Sullivan-Vigo County IN Archives Biographies.....Briggs, John C. 1841 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com June 16, 2006, 3:56 am

Author: Goodspeed (1884)

   CAPT. JOHN C. BRIGGS was born in Carlisle, Sullivan County, September 2,
1841. In the spring of 1849 the family moved upon a large farm near Carlisle,
where the subject of this sketch lived until the spring of 1856, when the family
moved to Sullivan, where he attended the seminary until the civil war began, and
then enlisted in the Fourteenth Begiment Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He served
with his regiment in the East until December 13, 1863, when he was commissioned
as Quartermaster of cavalry, and came West, serving with Gen. Wilson's division
of cavalry until after the surrender, when he resigned in June, 1865. He was
with the Fourteenth Regiment at Rich Mountain, Cheat Mountain, Winchester,
Malvern Hill, the second battle at Bull's Bun, Antietam, Fredericksburg,
Chancellorsviile, Gettysburg and Mine Run, and with Gen. Wilson's cavalry at
Franklin and Nashville. After the war closed he located at Eastport, Miss.,
where he cast his first vote in 1866, with what was then called the Conservative
Democratic party. He enlisted a Republican, and came out of the army a Democrat.
In the winter of 1867-68, he returned to Sullivan and went into the dry goods
business with James W. Hinkle, and at the same time began reading law. The 1st
of October, 1869, he went to Terre Haute, and entered the law office of Hon. D.
W. Voorhees, where he read until the fall of 1870, when he was admitted to
practice. At the October election, 1870, he was elected Prosecutor of the
Circuit, then composed of Vermillion, Parke, Vigo and Sullivan Counties, and was
nominated for re-election in 1872, but was defeated at the October election by a
small majority, although he ran ahead of his ticket. From the time he was
admitted to practice until 1873, he and Hon. Daniel W. Voorhees practiced law
together in Terre Haute under the firm name of Voorhees & Briggs. On the 15th of
November, 1873, Capt. Briggs moved to Sullivan and opened a law office, and has
resided here ever since. For two or three years after he came to Sullivan he and
Mr. Voorhees were partners, under the firm name of Briggs & Voorhees. In
December, 1876, he was admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of Indiana, and
a short time afterward was licensed as a member of the bar of the United States
Circuit and District Courts, for the District of Indiana, at Indianapolis. In
1878, he was elected from Sullivan County to the Lower House of the General
Assembly of Indiana, and served with more than ordinary ability in the regular
and special sessions of 1879. He is the author of the law that requires the pay
of special judges to be taken from that of the regular judge, except in certain
cases, and saves to the people of the State about $20,000 per annum. He is the
author of three acts that became laws at that time. He was active in working and
speaking in favor of every bill passed by the Legislature in the interest of the
people. He declined a re-election to the Legislature, and devoted himself to his
practice. In 1880, he was the Democratic Elector for the Second Congressional
District, and canvassed the entire district at his own expense. Since 1868, he
has been active in politics, rendering his party great service. He is an
eloquent and forcible speaker, and one of the best and most successful lawyers
in Western Indiana. He has a fine practice, and  he and his partner, Charles E.
Barrett, have the best law library in the Wabash Valley.

Additional Comments:
Hamilton Township

Extracted from:

HISTORY OF GREENE AND SULLIVAN COUNTIES,
STATE OF INDIANA,
FROM THE EARLIEST TIME TO THE PRESENT; TOGETHER WITH INTERESTING BIOGRAPHICAL
SKETCHES, REMINISCENCES, NOTES, ETC.

ILLUSTRATED.

CHICAGO: GOODSPEED BROS. & CO., PUBLISHERS.
1884.

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