During the war he played an important role in the Western theatre, earning high approval from General Ulysses Grant, and uncovered a secret plot for an uprising in Indiana.

As governor, he launched several legal challenges to the Indiana General Assembly's removal of his powers, but was mostly unsuccessful.

His youth was spent in poverty, and after being sent to an orphanage following his mother's death, he received a basic education before being turned out at age eighteen.

Hovey wanted to become a lawyer, and went work as a bricklayer by day, and studied law at night in the office of John Pitcher, a Mount Vernon attorney in 1840.

Hovey was elected as a Democrat to serve as a delegate in 1850 to help create a new constitution for the state of Indiana.

[4] The constitution was approved by the public, but the anti-black portions were ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court two years later.

In 1854, Hovey was appointed by Governor Joseph A. Wright to fill a vacancy on the Indiana Supreme Court until an election could be held.

His most important decision was in voting to strike down taxing laws created by some townships to increase funding for their schools.

[4] In 1855, Hovey was appointed by United States President Franklin Pierce to serve as US Attorney for Indiana.

The pro-slavery faction, led by Jesse D. Bright, expelled many anti-slavery members of the party including Hovey during the 1858 state convention.

Hovey responded by running for Congress against Democrat William E. Niblack as an Independent, but was defeated by a large margin.

He remained with the advance elements of the main western Union army, and was promoted to brigadier general of United States Volunteers.

Shortly after the battle, he received word that his wife had died, and returned home to arrange for guardians for his children.

[6] In 1872, the Republican party entered Hovey's name as a candidate to run for governor, but he declined, claiming he was finished with politics.

For the next fourteen years he continued operating his private law practice until 1886, he was nominated to run for Congress and accepted.

They had removed all the governor's appointment powers, and the Indiana Supreme Court ruled in favor of the legislature in that matter.

This led to considerable trickery on the part of the parties who would deliberately make their ballot in a manner to increase the likelihood voters would choose their candidate, even accidentally.

They often meted out corporal punishments to men who were believed to not be taking care of their family, local criminals, and alcoholics.

[7] In 1891, Hovey fell ill and died on November 23, 1891, and was succeeded by his Lieutenant Governor Ira Joy Chase.