George Henry Chapman was born on November 22, 1832, in Holland, Massachusetts. His father earned a living as a newspaper publisher. His family moved to Indiana around 1839 and eventually settled in Indianapolis. Chapman joined the United States Navy in 1847 at the rank of midshipman, but he resigned three years later. He then spent the mid-1850s working as a newspaper publisher. He was admitted to the bar in 1857. He supported the Republican Party, and in 1857, he became assistant clerk of the Indiana House of Representatives. Two years later, he became assistant clerk of the United States House of Representatives.

 

In November 1861, he received a commission as a major in the 3^rd Indiana Cavalry. He took part in the Second Battle of Manassas, the Battle of Antietam, the Battle of Fredericksburg, the Battle of Chancellorsville, and the Battle of Gettysburg. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in October 1862, to colonel in March 1863, and then to brigadier general in July 1864. He was wounded in the Third Battle of Winchester in September 1864 and spent the next month recovering. He spent the rest of the war in the Shenandoah Valley. He resigned from the army on January 7, 1866.

 

He returned to Indianapolis after the war, and he served as a criminal court judge. He married Hannah Gilman, and they had at least six children: George, born around 1866; Lawrence, born around 1868; Maurice, born around 1870; Page, born around 1872; and Victor, born around 1874. By 1870, he owned $13,000 of real estate and $1,200 of personal property. He was elected to the state senate in 1880. He died near Indianapolis on June 16, 1882.

 

Image: George H. Chapman (courtesy Wikicommons)

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