Cyrus L. Dunham | |
|---|---|
 Dunham in 1862 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIndiana's2nd district | |
| In office 1849–1853 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas J. Henley |
| Succeeded by | William H. English |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives from Indiana's3rd district | |
| In office 1853–1855 | |
| Preceded by | John L. Robinson |
| Succeeded by | George G. Dunn |
| Secretary of State of Indiana | |
| In office 1858–1861 | |
| Governor | Ashbel P. Willard Abram A. Hammond |
| Preceded by | Daniel McClure |
| Succeeded by | William A. Peele |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Cyrus Livingston Dunham (1817-01-16)January 16, 1817 Dryden, New York, U.S. |
| Died | November 21, 1877(1877-11-21) (aged 60) |
| Political party | Democratic |
Cyrus Livingston Dunham (January 16, 1817 – November 21, 1877) was an attorney, soldier, and prominentIndiana politician, serving most notably as aU.S. Representative fromIndiana from 1849 to 1855.
Born inDryden, New York in 1817, Dunham attended public schools, and eventually taught school. After earning a law degree and beingadmitted to the Bar, he moved toSalem, Indiana in 1841 and began practicing law. Dunham was elected prosecuting attorney ofWashington County, Indiana in 1845 and then served as a member of theIndiana State House of Representatives for one term from 1846 to 1847.
Dunham then successfully ran forCongress, being elected to theThirty-first,Thirty-second, andThirty-third Congresses (March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1855) as aDemocrat. He served asChairman of theCommittee on Roads and Canals during the Thirty-third Congress. After his time in Congress, he was appointed byGovernorAshbel P. Willard asSecretary of State of Indiana, serving from 1859 to 1860.
During theAmerican Civil War, Dunham served in theUnion Army asColonel of the50th Indiana Infantry Regiment. He was commissioned on December 1, 1861, and honorably discharged on November 4, 1863.
Dunham was again elected as a member of the Indiana State House of Representatives for another term from 1864 to 1865. He married Malvina B. Markwell on January 6, 1870. He also lived inJeffersonville, Indiana while serving as Judge ofClark County, Indiana Criminal Court from 1871 to 1874.
As an attorney Cyrus Livingston Dunham defended some of the notoriousReno Gang members inBrownstown, Indiana. In addition, he was rumored to have shipped the skulls of two other criminals hung by vigilantes in the same town to New York City.
From an article inThe New York Times article:
Louisville (Kentucky), Tuesday, May 27, 1862:
Col. C.L. DUNHAM, of the Fiftieth Indiana, at Bowling Green, is suspected and criticised by Unionists of Warren, members of his regiment, and the Bedford (Ind.) Press. He is charged with disloyal sympathies, squinting at treason, neglecting his duty, giving up to "pleasurable indulgences," abusing and insulting his men. If he can exculpate himself, well. If not, he'll be cashiered.[1]
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromBiographical Directory of the United States Congress.Federal government of the United States.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromIndiana's 2nd congressional district 1849–1853 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromIndiana's 3rd congressional district 1853–1855 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Secretary of State of Indiana 1858–1861 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
