Abner Clark Harding (February 10, 1807 - July 19, 1874) was a U.S. Representative from Illinois.
Born in East Hampton, Connecticut, Harding attended Hamilton College, Clinton, New York, where he studied law. He was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Oneida County, New York, about 1827. In 1838, he moved to Monmouth, Illinois, and continued practicing law. He served as member of the State constitutional convention in 1848, and was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives the same year, serving until 1850.
During the Civil War, Harding enlisted as a private in the Union Army in the Eighty-third Regiment of the Illinois Volunteer Infantry. Later, he was commissioned as a colonel, and was promoted to brigadier general in March 1863. He was forced to resign due to deteriorating eyesight a few months later.
From 1865 to 1869, Harding served as a Republican member of Congress. During the 39th Congress, he served as Chairman of the Committee on the Militia. However, he was not a candidate for reelection in 1868 after serving in the 40th Congress, and later engaged in banking and railroad building. He died in Monmouth, Illinois on July 19, 1874, and was interred in Monmouth Cemetery.
In the Book of Samuel, Abner (Hebrew אבנר "Avner" meaning "father of [or is a] light"), is cousin to Saul and commander-in-chief of his army (1 Samuel 14:50, 20:25). He is often referred to as Abner Ben Ner, meaning, the son of Ner.
Abner is only referred to incidentally in Saul's history (1 Samuel 14:50, 17:55, 26:5), first appearing as the son of son of Ner, Saul's uncle, and the commander of Saul's army. He the comes to the story again as the commander who introduced David to Saul following David's killing of Goliath. He is not mentioned in the account of the disastrous battle of Gilboa when Saul's power was crushed. Seizing the youngest but only surviving of Saul's sons, Ish-bosheth, Abner set him up as king over Israel at Mahanaim, east of the Jordan. David, who was accepted as king by Judah alone, was meanwhile reigning at Hebron, and for some time war was carried on between the two parties.
Abner is both a surname and a given name. The best known is Abner from the Bible (Book of Samuel), first cousin to Saul and commander-in-chief of his army. Other notable people with the name include:
Abner is the uncle of Saul and commander-in-chief of his army in the Bible.
Abner may also refer to: