Guilford Wiley Wells (February 14, 1840March 21, 1909) was a Reconstruction-era

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

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

. Born in Conesus Center,

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 * ...

, Wells attended the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary and College in

Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

. He enlisted in the Union Army as a private in the Twenty-seventh New York Infantry May 21, 1861. He was promoted to second lieutenant in the One Hundred and Thirtieth New York Infantry in 1862 and subsequently to first lieutenant and captain in the Nineteenth New York Cavalry. He was mustered out on February 10, 1865, as a lieutenant colonel. Wiles graduated from the law department of Columbian College (later

George Washington University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally-chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Originally named Columbian College, it was chartered in 1821 by ...

), in

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, in 1867. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1867 and commenced practice in

Holly Springs, Mississippi Holly Springs is a city in and the county seat of Marshall County, Mississippi, Marshall County, Mississippi, United States, near the border with Tennessee to the north. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 6,96 ...

. He served as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi between 1870 and 1875. Wells was elected as an Independent Republican to the Forty-fourth Congress (March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1877). He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1876. He served as United States Consul General in Shanghai, China, from June 23, 1877, to May 26, 1879. He settled in

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, ...

, in 1879 and resumed the practice of law. He died in

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

, March 21, 1909. He was interred in Evergreen Cemetery,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wells, Guilford Wiley 1840 births 1909 deaths Members of the United States House of Representatives from Mississippi Union army officers Burials at Evergreen Cemetery, Los Angeles Mississippi independents Mississippi Republicans Independent Republican members of the United States House of Representatives George Washington University Law School alumni United States attorneys for the Northern District of Mississippi Consuls-general for the United States in Shanghai People from Livingston County, New York Lawyers from Los Angeles 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives