CHARLES

ROBERTS

INGERSOLL

F

OR five generations members of the Ingersoll family were prominent in the affairs of this commonwealth.

Jonathan Ingersoll, the great-grandfather of Charles R. Ingersoll, was a graduate of Yale College in the class of 1736, pastor of a church in Ridgefield for forty years, a chaplain in the French War in 1758, and a brother of the Hon. Jared Ingersoll, chiefly known in Connecticut history from his having accepted the office of "Stamp Distributor" just before the Revolution.

A son of the first Jonathan, bearing the same name, was also a Yale graduate, and for many years held a distinguished place at the Connecticut bar. He died while holding the office of lieutenant governor. His son, the Hon. Ralph Isaacs Ingersoll, father of the late Governor Ingersoll, was a leading member of the Connecticut Legislature, and afterwards went to Congress where he represented his district in an able manner from 1825 to 1833. Later in life he was attorney general of the state, and United States minister to the Court of St. Petersburg.

Charles Roberts Ingersoll was born in New Haven, September 16, 1821, and entered Yale College in 1836, where he gained many honors as a thoughtful, brilliant student. He was graduated in 1840, near the head of his class, and prominent for his attainments in the social and literary circles of the college. Soon after graduation Ingersoll sailed for Europe on the United States frigate "Preble," of which his uncle, Captain Voorhees, was commander. Remaining abroad for two years, he visited various portions of the continent, and then returned to his home to study law. He entered the Yale Law School, graduated in 1844, and was admitted to the bar in New Haven the following year. Commencing at once to practice in New Haven he remained there the remainder of his life, following his profession. His superior ability soon brought him success, and gave him a prominence in the political life of the state. In 1856 Ingersoll was elected a member of the General Assembly, and was re-elected in 1857 and 1858. He was elected a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1864, and in 1866 was chosen for the fourth time a member of the House of Representatives. The senatorship was offered him from his district in 1871, but he declined the honor, and then represented New Haven in the Lower House of another session. Ingersoll was now one of the most prominent Democratic leaders in Connecticut, and in 1873 he was elected governor by a flattering majority. The following year he was re-elected by a majority

The

Governors of

Connectic u t

that he was

In that year

of 7,000. His administration proved so successful nominated and elected for the third time in 1875. the term of office for a governor was changed from one to two years, and by constitutional amendment the term from 1876-7 was made to expire in 1877.

The opponents of Governor Ingersoll in the two last elections were both graduates of Yale College, Henry B. Harrison, afterwards governor, and Henry C. Robinson of Hartford. In 1876 Governor Ingersoll was a presidential elector, and in 1877 declined a renomination as governor of the state. A curious fact of his political career is that he was never defeated for an office. A writer, commenting on his career in politics, has said: "His record in political life is one which most statesmen can only hope for or envy, and has received the praise of his bitterest political antagonists."

After his retirement from the governorship, Ingersoll never held any political office, but devoted his time to the practice of his profession in New Haven. On resuming his professional work in 1877 he was often called not only into the State and Federal courts, but into the United States Supreme Court at Washington. One of the important cases before the Supreme Court in which he was counsel was that of the Bridgeport Bran Company, in which the law on the reissuing of patents was finally determined. He was afterward engaged as counsel for Yale University, and his argu