Alvin Peterson Hovey

Alvin Peterson Hovey
Alvin P. Hovey as a brigadier general.
21st Governor of Indiana
In office January 14, 1889 – November 23, 1891
Lieutenant	Ira Joy Chase
Preceded by	Isaac P. Gray
Succeeded by	Ira Joy Chase
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana's 1st district
In office March 4, 1887 – January 17, 1889
Preceded by	John J. Kleiner
Succeeded by	Francis B. Posey
United States Minister to Peru
In office May 22, 1866 – September 22, 1870
Preceded by	Christopher Robinson
Succeeded by	Thomas Settle
Indiana Supreme Court Justice
In office May 8, 1854 – January 1, 1855
Preceded by	Addison Roache
Succeeded by	Samuel Gookins
Personal details
Born	September 6, 1821 Mount Vernon, Indiana
Died	November 23, 1891(1891-11-23) (aged 70) Indianapolis, Indiana
Political party	Republican
Military service
Allegiance	United States of America Union
Service/branch	United States Army Union Army
Years of service	1844–1846 1860–1865
Rank	Major General
Commands	12th Division, XIII Corps
Battles/wars	Mexican-American War American Civil War

Alvin Peterson Hovey (September 6, 1821 – November 23, 1891) was a Union general during the American Civil War, an Indiana Supreme Court justice, congressman, and the 21st Governor of Indiana from 1889 to 1891. During the war he played an important role in the Western theatre, earning high approval from Grant, and uncovered a secret plot for an uprising in Indiana. As governor, he launched several legal challenges to the Indiana General Assembly's removal of his powers, but was mostly unsuccessful. He successfully advocated election reform before he died in office.

Alvin Peterson Hovey was born in Mount Vernon, Indiana on September 6, 1821 to Abiel and Francis Hovey. His mother died while he was a young boy, and his father died when he was fifteen leaving him orphaned. His youth was spent in poverty, and after being sent to an orphanage following his father's death, he received a basic education before being turned out at age eighteen. Hovey wanted to become a lawyer, and went work as a bricklayer by day, and studied law at night in the office of John Pitcher, a Mount Vernon attorney in 1840. After over three years of study in the office, he was admitted to bar in 1843 and opened his own law office.

Hovey was propelled into the state spotlight in 1849 when he was appointed to oversee the estate of the deceased William McClure. McClure was a wealthy idealist who was one of the co-founders of the failed utopian settlement of New Harmony, Indiana. In his will, he ordered that his estate be sold and the proceeds be used to fund the construction of libraries. His two siblings had already seized much of his estate, sold it, and made off with the funds. Posey filed over sixty lawsuits to reclaim the assets of the estate, and use the proceeds for their intended purpose. The estate successfully funded the opening of 160 libraries in Indiana and Illinois. The case gained considerable press coverage around Indiana, and Hovey gained considerable popularity from his success. He met and married his wife Mary Ann in 1844, and the couple had five children. Only two of the children survived infancy.