The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-07-19

/, ship of the sixth judicial district unit
January, 1900, when he became associ
ated with c. y. Andrews and resumed
| the practice of law, until his retirement
from the strain and anxiety of active
life in the summer of 1902. During
his long and eventful career Judge Sew
erance has been a prominent figure il
the history of Minnesota. An able law
yer, an eloquent advocate and learn
| ed jurist, he has stood at the forefront
of the bar, forum and bench of this com
| monwealth.
Judge Severance married June 10
1858, Elizabeth P. Van Horn of Chico
pee, Mass. daughter of Lester Van
Horn, descendant of David Van Horn
| one of the first Dutch settlers of New
York City.
Judge Severance's War Record.
The war record of the Severance fam
lily is particularly good and notable
Asa Severance was thrifty farmer anG
| his son Martin passed his early life in
the manner OF many another farmers
boy-helping with the ''chOres" and farm
work. and attending the common schools
until he was eighteen years of age
August IA, 1862, during the rebellion
| Mr.. Severance enlisted as private in
Company |, Tenth Minnesota Infantry
| Four days later came the great Sioux
| Indian outbreak He was with his com
pany when, as a part of the force under
General Sibley, it went to the relief of
Fort Ridgely and to the defense of the
upper Minnesota valley. Later in the
year he attended the extra session of
the legislature as member, although
he was still a private soldier. In No
vember. 1868. he went south with his
regiment, and for time was stationed
at st. Louis. April 4, 1864, he was
promoted to the captaincy of his CON-
pany, and served with this rank util
he was mustered out with his regiment,
| in August, 1865, after the close of the
war. His company was a splendid or
ganization, and although its material
was somewhat remarkable, yet it was
typical and representative of the from
tier of Minnesota at the time. 1t was
composed of white frontiersmen and
mixed blood Indians in about equal pro-
portion. 1t made an excellent record for
hard and faithful service and for
good conduct generally. In May, 1864,
Captain Severance went with his COM
mand to Columbus, Kentucky, and
thence to Memphis, Tennessee. As a
part of General A. j. Smiths Sixteenth
army corps, the regiment participated
i'm the battles about Tupelo, Mississippi,
July 1915. 1864. Later in the same
4 Nv ford i1S w
the town of Oxford, Mississippi, was
burned in retaliation for the destruction
of the town of Chambersburg, Pennsyl-
vania, by the Confederates.
Was in Many Engagements.
In August it went to DevalPs Bluff,
Arkansas, and from this post in Septem-
Der it started on the long and toilsome
expedition of General A. j. Smith after
the Confederate raiding force under
General Price that had invaded Missouri.
The Tenth regiment marched on this
expedition from Devall's Bluff, through
Arkansas and Missouri almost to the
Kansas line, near Kansas City, or until
the Confederates had been overtaken by
General Pleasanton's and General
Curtis cavalry commands and defeated
at the Little Blue, the Big Blue and
Westport. all near the western line of
Missouri. in the neighborhood of Kan
sas City. Then, with the main part of
Smiths corps, it was sent to Tennes-
see. arriving at Nashville Nov. 80. 1t
took part in the battles at Nashville,
Dec. Is and l6, 1864, and on the latter
dav participated in the magnificent and
= ,cS,,,lf IN (.pnpral Hoods
Confederate lines. After the victory 1T
took part in the pursuit of Hoods brok-
en- army to the Tennessee river, going
into camp for a month at Eastport,
Alabama In the early spring of 1863
it was sent to the Gulf of Mexico and
participated in the capture of Mobile,
April ., lS65-the last important bat
tie of the war. Captain Severance was
mustered out with the regiment at Fort
Smelling Aug. 10, 1865. During his en-
tire term of long and active military
service, Captain Severance spent but
twenty days in the hospital. He was
slightly wounded at the battle of Nash;
vile. but he has never applied for PEN
sion.
After his discharge from the army,
Captain Severance located at lie Sueur,
Mimi. and resumed the practice of law.
In 1870 he removed to Mankato and
continued in his profession He became
very prominent as lawyer, especially
in the conduct of criminal cases, and at
tanned to an eminent standing at the
bar of his county, his district and his
state.
Appointed Judge.
June %, 1881, he was appointed by
Governor Pillsbury, judge of the sixth
| judicial district. Afterwards he was
eelcted to the position of three success
sive terms of six years each-his cleo
/ tion being effected each time without
opposition or the drawing of party lines.
| His service on the bench has been that
of an able lawyer, an accomplished jur-
| ist, and an honest, kind hearted man. OF
| his judicial career and his general char
acter, one who writes with full knowl-
/ edge of the subject says:
Judge Severance is man of wide