' LANE, JAMES HENRY (1814-66). An Ameri can soldier and politician. He was born at Law renceburg, Ind., studied law, and in 1840 was admitted to the bar. In May, 1846, he volun teered for service in the Mexican War. He was chosen colonel of an Indiana regiment, and com manded a brigade at the battle of Buena Vista. Immediately after the close of the war he was elected Lieutenant-Governor of Indiana, and from 1853 to 1855 he was a Democratic member of Congress. In 1855 he removed to Kansas, and there became conspicuous as a leader of the Free-State Party. He was president of the To peka Constitutional Convention in the fall of this year, was second in command on the Free State side during the so-called Wakarusa War, and in 1856 was chosen United States Senator by the Legislature which had mel, under the Topeka Constitution. This election, however, was not recognized by Congress, and Lane remained in Kansas, where in 1859 he acted as president of the Leavenworth Constitutional Convention. In
1861, Kansas having at last been admitted to the Union, Lane war: elected to the United States Sen ate; hut the Civil War having broken out, he soon volunteered for active service in the field, and, after commanding for a time the frontier guards about Washington. was appointed brigadier general of volunteers in Deuember, 1861, though. his commission was canceled in the following March. lie projected several visionary military expeditions, such as the 'Great Southern Expe dition' from Kansas in 1861-62; he became `commander for recruiting in the Department of Kansas' in July, 1862; and in this capacity endeavored to usurp the functions of Governor Robinson, and later of Governor Carney. In 1864, during General Price's raid, he was an aide to General Curtis. 11e was to the United States Senate in 1865, but in 1866 was attacked with paralysis, and during a temporary aberration of mind committed suicide.