History of the Thirty-Ninth Congress of the United States

by William Horatio Barnes

WILLARD SAULSBURY was born in Kent County, Delaware, June 2, 1820. He was educated at Delaware College and Dickinson College. Having studied law, he was admitted to the bar in 1845. In 1850 he was appointed Attorney General of Delaware, and held the office five years. In 1859 he was elected a United States Senator from Delaware, and was re-elected in 1865 for the term ending in 1871.—24, 44, 124, 127, 136, 192, 219, 287, 306, 405, 456, 458, 496, 531, 534, 548.

PHILETUS SAWYER was born in Whiting, Addison County, Vermont. After receiving a common-school and business education, he removed to Wisconsin and engaged in the lumber trade. In 1857 and 1861 he was elected to the Wisconsin Legislature. He served as Mayor of Oshkosh in 1863 and 1864. In the latter year he was elected a Representative from Wisconsin to the Thirty-Ninth Congress, and was re-elected in 1866.

ROBERT C. SCHENCK was born in Franklin, Ohio, October 4, 1809. He graduated at Miami University in 1827. He studied law under Thomas Corwin, and was admitted to the bar in 1831. He was elected to the Ohio Legislature in 1841, and served two terms. In 1842 he was elected a Representative from Ohio to the Twenty-Eighth Congress, and served four successive terms. At the close of Thirty-First Congress, in 1851, he was appointed by President Fillmore Minister to Brazil, and negotiated several important treaties with South American Governments. After his return in 1853, he became largely interested in railroad enterprises, and was President of a line from Fort Wayne, Indiana, to the Mississippi. At the breaking out of the rebellion he offered his services to the Government, and was commissioned a Brigadier General, May 17, 1861. He was in numerous engagements, including both the Bull Run battles, where he displayed much skill and bravery. He was promoted to the rank of Major General in August, 1862, and was assigned to the command of the Middle Department, including Baltimore, Maryland, in which he rendered efficient service to the country. Having, been re-elected to Congress, he resigned his commission in December, 1863, and took his seat in the Thirty-Eighth Congress. He was re-elected to the Thirty-Ninth and Fortieth Congresses.—31, 352, 353, 354, 366, 439, 537, 552.

GLENNI W. SCOFIELD was born in Chautauque County, March 11, 1817. He graduated at Hamilton College in 1840, and removed to Warren, Pennsylvania, where he was admitted to the bar in 1843. In 1850 and 1851 he was a Representative in the Pennsylvania Legislature, and from 1857 to 1859 was a State Senator. In 1861 he was appointed President Judge of the Eighteenth Judicial District of the State. In 1865 he was elected a Representative from Pennsylvania to the Thirty-Eighth Congress, and was re-elected to the Thirty-Ninth and Fortieth Congresses.—56, 508.

GEORGE S. SHANKLIN was born in Jessamine County, Kentucky. He engaged in the practice of law, and in agricultural affairs. He was several years a member of the Kentucky Legislature, and was Commonwealth's Attorney of a Judicial District. He was a member of the Philadelphia Convention of 1856 which nominated Fillmore. In 1865 he was elected a Representative from Kentucky to the Thirty-Ninth Congress. He was succeeded in the Fortieth Congress by James B. Beck.—151, 440, 552.

SAMUEL SHELLABARGER was born in Clark County, Ohio, December 10, 1817. He graduated at the Miami University in 1841. He studied law, and having been admitted to the bar practiced in the city of Springfield, Ohio. In 1852 and 1853 he was a member of the Ohio Legislature. In 1860 he was elected a Representative from Ohio to the Thirty-Seventh Congress. He was re-elected to the Thirty-Ninth and Fortieth Congresses.—156, 231, 238, 345, 444, 512, 522.

JOHN SHERMAN was born in Lancaster, Ohio, May 10, 1823. He studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1844. He was a delegate to the Whig Conventions of 1848 and 1852. In 1854 he was elected a Representative from Ohio to the Thirty-Fourth Congress, and was re-elected to the Thirty-Fifth, Thirty-Sixth, and Thirty-Seventh Congresses. In the memorable contest for the Speakership of the House which occurred in 1859 he was the Republican candidate, and through a long series of ballotings lacked but one or two votes of an election. On the resignation of Senator Chase in 1861, he was elected a Senator in Congress from Ohio, and in 1866 he was re-elected for the term ending in 1873.—27, 98, 161, 420, 422, 454, 460, 476, 500, 501, 534, 535, 541.

CHARLES SITGREAVES was born in Easton, Pennsylvania, April 22, 1803. He adopted the profession of law and settled in New Jersey. In 1831 and 1833 he was a member of the New Jersey Assembly. In 1834 and 1835 he was member and President of the Legislative Council. From 1852 to 1854 he served in the State Senate. He subsequently held the positions of Mayor of Phillipsburg, President of the Belvidere and Delaware Railroad Company, and Trustee of the State Normal School. In 1864 he was elected a Representative from New Jersey to the Thirty-Ninth Congress, and was re-elected in 1866.

ITHAMAR C. SLOAN was born in Madison County, New York. He adopted the profession of law, and removed to Wisconsin in 1854. In 1858 and 1860 he was elected District Attorney of Rock County. In 1862 he was elected a Representative from Wisconsin to the Thirty-Eighth Congress, and was re-elected to the Thirty-Ninth Congress. He was succeeded in the Fortieth Congress by Benjamin F. Hopkins.—334, 335.

GREEN CLAY SMITH was born in Richmond, Kentucky, July 2, 1830. He graduated at Transylvania College in 1849, and in the Law Department of the same institution in 1852. He served in the Mexican War as Second Lieutenant, and at the breaking out of the rebellion was commissioned to command the Fourth Kentucky Cavalry. In 1862 he was appointed a Brigadier General, and subsequently reached the rank of Major General. After participating in numerous battles, he resigned his military commission in December, 1863, to take his seat as a Representative from Kentucky in the Thirty-Eighth Congress. He was re-elected a member of the Thirty-Ninth Congress, but before the expiration of his term he was appointed by the President Governor of the Territory of Montana.—439.