James Michael Cavanaugh (July 4, 1823 – October 30, 1879) was 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

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

and a delegate from the

Territory of Montana The Territory of Montana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 26, 1864, until November 8, 1889, when it was admitted as the 41st state in the Union as the state of Montana. Original boundaries ...

. He was born in

Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield is the most populous city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, and its county seat. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ea ...

, July 4, 1823 and received an academic education. He engaged in newspaper work, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1854 and began practice in

Davenport, Iowa Davenport ( ) is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. It is situated along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state. Davenport had a population of 101,724 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 cen ...

. He then moved to Chatfield, Fillmore County,

, in 1854 and continued the practice of law; upon the admission of Minnesota as a State into the Union, in 1858, was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

to the thirty-fifth congress and served from May 11, 1858, to March 3, 1859; unsuccessful candidate for re-election in 1858 to the

thirty-sixth congress The 36th 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, 1859, ...

; moved to

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

in 1861 and resumed the practice of law; also engaged in mining; member of the State constitutional convention in 1865; moved to

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

in 1866; as a

, he was elected a delegate to the fortieth and forty-first congresses (March 4, 1867 – March 3, 1871); unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1870; engaged in the practice of law in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

; returned to

in 1879 and settled in

Leadville Leadville ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Statutory city, statutory city that is the county seat, the most populous community, and the only List of municipalities in Colorado, incorporated municipality in Lake County, Colorado, Lak ...

, where he died October 30, 1879. He is buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in New York City. On May 28, 1868, Cavanaugh stated within the House of Representatives - "I like an Indian better dead than living. I have never in my life seen a good Indian - and I have seen thousands - except when I have seen a dead Indian." Similar statements were also ascribed to civil and Indian war general

Philip Sheridan Philip Henry Sheridan (March 6, 1831 – August 5, 1888) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with General-i ...

, although he always denied making them. ''The Congressional Globe: Containing the Debates and Proceedings of the Second Session, Fortieth Congress'' (City of Washington: Office of the Congressional Globe, 1868), p. 2638.

Notes

1823 births 1879 deaths Burials at Green-Wood Cemetery Delegates to the United States House of Representatives from Montana Territory Montana Democrats Colorado Democrats Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota People from Chatfield, Minnesota Politicians from Springfield, Massachusetts Iowa lawyers Colorado lawyers Lawyers from New York City Massachusetts lawyers Minnesota lawyers 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives {{Montana-politician-stub