James M. Comly
| James Munroe Stuart Comly | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
March 6, 1832 New Lexington, Ohio |
| Died | July 26, 1887 (aged 55) Toledo, Ohio |
| Place of burial | Green Lawn Cemetery Columbus, Ohio |
| Allegiance |
United States of America Union |
| Service/branch |
United States Army Union Army |
| Rank |
 Colonel Brevet Brigadier General
|
| Commands held | 23rd Ohio Infantry |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
| Other work | newspaper editor, postmaster, U.S. Minister to Hawaii |
James Munroe Stuart Comly (March 6, 1832 – July 26, 1887) was a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War, as well as a journalist, attorney, newspaper editor and owner, historian and diplomat. He was instrumental in advancing the political career of his friend Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th President of the United States.
Comly was born on a farm near the small village of New Lexington, Ohio. He was descended from a family of Quakers who had moved to Perry County from Philadelphia and established a series of sawmills. When his father died when Comly was only ten years old, he moved to Columbus and worked in a printing shop as a messenger, before becoming an apprentice and journeyman printer. He studied law and served as the chief law clerk for the Ohio Secretary of State, which exposed him to politics. He began writing articles for newspapers and joined the fledgling Republican Party, supporting John C. Frémont for president in 1856 and Abraham Lincoln in 1860. He was the editor of the leading Republican newspaper, the Ohio State Journal.
When hostilities broke out between the North and South, Comly enlisted in the Union Army in December 1861, being appointed by Republican Governor William Dennison as major of the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, an appointment at first not popular with the men as several experienced captains were passed over for the political appointee, Comly. The regiment was assigned to Raleigh, North Carolina, and Comly participated in several battles in the state. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
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