PALMER
PALMER
PALMER, James Shedden, naval officer, was
born in New Jersey in 1810. He was warranted
midshipman in the U.S. navy, Jan. 1, 1825, was
promoted passed midsliipman, June 4, 1831, and
lieutenant, Dec. 17, 1836. In the Mexican war
he ct>mmanded the Flirt on blockading duty:
was i>ronioted commander, Sept. 14, 1855; com-
manded the Iroquois of the Mediterranean squad-
ron in 18G1, and was tran^^ferred to Dupont's
Atlantic blockading fleet. His failure to capture
the Confederate privateer Sidiiter in West Indian
waters in 1861 called for an investigation, through
which lie wjis exonerated and restored to his
command. He was promoted captain, July 16,
1862, and commanded the Iroquois, which led
the advance in the passage of the Vicksburg bat-
teries, forcing the surrender of Baton Rouge and
Natchez, and taking part in the fight with the
ram Arkansas. In the passage of Vicksburg,
when the admiral's flagship stoi)ped her engines
to enable the vessels following to close up. Cap-
tain Palmer, fearing that the Hartford was dis-
abled, stopped the Iroquois, which led the line,
in order to draw the fire from the forts, and thus
relieve the admiral's ship. This action at first
called for the censure of the admiral, but when
he comprehended the motive, he accepted the
courtesy and Captain Palmer became his close
friend. He was pronioted commodore, Feb. 7,
18G3, and in March, 1863, served as Farragufs
fleet captain in the passage of the Port Hudson
batteries. He was naval commander at New
Orleans, La., in 1864, and afterward commanded
the West Gulf squadron in the capture and de-
struction of blockade runners. He conducted
the movement that resulted in the fall of Mobile
and led the first division in the final attack on
the city. He was promoted rear-admiral, July
25, 1866, for services during the war, and was
placed in command of the West India squadron.
In the "Life and Letters of Farragut " he is
warmly praised as an officer. He died of yellow
fever at St. Tliomas. AV.L. Dec. 7, 1S67.
PALMER, John McAuley, senator, was born at Eagle Creek, Scott county, Ky.,Sept. 13, 1817; son of Louis D. and Ann (Tutt) Palmer, both natives of Virginia, and great-grandson of Charles ^IcAuley, who emigrated from Ireland. His great- grandfather, Thomas Pahner, came to Virginia from England, and liis grandfather, Isaac Palmer, was a soMier in the American Revolution, 1776- 84. His father was a soldier in Col. Jolm Allen's regiment in the war of 1812. He escaped the massacre at Raisin River and was married in 1813. The family removed to Christian county, Ky., during John's boyhood, and in 1831 to within ten miles of Alton, 111. He received his first in- struction from Isaiah Boone; learned the trade of plasterer; attended Alton college in 1834, but
a^/Ct^t,
leaving for lack of means to pay his tuition, was
employed as a cooper, peddler and school teacher;
studied law, 1835-38; was admitted to the bar in
1839, and practised in Carlinville, 111., 1839-61.
He was the defeated Democratic candidate for
county clerk in 1839,
and in 1840 he sup-
ported Martin Van
Buren for president.
He was judge of pro-
bate for Macoupin
county, 111., 1843-47;
a member of the state
constitutional con-
vention of 1847; judge
of probate, 1848; coun-
ty judge, 1849-51, and
a member of the Illi-
nois senate, 1852-54.
As a Democrat he did
not agree with his
party on the slavery
question, resigned from the senate in 1854, and was
elected by the anti-Nebraska faction in 1855. He
was president of the Republican state convention
of 1856, resigned his seat in the senate a second
time in 1856, and was a delegate to the Republi-
can national convention at Philadelphia, June
17, 1856, where he supported the nomination of
Judge McLean for the presidency, although he
preferred Fremont and worked privately for his
nomination. He was defeated as Republican
candidate for representative in the 36th congress
in 1858; was an elector at large from Illinois on
the Lincoln and Hamlin ticket in 1861; a delegate
to the Peace congress at Washington, D.C., in Feb-
ruary, 1861, and was elected colonel of the 14th Illi-
nois infantry in April, 1861. He accompanied
Gen. John C. Fremont in his expedition to Spring-
field, Mo.; was promoted brigadier-general of
volunteers, Dec. 20, 1861; assigned to the com-
mand of the 3d division under Gen. John Pope,
and took part in the capture of New Madrid,
March 14, and Island No. 10, April 8, 1862. He
commanded the 1st brigade, 1st division, Arniy
of the Mississippi, during the siege of Corinth,
April 30-May 30, and was ordered liome May 29,
on account of sickness. He organized the 122d
Illinois volunteers in August, 1862, and in the
following September was assigned to the com-
mand of the 4th (afterward the 1st) division,
Crittenden's left wing. Rosecrans' Army of the
Cumberland, at the battle of Stone River, Nov.
29, 1802, where he was promoted major-general
of volunteers, and in the battle of Chickamauga
commanded the 2d division, 1st army corps,
Sept. 19-20, 1863. He commanded the 14th army
corps in the Chattanooga campaign and in the
Atlanta campaign until August, 1864, when he
