Lionel Allen Sheldon (August 30, 1828 – January 17, 1917) was appointed a brigadier general in the Ohio militia in 1858 by Governor

Salmon P Chase Salmon Portland Chase (January 13, 1808May 7, 1873) was an American politician and jurist who served as the sixth chief justice of the United States from 1864 to his death in 1873. Chase served as the 23rd governor of Ohio from 1856 to 1860, r ...

and served as an officer in the Union Army during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. A

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

. He was appointed Governor of the

New Mexico Territory The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912. It was created from the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico, as a result of '' Nuevo México'' becomi ...

President James Garfield James Abram Garfield (November 19, 1831 – September 19, 1881) was the 20th president of the United States, serving from March 1881 until his death in September that year after being shot two months earlier. A preacher, lawyer, and Civi ...

and served in that role from 1881 until he resigned in 1885.

Early life

Sheldon was born in

Worcester, New York Worcester is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Otsego County, New York, United States. The population was 2,220 at the 2010 census. Worcester is on the southeastern border of the county and is northeast of Oneonta, New York, O ...

, to Allen and Anna Marie (Des Les Dernier) Sheldon. Sheldon moved with his parents to

Lagrange, Ohio LaGrange ( ) is a village in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,595 at the 2020 census. The village derives its name from Château de la Grange-Bléneau, the French home of Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, an office ...

. He attended the district school and

Oberlin College Oberlin College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1833, it is the oldest Mixed-sex education, coeducational lib ...

Oberlin, Ohio Oberlin () is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. It is located about southwest of Cleveland within the Cleveland metropolitan area. The population was 8,555 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Oberlin is the home of Oberlin ...

from 1848 to 1850 and graduated from the Fowler's State and National Law School,This law school is also attested in a biosketch o
Robert Frederic Wilkinson.
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Poughkeepsie, New York Poughkeepsie ( ) is a city within the Poughkeepsie (town), New York, Town of Poughkeepsie, New York (state), New York. It is the county seat of Dutchess County, New York, Dutchess County, with a 2020 census population of 31,577. Poughkeepsie i ...

, in 1853. He was admitted to the bar the same year and commenced practice in

Elyria, Ohio Elyria ( ) is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the forks of the Black River (Ohio), Black River in Northeast Ohio, southwest of Cleveland. The population was 52,656 at the 2020 United States cens ...

. He was probate judge of

Lorain County, Ohio Lorain County () is a county in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio As of the 2020 census, the population was 312,964. Its county seat is Elyria, and its largest city is Lorain. The county was physically established in 1822, beco ...

, in 1856 and 1857.

Military service

Sheldon served in the Union Army during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

. He was mustered in as lieutenant colonel of the 42nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment on November 27, 1861, after raising five companies in six days. Prior to his service with the 42nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment he served as a cavalry officer with the 2nd Ohio and was commissioned a Brigadier General of the militia by Governor

in 1858. Sheldon was promoted to the rank of colonel on March 14, 1862, becoming the regiment's second commander following personal friend and future

. Sheldon fought in the battles of Middle Creek, Chickaway Bayou, the capture of Cumberland Gap and his brigade launched the attack on

Arkansas Post The Arkansas Post (; ), officially the Arkansas Post National Memorial, was the first European colonization of the Americas, European settlement located along the Mississippi River, in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, and in the present-day U. ...

. Under Major General Ulysses S. Grant he participated in the attack on Port Gibson, Mississippi, and saw action during the assault on Thompson’s Hill. Wounded in the hand by a musket ball, Colonel Sheldon stayed at his post, leading two gallant charges on the enemy position. During the engagements at Raymond, Jackson, and Black River Bridge, Colonel Sheldon followed his regiment in an ambulance but recuperated in time to participate in the siege of Vicksburg. Sheldon was

brevetted In military terminology, a brevet ( or ) is a warrant which gives commissioned officers a higher military rank as a reward without necessarily conferring the authority and privileges granted by that rank. The promotion would be noted in the of ...

Brigadier General of volunteers on March 13, 1865. He settled in

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

, and practiced law from 1864 to 1879 before being appointed Territorial Governor.

New Mexico Territory Governor

Sheldon assumed the office of the territorial governor on May 15, 1881. When Sheldon assumed office he was met with a great deal of resistance from older citizens and officials. Despite this, Sheldon was successful in starting the construction of The Penitentiary of New Mexico. Governor Sheldon gave much attention to organizing and strengthening the militia as protection not only against lawlessness but against the aggressive native tribes in the region. The remainder of Sheldon's term covered a period of speculation and growing business. Sheldon resigned in 1885.

Personal

On December 29, 1868 Sheldon married Mary Greene Miles, daughter of Thompson and Mary (Greene) Miles of Elyria, Ohio.

Political career

Sheldon was elected as a Republican to the Forty-first, Forty-second, and Forty-third Congresses (March 4, 1869 – March 3, 1875). He served as chairman of the Committee on Militia (Forty-second Congress). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1874 to the Forty-fourth Congress. He returned to Ohio in 1879 and participated in the presidential campaign of James Garfield. Once Garfield became president he appointed Sheldon Governor of the

, a role he served from 1881 to 1885. He was one of the receivers of the

Texas and Pacific Railway The Texas and Pacific Railway Company (known as the T&P) was created by federal charter in 1871 with the purpose of building a southern transcontinental railroad between Marshall, Texas, and San Diego, California. However its lines never went we ...

from 1885 to 1887. He served as delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1856, 1880, and 1896, each time from a different state, Ohio, Louisiana and California.

Late life

In 1888 Sheldon and his wife moved to

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, where he practiced law. He moved to

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commerci ...

, and died in that city on January 17, 1917.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheldon, Lionel Allen 1828 births 1917 deaths Governors of New Mexico Territory New Mexico Republicans Oberlin College alumni State and National Law School alumni Union army colonels Ohio Republicans California Republicans People from Worcester, New York Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Louisiana People from LaGrange, Ohio 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives