Governor Charles A. Wickliffe

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Historical Marker #1604 in Bardstown notes the home of Governor Charles A. Wickliffe, one of several Kentucky governors who served in the War of 1812.

Born near Springfield, Kentucky, in 1788, Wickliffe was a Bardstown attorney. There, he constructed Wickland, a house that became known as the "home of three governors" because his son became governor of Louisiana and a grandson, J. C. W. Beckham, became governor of Kentucky.

When the War of 1812 erupted, Wickliffe was serving in the Kentucky legislature. There, he supported the war with Great Britain. He also had active military service and was a staff aide to several generals.

In 1836, Wickliffe was Governor James Clark's running mate. Governor Clark died in office, and Wickliffe finished the remainder of Clark's term. Later, Wickliffe was U.S. postmaster general, was active in the 1849 constitutional convention, and, during the Civil War, was elected to the U.S. Congress as a Unionist. In 1862, he was severely injured in a carriage accident. He died in 1869 and was buried in Bardstown.