John White Geary
| John W. Geary | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 1st Mayor of San Francisco | |
|
In office May 1, 1850 – May 4, 1851 |
|
| Preceded by | Postition established |
| Succeeded by | Charles James Brenham |
| 3rd Territorial Governor of Kansas | |
|
In office September 9, 1856 – March 20, 1857 |
|
| Preceded by | Wilson Shannon |
| Succeeded by | Robert J. Walker |
| 16th Governor of Pennsylvania | |
|
In office January 15, 1867 – January 21, 1873 |
|
| Preceded by | Andrew Gregg Curtin |
| Succeeded by | John F. Hartranft |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John White Geary December 30, 1819 Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania |
| Died | February 8, 1873 (aged 53) Harrisburg, Pennsylvania |
| Political party | Democrat; Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret Ann Logan (widowed); Mary Church Henderson |
| Profession | Teacher, Clerk, Land Speculator, Engineer, Soldier |
| Religion | Methodist |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch |
United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1846–1848, 1861–1865 |
| Rank |
 Brigadier General Brevet Major General
|
| Battles/wars |
Mexican-American War American Civil War |
John White Geary (December 30, 1819 – February 8, 1873) was an American lawyer, politician, Freemason, and a Union general in the American Civil War. He was the final alcalde and first mayor of San Francisco, a governor of the Kansas Territory, and the 16th governor of Pennsylvania.
Geary was born near Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, in Westmoreland County—in what is today the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. He was the son of Richard Geary, an ironmaster and schoolmaster of Scotch-Irish descent, and Margaret White, a native of Maryland. Starting at the age of 14, he attended nearby Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, studying civil engineering and law, but was forced to leave before graduation due to the death of his father, whose debts he assumed. He worked at a variety of jobs, including as a surveyor and land speculator in Kentucky, earning enough to return to college and graduate in 1841. He worked as a construction engineer for the Allegheny Portage Railroad. In 1843, he married Margaret Ann Logan, with whom he had several sons, but she died in 1853. Geary then married the widowed Mary Church Henderson in 1858 in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
Geary was active in the state militia as a teenager. In December 1846, during the Mexican-American War, he was commissioned in the 2nd Pennsylvania Infantry, serving as lieutenant colonel. He led the regiment heroically at Chapultepec, and was wounded five times in the process. Geary was an excellent target for enemy fire: a huge man for that era, he stood six feet six inches tall, 260 pounds (118 kg) and solidly built. Altogether, he was wounded at least ten times in his military career. Geary's exploits at Belén Gate earned him the rank of colonel and he returned home a war hero.
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