Henry S. Geyer
| Henry S. Geyer | |
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United States Senator from Missouri |
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In office March 4, 1851 – March 4, 1857 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas Hart Benton |
| Succeeded by | Trusten Polk |
| Member of the Missouri House of Representatives | |
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In office 1820-1824 1834-1835 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Henry Sheffie Geyer December 9, 1790 Frederick, Maryland |
| Died | March 5, 1859 (aged 68) St. Louis, Missouri |
| Political party | Whig, Opposition |
| Profession | Politician, Lawyer |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1813-1815 |
| Rank | First Lieutenant |
| Unit | 36th Regiment-Maryland Infantry |
| Battles/wars | War of 1812 |
Henry Sheffie Geyer (December 9, 1790 – March 5, 1859) was a politician, lawyer, and soldier from Missouri. Born in Frederick, Maryland, he was the son of John Geyer, saddler of Frederick Town. Geyer was of German descent, his father having come from Prussia.
Geyer was instructed privately, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1811 and practiced law in Frederick. Most of Geyer's legal knowledge was gained by working in the office of his maternal uncle, Daniel Sheaffee, who was a prominent lawyer.
He also wrote for the Frederick Town papers and had knowledge of the printing business. Geyer moved from Maryland to Staunton, Augusta County, Virginia.
During the War of 1812 he served as a first lieutenant in the Thirty-sixth Regiment, Maryland Infantry from 1813 to 1815. He reached the position of pay-master and spent some time stationed at Norfolk, Virginia. After the war ended, Geyer settled in St. Louis, Missouri, still holding the office of pay-master. He also began pursuing the study of law. After a year, Geyer resigned his pay-master position and began practicing law. Around the same time, he was appointed captain of the first military company west of the Mississippi River. Geyer was known as captain for the rest of his life.
Geyer became involved in a feud with Captain George Kennerby, the origin of which is unknown. Geyer was offended by Kennerby and challenged him to a duel. The two met at Bloody Island with pistols and exchanged shots. Kennerby was struck in the leg and was unable to stand. Both agreed to return to the fight at a later time, but before they could meet again, the argument was settled by the intervention of mutual friends and Geyer and Kennerby became friends for life.
In addition to his political career, in St. Louis, Geyer wrote for the Missouri Republican and was an editor of the St. Louis Times in 1833.
Geyer was a member of the convention of Missouri and helped to write the first Missouri constitution. He was a member of the Territorial assembly in 1818 and a delegate to the constitutional convention in 1820. In 1818, Geyer published a compilation of Missouri's territorial laws, known as "Geyer's Digest." From 1820 to 1824 he was a member of the Missouri House of Representatives and again in 1834-1835, serving as speaker on two occasions. In the 1830s, Geyer helped form and lead Missouri's Whig Party. He authored the Geyer Act of 1839 establishing public education in Missouri as well as the University of Missouri.
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