Edward Gilbert ( – August 2, 1852) was an American newspaper editor and

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California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

politician. From 1850 to 1851, he served briefly as a member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together the ...

Biography

Gilbert was born in Cherry Valley, New York. During the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Second Federal Republic of Mexico, Mexico f ...

of 1846–48, he served in the US Army. After his regiment arrived in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

, California in 1847, Gilbert was discharged from service and chose to remain in California. In 1849, Gilbert partnered with businessman Edward Kemble and printer G. O. Hubbard to found the ''Alta California'' weekly paper, where Gilbert worked as senior editor for the next four years.

Political career

In September 1849, Gilbert became the youngest delegate to the Constitutional Convention, winning the San Francisco delegate position with 1,512 out of the 1,519 votes cast. He was elected in November 1849 at-large as one of California's first two Representatives in the

31st Congress The 31st United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1849, ...

, and served from September 11, 1850, until March 3, 1851.

Duel and death

In 1852, Gilbert wrote an article that charged General James W. Denver with "negligence and gross mismanagement" in an expedition to aid destitute immigrants, and the increasing conflict between Gilbert and Denver finally led Gilbert to challenge him to a duel. After several missed shots from both men, Denver shot Gilbert in the abdomen, killing him. Gilbert was interred in Laurel Hill Cemetery, San Francisco. Later, after the city banned cemeteries within city-limits, his remains were removed and buried in the Laurel Hill Mound mass grave of Cyprus Lawn Memorial Park in Colma.

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1819 births 1852 deaths 19th-century American newspaper editors 19th-century American politicians American politicians killed in duels American military personnel of the Mexican–American War Burials at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park Burials at Laurel Hill Cemetery (San Francisco) Deaths by firearm in California Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from California People from Otsego County, Michigan Year of birth uncertain {{california-politician-stub