Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General. He entered into the Union Army during the Civil War as a Captain in the 31st Indiana Volunteer Infantry, but was soon promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the 1st Michigan Volunteer Sharpshooters. He was severely wounded in battle, which forced him to resign his commission. However, he returned to the Army in the Veterans Reserve Corps, serving first as Major of the 1st VRC, then of the 3rd VRC. He was brevetted Brigadier General, US Volunteers on March 13, 1865 for "gallant and meritorious services during the war". He was appointed Surveyor General of the Dakota Territory in 1869. He helped write up the Code of 1877, and was known for his management plan for "school lands," whose sale would help fund public education. He became Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction in 1879, and his school lands ideas were written into the South Dakota constitution in 1889. His school lands idea was a model for several other western states. Beadle served as president of the Madison State Normal School from 1889 to 1905, and was a professor there before retiring in 1912. There is a statue of him in the United States Capitol building Rotunda in Washington, D.C. The inscription on the statue states, "He Saved the School Lands". (Additional information by Russ Dodge).
Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General. He entered into the Union Army during the Civil War as a Captain in the 31st Indiana Volunteer Infantry, but was soon promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the 1st Michigan Volunteer Sharpshooters. He was severely wounded in battle, which forced him to resign his commission. However, he returned to the Army in the Veterans Reserve Corps, serving first as Major of the 1st VRC, then of the 3rd VRC. He was brevetted Brigadier General, US Volunteers on March 13, 1865 for "gallant and meritorious services during the war". He was appointed Surveyor General of the Dakota Territory in 1869. He helped write up the Code of 1877, and was known for his management plan for "school lands," whose sale would help fund public education. He became Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction in 1879, and his school lands ideas were written into the South Dakota constitution in 1889. His school lands idea was a model for several other western states. Beadle served as president of the Madison State Normal School from 1889 to 1905, and was a professor there before retiring in 1912. There is a statue of him in the United States Capitol building Rotunda in Washington, D.C. The inscription on the statue states, "He Saved the School Lands". (Additional information by Russ Dodge).
Bio by: Frank Passic, Albion Historian
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