Amasa Cobb
Amasa Cobb (September 27, 1823July 5, 1905) was an American politician and judge. He was the 6th and 9th Chief Justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court and the 5th Mayor of Lincoln, Nebraska. Earlier in his life, he was a United States Congressman from Wisconsin for 8 years and served as the 13th Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly. He also served as a Union Army officer during the American Civil War. Biography Born in Crawford County, Illinois, near Palestine, Illinois, Cobb was the son of Nancy (Briggs) and John Cobb. He moved to the Wisconsin Territory in 1842 and mined for lead. He served in the Mexican–American War as a private. After the war he studied law, passed the bar and set up practice in Mineral Point, Wisconsin. He was a district attorney from 1850 to 1854, then was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 1855, serving until 1856. During his term, he was also the adjutant general of Wisconsin from 1855 to 1858. He became a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1860 and served as speaker in 1861. At the outset of the Civil War, on July 12, 1861, he joined the Union army as