Gilbert De La Matyr (July 8, 1825 in

Pharsalia, New York Pharsalia is a town in Chenango County, New York, United States. The population was 593 at the 2010 census. The town was named after Pharsalia, which is a commonly accepted name of the decisive battle in the Great Roman Civil War, where Julius ...

– May 17, 1892 in

Akron, Ohio Akron () is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Ohio, fifth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 190,469 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Akron metr ...

) was an American cleric and politician from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

and

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, serving one term in the U.S. House from 1879 to 1881.

Life

He graduated from a theological course of the

Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself nationally. In 1939, th ...

in 1854 and became an itinerant elder. He served as member of the General Conference in 1868, and for one term was Presiding Elder.

Civil War

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 ...

, he helped enlist the

8th New York Heavy Artillery Regiment The 8th New York Heavy Artillery Regiment, U.S. Volunteers was a heavy artillery regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment operated as both heavy artillery and infantry beginning in October 1862 while serv ...

in 1862, and was its chaplain for three years.

Political career

1867 There were only 354 days this year in the newly purchased territory of Alaska. When the territory transferred from the Russian Empire to the United States, the calendric transition from the Julian to the Gregorian Calendar was made with only 1 ...

he ran on the Republican ticket for

New York State Prison Inspector The Inspector of State Prisons was a statewide elective office created by the New York State Constitution of 1846. At the 1847 New York state election, three Inspectors were elected and then, upon taking office, so classified that henceforth every ...

but was defeated by Democrat Solomon Scheu. After holding pastorates in several large cities he settled in

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

, and continued his ministerial duties. Here, De La Matyr was elected as a National Greenback candidate to the

46th United States Congress The 46th 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, 1879 ...

and served from March 4, 1879, to March 3, 1881.

Later career and death

He moved to

Denver, Colorado Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

, in 1881 and again engaged in preaching. There, he became pastor of Evans Chapel in 1886 helped organized the construction of an expanded sanctuary named Grace Church. From 1889 on, he was Pastor of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Akron, Ohio.

References

1825 births 1892 deaths People from Chenango County, New York Methodists from New York (state) New York (state) Republicans Greenback Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana Politicians from Akron, Ohio Politicians from Indianapolis 19th-century American clergy Union army chaplains People of New York (state) in the American Civil War 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives {{NewYork-Representative-stub