George Izard (October 21, 1776 – November 22, 1828) was a senior officer of the United States Army who served as the second governor of Arkansas Territory from 1825 to 1828. He was elected as a member to the American Philosophical Society in 1807.{{Cite web|title=APS Member History|url=https://search.amphilsoc.org/memhist/search?creator=George+Izard&title=&subject=&subdiv=&mem=&year=&year-max=&dead=&keyword=&smode=advanced|access-date=2021-04-02|website=search.amphilsoc.org}}

Early life and education

George Izard was born in Richmond, England, to Ralph Izard, who was a delegate to the Continental Congress and United States Senator from South Carolina, and Alice DeLancey, niece of New York Governor James DeLancey and a descendant of Stephanus Van Cortlandt and Gertrude Schuyler. He graduated from the College of Philadelphia (present-day University of Pennsylvania) in 1792. He attended military academies in England and Germany and received military engineering instruction in France.

Military career

File:Hugh Bridport - Mrs. Thomas Lee Shippen - 1999.87.2 - Smithsonian American Art Museum.jpg

On November 4, 1794, Izard was commissioned a Lieutenant in the newly established U.S. Corps of Artillerists and Engineers. Returning from Europe, he was assigned to an engineer company at West Point, New York. From there, he was ordered to oversee the construction of Castle Pinckney in South Carolina.{{cite web|url=http://governor.arkansas.gov/newsroom/index.php?do:newsDetail=1&news_id=3132|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121212230005/http://governor.arkansas.gov/newsroom/index.php?do:newsDetail=1&news_id=3132|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 12, 2012|title=Governor George Izard Day|publisher=State of Arkansas|access-date=August 9, 2012}}

In January 1800, Izard became aide-de-camp to Army commander Alexander Hamilton. A few months later he was invited by William Loughton Smith, Minister Plenipotentiary to Portugal, to serve as his secretary, a position he accepted. He left Portugal the next year and returned to the United States. He officially resigned his army commission in June 1803.

In March 1812, Izard was appointed as Colonel of the newly organised 2d Artillery Regiment. He was promoted to Brigadier-General a year later, and served as Wade Hampton's second in command until his resignation, when Izard succeeded him. Promoted to Major-General in January 1814, he was in charge of the Northern Army protecting Lake Champlain, until ordered to reinforce the Army of Niagara. He was discharged in June 1815.[https://archive.org/stream/historicalregist01heitrich#page/566/mode/2up Historical Register and Dictionary of the US Army]

Governor of Arkansas Territory (1825–1828)

Izard was appointed Governor of Arkansas Territory in March 1825, and served until his death in 1828.{{cite web|url=http://governor.arkansas.gov/newsroom/index.php?do:newsDetail=1&news_id=3132|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121212230005/http://governor.arkansas.gov/newsroom/index.php?do:newsDetail=1&news_id=3132|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 12, 2012|title=Governor George Izard Day|publisher=State of Arkansas|access-date=August 10, 2012}} He died of complications of gout in Little Rock. Originally buried near the Peabody School there, Izard's remains were moved to Mount Holly Cemetery in 1843.{{cite web| url= http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=3662|title=George Izard (1776–1828)|publisher= The Central Arkansas Library System|access-date=August 9, 2012}}

Legacy

Izard County, Arkansas, is named after him.{{cite web|url=http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=11556|title=Profile for Izard County, Arkansas, AR|publisher=ePodunk|access-date=August 10, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140720160735/http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=11556|archive-date=July 20, 2014|url-status=dead}}{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n166 167]}} The unit he commanded still exists as 1st Battalion, 3d Air Defense Artillery Regiment.