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Note: 1804 - 1896
Son of Judge John Rice Jones and Mary Barger.
Brother of Myers Fisher Jones, John Rice Jones, and Augustus Jones.
Uncle of Amelia Scott Jones Fariss.
This is the man in the studio portrait, with white hair and a longwhite beard, taken in a profile shot, who is Robetha's picture number25.
He was a drummer boy in the War of 1812 at age 12. He served in theBlack Hawk Indian War as an aide-de-campe to Gen. Henry Dodge, the samewar in which Abraham Lincoln served. By speculation, we may think thatthe title of General for George was only an honorary compliment.
He was a lifelong friend of Jefferson Davis. The two were schoolmatesat Transylvania College, Lexington, Kentucky, along with a girl namedMary Todd. She later married a fellow named Lincoln. Jones graduatedJuly 13, 1825. Stephen F. Austin also attended Transylvania.
Jones was elected a Delegate to the U. S. Congress from the Territoryof Michigan in 1835. During this term, he secured the creation of theTerritory of Wisconsin. He was given the honor of naming the newterritory, and he chose an Indian name, Wisconsin.
As a Delegate from Wisconsin Territory, he brought about theestablishment of the Territory of Iowa. Again he was permitted tochoose a name, and again he chose an Indian name, Iowa.
He served as U. S. Senator from Iowa 1848-1858, along with AugustusCaesar Dodge. His friend Jefferson Davis was in the Senate for a partof this time. "Gen. Jones is the most historic and most remarkable manin the West. When Andrew Jackson was President, Jones sat in the Houseof Representatives with Henry A. Wise and John Quincy Adams. He sat inthe Senate with Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, Calhoun, Silas Wright,Crittenden, Jefferson Davis, Sumner, Seward, Chase, and Douglass. Hisdistrict included all of Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota. Thetrusted friend of Andrew Jackson, the partner of Daniel Webster, heremembers Jefferson." See Page 37 of the W. A. Burt Jones paper.
He was at first an Episcopalian and a Mason, but then married MaryCatherine Gregoire, who was a strong Catholic. So he converted toCatholicism. Her ancestors go back to France in the 14th Century, andinclude nuns, priests, bishops, and a Cardinal. However, none of herchildren accepted Catholicism.
Jefferson Davis presented to George Wallace Jones a hand-made walkingstick cut from Brierfield, the Davis plantation. It has an engravedsilver presentation oval. The tip appears to be a cartridge shell. Thewalking stick was proudly kept in the Jones family for generations.This cane is now in the Beauvoir museum, the last home of JeffersonDavis at Biloxi, Mississippi.
George was described as "a tall, erect figure, fastiduously dressed,with an abundance of curling black hair, an engaging smile, and themanners of a Lord Chesterfield. He was always an interestingcharacter, whether in the halls of Congress or on the frontier. Hisvaried experiences as farmer, country merchant, lead miner, leadsmelter, clerk of court, judge, soldier, land speculator, politician,and diplomat supported the varied career of this early Westerner who wasable to raise himself above the common place."
George was appointed by Pres. James Buchanan as Minister to Colombiain 1859. En route to Bogota, George was baptized by Bishop Hughes inthe Catholic Cathedral in New York City.
Although two of his sons served in the Confederate army, Georgehimself had always been opposed to secession or any disruption of theUnion, and was in favor of a peaceable adjustment of difficulties, by anamendment of the laws or the Constitution, by compromise, or byconcession.
When he returned from Colombia, a letter to his boyhood friendJefferson Davis was found among his effects, and he was arrested, byorder of the Secretary of State. This killed him politically.
However, the people of Dubuque by public meeting honored him on his90th birthday by commending his fidelity to Iowa and her best interests.The State General Assembly met in joint session to honor him.
In 1882, in a special act of Congress, he was granted a pension of $20a month for his services as a drummer boy in the war of 1812 and as anaide to Gen. Dodge in the Black Hawk War.
George Wallace Jones wrote a long article on "Jefferson Davis andOther Distinguished Men of His Time."
There is an article or book titled "George Wallace Jones" by John CarlParish, published by the State Historical Society of Iowa City, Iowa in1912.
George Wallace Jones, at age 85, was an Active Pallbearer at thefuneral of Jefferson Davis in 1889. Not an Honorary, but a realpallbearer. The old man made the trip from Dubuque, Iowa to New Orleansto serve this duty. He remained a Union friend of a deceasedConfederate.
He died at age 91 in Dubuque, Iowa, July 22, 1896.
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