Isaac Stevens

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Isaac Stevens
Isaac Ingalls Stevens during the American Civil War
1st Governor of Washington Territory
In office November 25, 1853 – August 11, 1857
Appointed by	Franklin Pierce
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Fayette McMullen
Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from Washington Territory's at-large district
In office March 4, 1857 – March 3, 1861
Preceded by	James Patton Anderson
Succeeded by	William H. Wallace
Personal details
Born	(1818-03-25)March 25, 1818 North Andover, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	September 1, 1862(1862-09-01) (aged 44) Chantilly, Virginia, U.S.
Resting place	Island Cemetery, Newport, Rhode Island
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Margaret Hazard Stevens
Relations	Oliver Stevens (brother)
Children	5 (including Hazard Stevens)
Alma mater	United States Military Academy
Profession	Soldier
Military service
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Branch/service	United States Army Union Army
Years of service	1839–1853, 1861–1862
Rank	Brigadier General Major General (posthumous)
Commands	79th New York Infantry Rgt., 1st Division, IX Corps
Battles/wars	Mexican–American War Yakima War American Civil War – Battle of Chantilly †

Isaac Ingalls Stevens (March 25, 1818 – September 1, 1862) was an American military officer and politician who served as governor of the Territory of Washington from 1853 to 1857, and later as its delegate to the United States House of Representatives. During the American Civil War, he held several commands in the Union Army. He was killed at the Battle of Chantilly, while at the head of his men and carrying the fallen colors of one of his regiments against Confederate positions. According to one account, at the hour of his death Stevens was being considered by President Abraham Lincoln for appointment to command the Army of Virginia. He was posthumously advanced to the rank of Major General. Several schools, towns, counties, and lakes are named in his honor.

Descended from early American settlers in New England, Stevens – a man who stood just 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m) tall – overcame a troubled childhood and personal setbacks to graduate at the top of his class at West Point before embarking on a successful military career. He was a controversial and polarizing figure as governor of the Washington Territory, where he was both praised and condemned. He was described by one historian as the subject of more reflection and study than almost the rest of the territory's 19th-century history combined. Stevens' marathon diplomacy with Native American tribes sought to avoid military conflict in Washington; however, when the Yakama War broke out as Native Americans resisted European encroachment, he prosecuted it mercilessly. His decision to rule by martial law, jail judges who opposed him, and raise a de facto personal army led to his conviction for contempt of court, for which he famously pardoned himself, and a rebuke from the President of the United States. Nonetheless, his uncompromising decisiveness in the face of crisis was both applauded by his supporters and noted by historians.

Isaac Stevens was the father of Hazard Stevens, the hero of the Battle of Suffolk and one of the first men to summit Mount Rainier.