I had heard of George Helm Yeaman, due to the fact that he delivered an impassioned speech in the House in 1862 opposing the Emancipation Proclamation (I will try to share some of that document in a future post). But, I did not know much of his history or what became of him.
Yeaman was born in Hardin County, Kentucky, in 1829. Hardin County also produced Abraham Lincoln twenty years earlier. Yeaman was admitted to the Kentucky bar in 1852 and began practicing law in Owensboro, Daviess County. He was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1861 with numerous other Unionists and helped keep Kentucky in the Union in the fall of 1861. He was elected to the U.S. House to replace congressman James S. Jackson, who had resigned his seat and been killed at the Battle of Perryville.
Yeaman was a lame duck representative when the 13th amendment was being debated in late 1864 and early 1865, as he lost the 1864 election. He apparently had little to lose by switching his vote to outlaw slavery in the United States, but in fact he may have paid dearly.
Yeaman was offered, and accepted, the minister to Denmark position in 1865. Was this opportunity offered in exchange for his switched vote? I'm not sure at this point, but I would not be surprised, for as the movie showed, certain lame duck members of the House were provided with certain "benefits." Yeaman served as minister until 1870.
Kentucky was still very volatile during the Reconstruction years and it would also not surprise me to find out that Yeaman was not welcome back in his home state. Whatever the reason, Yeaman took a law professor position with Columbia College in New York City and was later the president of the Medico-Legal Society of New York. He never made it back to Kentucky, as he died in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1908, and was buried at Madison, New Jersey.
Thanks for your information. I was curious what happened to Yeaman and who he represented. Did any other representatives from Ky. vote for the amendment?
ReplyDeleteYes! Three others. Of the 4 only 2 were re-elected.
DeleteThanks for this post! I really enjoyed his portrayal in "Lincoln" and have been on the hunt for more information on him.
ReplyDeleteAfter viewing the movie Lincoln, I wanted to know more about Congressman Yeaman. My grandparents lived near the town of Yeaman, Kentucky and I have visited it often. The town's history claims it was named for the postmaster's son named Yeaman (lst name) but, now I wonder if the son was named for the Congressman. If so, would like to know when his son was born - before or after the important vote.
ReplyDeleteMy mother's Maiden name was Yeaman . I was shocked to hear it spoken in the Lincoln movie. Yeaman's geneology can be traced beyond 1756 in Va. I also found it interesting to be able to understand this mans Life after Congress.
ReplyDeleteHi my name is Katrina. I recently found out that I'm related to George Helm Yeaman. My father is Donald William Yeaman. His father is Donald W. Yeaman When the movie Lincoln came out my father questioned if there was any relationship because of the last name. He asked his father, who replied that yes we are related. I've been doing some research and it's pretty awesome reading up on the powerful role he played in the 13th amendment. We couldn't be more proud to descend from this ancestor!
ReplyDeleteHi Katrina, Yeaman, Helm, and Talbott for that matter are all old money names here in Louisville,(most with counties named after them it seems) I'm curious if the key tobacco Yeaman, Addison Yeaman former general counsel and maybe the single most informed man in the tobacco legal business back then, is also a relative you've heard of? He died in 96, aged 88, and was born the year George died, 1908. ?? I loved that old guy, he loved telling stories enjoying his Dewars scotch every day at lunch. I probably waited on him around 300-400 times in the 80s I figure. And the Helms, the Todds, (Mary Todd Lincoln) the Talbotts, the Boones, the Browns, the Hardins, the Clays, Van Winkles, Shelbys, Oldhams, etc. Mr Yeaman however ruled that Mens Grill, he was top dog. :) bruce michael louisville
DeleteThere's a Yeaman Ave in Henderson, KY. Henderson is the next big town west of Owensboro where George Yeaman practiced law. No idea if it has any relationship to George or his family; the street is not in the old part of town and is pretty unremarkable and short. But memorable to me because it's very close to where my aunt and uncle used to live. I'd cruising along US 60 looking for the place to turn and and thinking "Is this the right street?",and the sign would say "Yea man!"
ReplyDeleteDaviess County (Kentucky) is celebrating its Bicentennial this year (2015) and began the festivities with a free public showing of the movie "Lincoln." Local historians shared the inside story with those in attendance and I was interested to hear the REAL George Helm Yeaman was not as angsty as portrayed in the movie but was a strong, confident guy. As part of the evening's festivities, we rode the trolley over to the courthouse and attended a very nice ceremony in which a portrait of Yeaman was unveiled, to be on permanent display in the Daviess County Courthouse. Come see us ... go to www.visitowensboro.com to learn more about my wonderful community, its fascinating history and its exciting future!
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