US Congressman. Born Somerset, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, he studied law in the law office of Jeremiah S. Black, who later served as United States Attorney General, and was admitted to the Pennsylvania State Bar Association in 1851. He established a law practice in his home town, and became involved in Democratic politics. In 1860 he was a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions, attending the meetings that happened in both Charleston, South Carolina and Baltimore, Maryland. In 1862 he was elected as a Democrat to represent Pennsylvania’s 16th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives, taking over the seat from Democrat Congressman Joseph Baily, who shifted from the 16th to the 15th District. In January 1865 he voted in favor of the 13th Constitutional Amendment that abolished slavery, being one of a handful of Democrats to do so, despite earlier rejecting it. He ran for re-election in 1865, and after apparently winning the seat, it was contested, and he served only from February to July 1866. He returned to his private law practice, and then served as a delegate to the 1872 Democratic Convention. In 1878 he again ran for Congress, and was elected to represent Pennsylvania’s 17th Congressional District. He served a single term from 1879 to 1881, and during his time chaired the United States House Committee on Invalid Pensions, a critical committee that dealt with the growing amount of pension claims coming from Union Army veterans. After his second term in Congress he again resumed his private law practice, and passed away in 1906.
US Congressman. Born Somerset, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, he studied law in the law office of Jeremiah S. Black, who later served as United States Attorney General, and was admitted to the Pennsylvania State Bar Association in 1851. He established a law practice in his home town, and became involved in Democratic politics. In 1860 he was a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions, attending the meetings that happened in both Charleston, South Carolina and Baltimore, Maryland. In 1862 he was elected as a Democrat to represent Pennsylvania’s 16th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives, taking over the seat from Democrat Congressman Joseph Baily, who shifted from the 16th to the 15th District. In January 1865 he voted in favor of the 13th Constitutional Amendment that abolished slavery, being one of a handful of Democrats to do so, despite earlier rejecting it. He ran for re-election in 1865, and after apparently winning the seat, it was contested, and he served only from February to July 1866. He returned to his private law practice, and then served as a delegate to the 1872 Democratic Convention. In 1878 he again ran for Congress, and was elected to represent Pennsylvania’s 17th Congressional District. He served a single term from 1879 to 1881, and during his time chaired the United States House Committee on Invalid Pensions, a critical committee that dealt with the growing amount of pension claims coming from Union Army veterans. After his second term in Congress he again resumed his private law practice, and passed away in 1906.
Bio by: RPD2
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