Oliver P. Morton
Oliver Hazard Perry Throck Morton (August 4, 1823 – November 1, 1877), commonly known as
Oliver P. Morton, was a U.S.
Republican Party politician from
Indiana. He served as the
14th governor of
Indiana during the American Civil War, and was a stalwart ally of President
Abraham Lincoln. Morton worked hard to maximize Indiana's contribution to the war effort and marginalize the obstructionists. He was a principled and effective leader who fought for equality and nationalism through the use of governmental power. His forceful pursuit of civil rights and prosecution of Copperheads and white supremacists gained him lasting enemies among the antiwar elements. Morton thwarted and neutralized the
Democratic-controlled
Indiana General Assembly. He exceeded his
constitutional authority by calling out the militia without approval, and during the period of legislative suppression he privately financed the state government through unapproved federal and private loans. He was criticized for arresting and detaining political enemies and suspected southern sympathizers. As one of President Lincoln's "war governors", Morton made significant contributions to the war effort, more than any other man in the state, and earned the lifelong gratitude of former Union soldiers for his support.
During his second term as governor, and after being partially paralyzed by a stroke, he was elected to serve in the
U.S. Senate. He was a leader among the
Radical Republicans of the
Reconstruction era, and supported numerous bills designed to reform the former
Southern Confederacy. In 1877, during his second term in the Senate, Morton suffered a second debilitating stroke that caused a rapid deterioration in his health; he died later that year. Morton was mourned nationally and his funeral procession was witnessed by thousands. He is buried in
Indianapolis's
Crown Hill Cemetery.
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