Halleck, Henry Wager, 1815-1872.
Halleck's Collection of Mining Laws of Spain and Mexico : American Law
Henry Wager Halleck's chief claim to fame is as a Union general in the Civil War. He commanded Union forces in their victory at the Battle of Shiloh, and President Lincoln promoted him to commander-in-chief of the Union armies, a post he filled until he was replaced by Ulysses S. Grant in 1864. Known by the nickname "Old Brains," Halleck was an able administrator but an ineffective field commander, and was unpopular with his subordinates.
Before the Civil War, Halleck was a prominent California lawyer and headed the state's most prominent law firm, Halleck, Peachey & Billings of San Francisco. He was a key figure in the drafting of California's first state constitution. It was during this time that he authored A Collection of Mining Laws of Spain and Mexico, which included a 25-page "glossary of words and terms used in the Spanish and Mexican mining laws, and in commentaries on these laws."
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