Civil War Union Brigadier General & U.S. Congressman. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, he attended the common schools and pursued an academic course. He moved to Illinois in 1839 and later, to Iowa in 1851, where he studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1852 and commenced practice in Dubuque, Iowa. He was elected as a Republican to the Thirty-sixth and Thirty-seventh Congresses and served from March 4, 1859, to September 24, 1861. A member of the peace conference of 1861 held in Washington, D.C., he attempted to devise means to prevent the impending civil war. Once war broke out, he was mustered into the Union Army as colonel of the 9th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment, never having resigned his seat in Congress. He was promoted to Brigadier General of Volunteers in 1862 and brevetted a Major General in 1865. He resumed the practice of law in Dubuque and was appointed United States Indian Inspector by President Grant in 1873, serving until 1877. Vandever moved to San Buenaventura, California in 1884. He was elected as a Republican from California to the Fiftieth and Fifty-first Congresses (March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1891), but was not a candidate for renomination in 1890. During his two terms as head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Congress for two terms, he helped establish Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks. He was moved from St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery to Ivy Lawn Cemetery in 1932.
Civil War Union Brigadier General & U.S. Congressman. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, he attended the common schools and pursued an academic course. He moved to Illinois in 1839 and later, to Iowa in 1851, where he studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1852 and commenced practice in Dubuque, Iowa. He was elected as a Republican to the Thirty-sixth and Thirty-seventh Congresses and served from March 4, 1859, to September 24, 1861. A member of the peace conference of 1861 held in Washington, D.C., he attempted to devise means to prevent the impending civil war. Once war broke out, he was mustered into the Union Army as colonel of the 9th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment, never having resigned his seat in Congress. He was promoted to Brigadier General of Volunteers in 1862 and brevetted a Major General in 1865. He resumed the practice of law in Dubuque and was appointed United States Indian Inspector by President Grant in 1873, serving until 1877. Vandever moved to San Buenaventura, California in 1884. He was elected as a Republican from California to the Fiftieth and Fifty-first Congresses (March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1891), but was not a candidate for renomination in 1890. During his two terms as head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Congress for two terms, he helped establish Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks. He was moved from St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery to Ivy Lawn Cemetery in 1932.
Bio by: Terry Chaffee
Inscription
WILLIAM VANDEVER
Brig. Gen. U. S. Vols.
1817 --- 1893
Family Members
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