Richard Yates (1815-1873), Civil War Governor of Illinois (1861-1865), was born in Warsaw, Ky. on Jan. 18, 1815. His family moved to Illinois settling first in Springfield (1831) and later at Berlin, Sangamon County. Yates graduated from Illinois College (1835) and subsequently read law with Col. John J. Hardin at Jacksonville. On July 11, 1839, he married Catherine Geers in Jacksonville, Ill. Yates was a state Representative from Morgan County (1842-1850)and with his victory over Thomas L. Harris (1850) became the only Illinois Whig in the 32nd Congress. Two years later he won re-election to Congress where he opposed the Kansas-Nebraska bill but was defeated by Harris in 1854. Being an early supporter of a new political party to resist the further extension of slavery, Yates participated in the Bloomington Convention of 1856, serving as one of the convention vice-presidents. When Yates was elected Governor in 1860, his term would coincide with the Civil War. Although Yates' support of fellow Republican Abraham Lincoln's war efforts would characterize his term in office, Yates still maintained the daily administration of state government for Illinois citizens. After leaving office, Yates became a U. S. Senator (1865-1871) before his sudden death in St. Louis on Nov. 27, 1873. Yates is buried in Jacksonville, Ill.
From the description of Richard Yates (1815-1873) correspondence, 1861-1865. (Illinois State Archive). WorldCat record id: 35751555
