James McCleery (December 2, 1837 – November 5, 1871) was an Ohio-born lawyer and 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 ...

. He also served as

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 ...

Biography

Born in

Mecca Township, Trumbull County, Ohio Mecca Township is one of the twenty-four townships of Trumbull County, Ohio, United States. The 2020 census found 2,319 people in the township. Geography Located in the northern part of the county, it borders the following townships: * Greene ...

, McCleery attended

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 ...

in 1859 and 1860. He served in the Union Army during the

. He received a commission as second lieutenant of Company A, 41st Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in 1861, and was wounded in the

Battle of Shiloh The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the American Civil War fought on April 6–7, 1862. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater of the ...

in 1862, as a result losing his right arm. He was promoted through the ranks to

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

in 1865. He entered the Regular Army as

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

in the 45th U.S. Infantry in 1866 and subsequently received the brevets of major (in the regulars) and brigadier general of

Volunteers Volunteering is an elective and freely chosen act of an individual or group giving their time and labor, often for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergenc ...

. He retired on December 15, 1870, having settled in

St. Mary Parish, Louisiana St. Mary Parish () is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 49,406. The parish seat is Franklin. The parish was created in 1811. St. Mary Parish comprises the Morgan City, LA Micropolita ...

, where he purchased a plantation and went into the

practice of law In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiations and court proceedings such as lawsuits, and is applied to the profes ...

. He was connected with the

Freedmen's Bureau The Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, usually referred to as simply the Freedmen's Bureau, was a U.S. government agency of early post American Civil War Reconstruction, assisting freedmen (i.e., former enslaved people) in the ...

not only in Louisiana but also in

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. He soon moved to

Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the List of municipalities in Louisiana, third-most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge. The bulk of Shreveport is in Caddo Parish, Lo ...

, where he was appointed superintendent of public education for the fourth division. McCleery was elected as a Republican from

Louisiana's 4th congressional district Louisiana's 4th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The district is located in the northwestern part of the state and is based in Shreveport, Louisiana, Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana, Bossier C ...

to the

Forty-second Congress The 42nd 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, 1871, ...

and served from March 4, 1871, until his death while on a visit 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 ...

on November 5, 1871. He was interred in the Christian Church Cemetery in

Cortland, Ohio Cortland is a city in Trumbull County, Ohio, United States. The population was 7,105 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It lies on the eastern shore of Mosquito Creek Lake north of Youngstown, Ohio, Youngstown and is part of the Maho ...

. McCleery's tombstone in the Cortland Christian Church cemetery reads as follows:Information supplied via e-mail to Richard David Ramsey by Sandy Hare of the Cortland Christian Church on 2009 August 19. :::JAMES MCCLEERY :::BREVET :::BRIG GEN :::41 OHIO INF :::Born December 2, 1837 :::Died November 5, 1871

References

1837 births 1871 deaths American Disciples of Christ American members of the Churches of Christ Louisiana lawyers Oberlin College alumni People of Ohio in the American Civil War People from Trumbull County, Ohio People from St. Mary Parish, Louisiana Politicians from Shreveport, Louisiana United States Army officers Union army officers Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Louisiana 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives {{AmericanCivilWar-bio-stub

Biography

See also

References