Edward Daniels

Who was Edward Daniels?

Edward Daniels was born in Boston, Massachusetts, but moved west to Wisconsin at the age of 21 to pursue a career as a geologist and academic. He was made the first state geologist of Wisconsin in 1853 and taught at Ripon College and Carroll College.

He was a fervent abolitionist and became involved in the escape of fugitive slave Joshua Glover in 1854 as well as the plot to free abolitionist activist Sherman Booth from federal prison in 1860. He was a part of the ill-fated "Free-Stater" expedition led by Jim Lane into Kansas in 1856, part of the Bleeding Kansas events.

Edward Daniels was quick to respond to the opening of hostilities between the States, organizing the 1st Wisconsin Volunteer Cavalry Regiment in 1861. He served as the commanding officer of this unit from 1861-1863. The 1st Wisconsin was initially stationed in Missouri, but Col. Daniels took the initiative to lead successful raids into Arkansas. However, his actions were unauthorized and called into question by his commanders, leading to Daniels' resignation in 1863.

In 1868 Edward Daniels and his wife Ione Gove Daniels purchased the Gunston Hall estate in Virginia from descendants of George Mason.