Papers Of Abraham Lincoln

Fisher, George S.

Son of Abner S. Fisher, George Fisher moved from New York to Ottawa, Illinois, with his family in 1840. In March 1843, Fisher was appointed secretary at a Whig meeting for La Salle County, Illinois. He served as a sergeant in the First Regiment of Illinois Volunteers during the Mexican War. In February 1849, Fisher married Martha Catherine Mann, in La Salle County. In 1850, Fisher was a lawyer in Ottawa, and owned $4,000 in real estate. In 1856, he was treasurer of the Ottawa Starch Company. Fisher was one of the proprietors of the Bank of Ottawa, later becoming sole proprietor, however, in April 1857, Fisher sold his interest in the bank. By 1860, Fisher and his wife had relocated to San Francisco, where he was a practicing attorney. In December 1861, Fisher was appointed as consul to Japan, a position he held until 1867.

Elmer Baldwin, History of La Salle County Illinois (Chicago: Rand, McNally, 1877), 245, 250; Sangamo Journal (Springfield, IL), 30 March 1843, 2:7; Illinois Mexican War Veterans, Illinois State Archives, Springfield, IL; Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, La Salle County, 23 February 1849, Illinois State Archives, Springfield, IL; U.S. Census Office, Seventh Census of the United States (1850), Ottawa, La Salle County, IL, 180; Daily Illinois State Journal (Springfield), 17 January 1856, 2:1; 3 April 1857, 2:2; U.S. Census Office, Eighth Census of the United States (1860), San Francisco District 8, San Francisco County, CA, 75; Register of Officers and Agents, Civil, Military, and Naval, in the Service of the United States, on the Thirtieth September, 1865 (Washington DC: Government Printing Office, 1866), 9; Compilation of Reports of Committee on Foreign Relations (Washington DC: Government Printing Office, 1901) 3:779.