Governor. This was the first defeat of the Democratic party since Iowa had an existence. In 1858 Colonel Shelledy was again elected to the General Assembly and was chosen Speaker of the House. He died a few years later.
BUREN R. SHERMAN, eleventh Governor of Iowa, was born in the town of Phelps, Ontario County, New York, on the 28th of May, 1836. He received his education at the public schools of Ontario and an academy of Elmira. When a youth he worked for a time with a watchmaker but in 1855 he came with his father's family to Iowa. Assisting his father on the farm the son gave a portion of his time to the study of law. In 1859 he was admitted to the bar. At Vinton he secured a position as junior member of the law firm of Smyth, Traer & Sherman. Soon after the beginning of the Civil War Mr. Sherman enlisted in Company G, Thirteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, was soon promoted to second lieutenant of Company E, and was severely wounded at the Battle of Shiloh. He was promoted to captain and served several months, when he resigned on account of disability occasioned by his wound. After returning to Vinton he was elected county judge and in 1866 was elected clerk of the District Court, serving by reëlections until 1874 when he was nominated by the Republican State Convention for Auditor of State and elected. He served in that position three terms with marked ability. In 1881 he was nominated by the Republican party for Governor and elected by a large majority. He was reëlected in 1883. He is a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity.
HOYT SHERMAN, son of Charles R. Sherman, Judge of the Supreme Court of Ohio, was born in Lancaster County, November 1, 1827, and is the younger brother of John Sherman, the distinguished Ohio statesman, and of General William T. Sherman of Civil War fame. Until eighteen years of age, Hoyt's time was divided between school and the printing office. In the spring of 1848 he came to Fort Des Moines, Iowa, then far out on the western frontier. In 1849 he was admitted to the bar and began to practice law, and also engaged in real estate business. In March of that year he was appointed by President Taylor postmaster of Des Moines, holding that position until the inauguration of President Pierce, when he resigned and was elected clerk of the District Court. In 1854 he was the senior member of the banking house of Hoyt Sherman & Co., and upon the establishment of the State Bank of Iowa he became cashier of the Des Moines branch and was one of the directors on part of the State to supervise the system and guard the public interests. When the Civil War began Mr. Sherman was appointed by President Lincoln paymaster in the Union army with the rank of major, holding the position for three years. He was one of the organizers of the Equitable Life Insurance Company of Iowa and for many years its general manager. That institution
