Romeo H. Freer

Romeo Hoyt Freer (November 9, 1846 – May 9, 1913) was the Republican Attorney General of West Virginia from 1901 to 1905.

Born in Bazetta Township, Trumbull County, Ohio), Ohio on November 9, 1846, he was the son of Josiah D. Freer and Caroline P. Brown. The family soon relocated to Ashtabula County, Ohio and Freer attended common schools. At the age of 15, he enlisted in the Union army through 1865. Wounded during the battle of Gettysburg, he received an honorable discharge in 1866. The war had a measurable impact on Freer's personal life, he became a dedicated pacifist and determined isolationist for the rest of his life.

In 1866, Freer moved to Charleston, West Virginia and began to study law. He was later admitted to the bar and elected prosecuting attorney for Kanawha County in 1870. In 1872, he was a presidential elector for Ulysses S. Grant. President Grant appointed him U.S. Consul to Nicaragua until he resigned his duties in 1877 and accepted an appointment as Register of the Land Office for New Mexico. He resigned in 1879 after refusing orders that would lead to military conflict with Mexico.

Freer settled in Ritchie County, West Virginia in 1881 and married Mary Iams in 1884. That same year, he was a presidential candidate with James G. Blaineas his choice for Vice President. His isolationist policies proved to be divisive among voters, leading to his resignation from politics after the election.

Freer returned to politics by 1890 when he was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates and later appointed prosecuting attorney for Ritchie County. In 1896, he was elected to the Fourth Judicial Circuit of West Virginia.

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