Levi Maish (November 22, 1837 – February 26, 1899) was a Democratic member of the

U.S. House of Representatives 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

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

Early life

Levi Maish was born in Conewago Township, York County, Pennsylvania. He attended the common schools and the York County Academy. He taught school in Manchester Township and in

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

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 ...

, Maish recruited a company for the Union Army in 1862, and because of this joined the 130th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry as a Captain. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel because of his education. In less than two months he was involved in the battle of Antietam, wounded severely in the upper chest and lung, leading an advance across the cornfield in front of the initially strong defensive position of the sunken road. During his convalescence, he was promoted to

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

. After the

Battle of Fredericksburg The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat between the Union Army, Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Major general ( ...

. He was mustered out with his regiment at the expiration of its term of service on May 21, 1863.

Education and Pennsylvania state service

Maish attended lectures in the law department of the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, and was admitted to the bar in 1864. He served as a member of the

Pennsylvania State House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

in 1867 and 1868. He was appointed by the legislature in 1872 as one of a commission to reexamine and reaudit the accounts of certain public officers of

York County, Pennsylvania York County is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 456,438. Its county seat is York, Pennsylvania, ...

United States House of Representatives

Maish was elected as a Democrat to the Forty-fourth and Forty-fifth Congresses. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1878. He was again elected to the Fiftieth and Fifty-first Congresses. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1890. He was engaged in the practice of law in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, until his death there in 1899. Interment in Arlington National Cemetery.

Freemasonry

Maish was made a

Mason Mason may refer to: Occupations * Mason, brick mason, or bricklayer, a worker who lays bricks to assist in brickwork, or who lays any combination of stones, bricks, cinder blocks, or similar pieces * Stone mason, a craftsman in the stone-cutti ...

in York Lodge No. 266, F.&A.M., in

York, Pennsylvania York is a city in York County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. Located in South Central Pennsylvania, the city's population was 44,800 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in ...

on January 6, 1863. He resigned in 1869 to become a warrant member of Zeredatha Lodge No. 451 in

, of which he was subsequently elected to serve as Worshipful Master in 1873.

References

Retrieved on 2008-02-14
The Political GraveyardZeredatha-White Rose Lodge No. 451, F.&A.M.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maish, Levi 1837 births 1899 deaths Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Pennsylvania lawyers Union army colonels Politicians from York County, Pennsylvania Burials at Arlington National Cemetery People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives