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HISTORICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ILLINOIS.
to every State and National Convention of his party from 1868 to 1896. In 1874 he was elected State Treasurer, the candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction on the same ticket being defeated. In 1876 and 1880 he was an unsuccessful candidate for his party's nomination for Governor. Three times he consented to lead the forlorn hope of the Republicans as a candidate for Congress from an impregnably Democratic stronghold. For several years he was a Director of the McCormick Theological Seminary, at Chicago, and, for nineteen years, was a Trustee of the Southern Illinois Normal University at Carbon-dale, resigning in 1893. Died, at Shawneetown, Nov. 17, 1897.
RIGGS; James M., ex-Congressman, was born in Scott County, Ill., April 17, 1839, where he received a common school education, supplemented by a partial collegiate course. He is a practicing lawyer of Winchester. In 1864 he was elected Sheriff, serving two years. In 1871-72 he represented Scott County in the lower house of the Twenty-seventh General Assembly, and was State's Attorney from 1872 to 1876. In 1882, and again in 1884, he was the successful Democratic candidate for Congress in the Twelfth Illinois District.
RIGGS, Scott, pioneer, was born in North Carolina about 1790; removed to Crawford County, Ill, early in 1815, and represented that county in the First General Assembly (1818-20). In 1825 he removed to Scott County, where he continued to reside until his death, Feb. 24, 1872.
RINAKER, John I., lawyer and Congressman, born in Baltimore, Md., Nov. 18, 1830. Left an orphan at an early age, he came to Illinois in 1836, and, for several years, lived on farms in Sangamon and Morgan Counties; was educated at Illinois and McKendree Colleges, graduating from the latter in 1851; in 1852 began reading law with John M. Palmer at Carlinville, and was admitted to the bar in 1854. In August, 1862, he recruited the One Hundred and Twenty-second Illinois Volunteers, of which he was commissioned Colonel. Four months later he was wounded in battle, but served with his regiment through the war, and was brevetted Brigadier-General at its close. Returning from the war he resumed the practice of his profession at Carlinville. Since 1858 he has been an active Republican; has twice (1872 and '76) served his party as a Presidential Elector-the latter year for the Sta
