Melvin Riley Baldwin (April 12, 1838April 15, 1901) was an

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railroad engineer and Democratic politician. He served one term in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, 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 Artic ...

, representing

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 ...

in the Fifty-third Congress. Earlier, he served in the

Iron Brigade The Iron Brigade, also known as The Black Hats, Black Hat Brigade, Iron Brigade of the West, and originally King's Wisconsin Brigade was an infantry brigade in the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. Although it fought ent ...

of the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the primary field army of the Union army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the Battle of ...

through most of 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 ...

Early life and education

Baldwin was born near

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Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

, on April 12, 1838, and moved with his parents to Oshkosh,

Wisconsin Territory The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized and incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin. Belm ...

, in 1847. He attended the common schools there and entered

Lawrence University Lawrence University is a Private college, private liberal arts college and Music school, conservatory of music in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1847, its first classes were held on November 12, 1849. Lawrence was the second colle ...

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, in 1855. He studied law but adopted civil engineering as a profession.

Career and service in the Civil War

He was engaged on the

Chicago & North Western Railway The Chicago and North Western was a Railroad classes#Class I, Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of t ...

until April 19, 1861, when he enlisted as a private in Company E,

2nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment The 2nd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It spent most of the war as a member of the famous Iron Brigade of the Army of the Potomac. It suffered the largest numbe ...

due to the

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. He was commissioned captain of his company and was later captured at Gettysburg and confined in

Libby Prison Libby Prison was a Confederate States of America, Confederate prison at Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. In 1862 it was designated to hold officer prisoners from the Union Army, taking in numbers from the nearby Seven Days battl ...

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, at

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, and at Charleston and

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, being prisoner for eighteen months. After the war, he engaged in operative railway work in

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, being general superintendent for four years. He moved to

Duluth Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...

, in 1885.

U.S. Representative

Baldwin was elected as a

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to the

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, (March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1895), but lost his bid for reelection in 1894 to the 54th congress.

Later life

Baldwin was chairman of the Chippewa Indian Commission from 1894 to 1897. He traveled to

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

in November 1897 and died in

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...

, April 15, 1901. He committed suicide because of a financial failure. He is interred in Forest Hill Cemetery,

Duluth, Minnesota Duluth ( ) is a Port, port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of St. Louis County, Minnesota, St. Louis County. Located on Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead Region, the city is a hub for cargo shipping. The population ...

References

External links

Retrieved on 2008-02-14 , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Baldwin, Melvin 1838 births 1901 suicides 1901 deaths Engineers from Vermont Politicians from Windsor County, Vermont Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota Union army officers People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War American Civil War prisoners of war American politicians who died by suicide 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives