Biography

John Covode, nicknamed "Honest John" was a Congressman from Pennsylvania for the Republican party from 1855-1871. He also served on the Committee on the Conduct of the War and was radical on both the topics of war and race. Covode was known for aggressively investigating government abuse and had no qualms telling President Lincoln if he thought someone should be fired or which official to hire for a position. Covode was also a businessman and his wealth was largely based on coal, wood and railroads.