana Historical Society.

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Authors

Governor Morton: Much Heralded But Not Elected

Man Once Thought Dead Elected Governor