John P. Gaines
| John Pollard Gaines | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 3rd Territorial Governor of Oregon | |
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In office August 18, 1850 – May 16, 1853 |
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| Preceded by | Kintzing Prichette |
| Succeeded by |
Joseph Lane as Acting Territorial Governor |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 10th district |
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In office March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1849 |
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| Preceded by | John W. Tibbatts |
| Succeeded by | Richard H. Stanton |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
September 22, 1795 Augusta, Virginia (now West Virginia), U.S. |
| Died | December 9, 1857 (aged 62) Salem, Oregon, U.S. |
| Political party | Whig |
| Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Kinkead Gaines Margaret B. Wands Gaines |
| Profession | Politician, Lawyer |
John Pollard Gaines (September 22, 1795 – December 9, 1857) was a U.S. military and political figure. He was a Whig member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Kentucky from 1847 to 1849, and he served as Governor of the Oregon Territory from 1850 to 1853, stepping down after a turbulent term in office.
Gaines was born September 22, 1795 in Augusta County, Virginia, to Abner Gaines and Elizabeth Matthews. His grandfathers and great-grandfather served during the American Revolutionary War. He received an education and studied law, and volunteered in the War of 1812. In 1819, Gaines married Elizabeth Kincaid from Kentucky He was a lawyer practicing in Boone County, Kentucky, and served as a state legislator in Kentucky during the 1820s and 1830s.
Gaines volunteered and was appointed the rank of Major during the Mexican-American War in 1846. During the war in 1847 he was General Winfield Scott's aide-de-camp. He and some 80 soldiers were captured at Incarnacion in January 1847. They were held captive in Mexico City until August. While a prisoner, he was elected to the 30th United States Congress from Kentucky's 10th Congressional District. He served one term (March 4, 1847 to March 3, 1849) and lost reelection.
He was a supporter of President Zachary Taylor, who was elected in 1848. At the end of his term as congressman he returned to Boone County, and in October 1849 he accepted the position of Governor of the Territory of Oregon. He received the appointment after the positions of territorial secretary and governor were declined by another Taylor supporter, Abraham Lincoln, whose term in Congress had also ended earlier that year. He traveled to Oregon with Territorial Secretary Edward D. Hamilton aboard the sloop Falmouth.
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