John H. Wise was born on December 16, 1788. Wise came from a politically active family, his youngest brother,
Jacob M. Wise, was a state senator, while the middle brother, Frederick Augustus Wise, was the owner and editor of the
Westmoreland Republican. Their father, Henry, was a
German immigrant. John served as a second lieutenant in the 22nd Infantry of the
Pennsylvania Militia during the war of 1812 and was named the brigadier general of the 1st Brigade, 13th Division in 1821. Starting in 1814 John held various jobs around
Greensburg including logging and watch making. Later that year he was elected the
coroner of Westmoreland County and launched an unsuccessful bid to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1816. ==Representative==