George Clay Ginty

George C. Ginty
Member of the Wisconsin Senate
from the 30th district
In office
January 5, 1885 – January 7, 1889
Preceded byRockwell J. Flint
Succeeded byWilliam Millar
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the Door–Oconto–Shawano district
In office
January 5, 1863 – January 4, 1864
Preceded byEzra B. Stevens
Succeeded byHerman Naber
Personal details
Born(1840-02-14)February 14, 1840
Toronto, Upper Canada, British North America
DiedDecember 9, 1890(1890-12-09) (aged 50)
Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Cause of deathLiver dysfunction
Resting placeForest Hill Cemetery
Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Flora Beall Outhwaite
​
​
(m. 1861; died 1907)​
Military service
AllegianceUnited States
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Union Army
Years of service1864–1865
Rank
Commands47th Reg. Wis. Vol. Infantry
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War

George Clay Ginty (February 14, 1840 – December 9, 1890) was a Canadian American immigrant, politician, and journalist. A Republican, he was elected to one term each in the Wisconsin State Senate and Assembly and was founder of the Green Bay Gazette which still operates today as the Green Bay Press-Gazette—the main local paper of Green Bay, Wisconsin. He also served as a Union Army officer in the American Civil War and a United States Marshal near the end of his life.

Biography

Ginty was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1840.[1] He moved with his parents to Racine, Wisconsin in 1853.[2] In 1859, he moved to Oconto, Wisconsin. Ginty later moved to Green Bay, Wisconsin and Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. He died in Madison, Wisconsin on December 9, 1890.[1][3] At the time of his death, he was a member of the United States Marshals Service, acting as Marshal of the Western District of Wisconsin.

Newspaper career

Ginty founded the Oconto Pioneer in 1859[1] and served as editor and publisher of the paper until 1865. In 1866, he founded the Green Bay Gazette[1] and in 1868, he founded the Chippewa Falls Herald.[1] He later served as editor and publisher of the Herald from 1870 to 1890. From 1875 to 1878, Ginty was president of the Wisconsin Editorial Association.

Military career

Ginty joined the Union Army in 1864 during the American Civil War as major of the 39th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment on June 3, 1864.[4] He was mustered out of the volunteers on September 22, 1864.[4] He rejoined the army on February 23, 1865, as colonel of the 47th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment.[4] He was mustered out of the volunteers after this service on September 4, 1865.[4] On January 13, 1866, President Andrew Johnson nominated Ginty for appointment to the grade of brevet brigadier general of volunteers to rank from September 28, 1865, and the United States Senate confirmed the appointment on March 12, 1866.[5]

Political career

Ginty was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1863 and the Wisconsin State Senate from 1884 to 1888.[3] He was a Republican.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Sank Quietly to Sleep". The Weekly Wisconsin. December 13, 1890. p. 1. Retrieved December 18, 2014 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. ^ "Ginty, George Clay 1840 - 1890". Wisconsin Historical Society. 8 August 2017. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Gen. Ginty Dead". The Centralia Enterprise and Tribune. December 13, 1890. p. 2. Retrieved December 18, 2014 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  4. ^ a b c d Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., Civil War High Commands. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. ISBN 0-8047-3641-3. p. 256
  5. ^ Eicher, 2001, p. 746.

Further reading

George Clay Ginty at Find a Grave

Military offices
Regiment created Command of the 47th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment
February 27, 1865 – September 8, 1865 		Regiment abolished
Wisconsin State Assembly
Preceded by
Ezra B. Stevens
 Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Door–Oconto–Shawano district
January 5, 1863 – January 4, 1864 		Succeeded by
Wisconsin Senate
Preceded by Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 30th district
January 5, 1885 – January 7, 1889 		Succeeded by
William Miller