Moses Wisner

Biography

Moses Wisner, born in 1815, practiced law in Michigan before entering politics as a member of the state legislature and later being elected governor in 1859. He guided Michigan through the anxious years before the Civil War, encouraging unity and preparedness.

When the war began, Wisner left the governorship to raise the 22nd Michigan Volunteer Infantry and fell ill while training recruits; he died in 1863 and is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery, a reminder of a leader who could not abide bystanders in a time of crisis.