Richard Cutts Shannon (February 12, 1839 – October 5, 1920) 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

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 * ...

Biography

Born in

New London, Connecticut New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the outlet of the Thames River (Connecticut), Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, which empties into Long Island Sound. The cit ...

, Shannon was graduated from the grammar and high schools at

Biddeford, Maine Biddeford ( ) is a city in York County, Maine, United States. It is the principal commercial center of York County. Its population was 22,552 at the 2020 census. The twin cities of Saco and Biddeford include the resort communities of Biddef ...

, and from Waterville College (now

Colby College Colby College is a private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine, United States. Founded in 1813 as the Maine Literary and Theological Institution, it was renamed Waterville College in 1821. The donations of Christian philanthropist Gardner ...

), Maine. During the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

enlisted in Company H, Fifth Regiment, Maine Volunteer Infantry, June 24, 1861. He was appointed first lieutenant October 10, 1861. He served as aide-de-camp to General Slocum March 15, 1862. He served as captain and assistant adjutant general of Volunteers October 2, 1862. Honorably discharged February 10, 1866. He was appointed secretary of the United States legation at

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

, in 1871, and served until March 1875, when he resigned. Took charge of the Botanical Garden Railroad Co. in 1876, an American enterprise in Brazil, of which he subsequently became the vice president, general manager, and president. He returned to the United States in 1883 and was graduated from the law department of Columbia College, New York City, in 1885. He was admitted to the New York bar in 1886 and commenced practice in New York City. He was appointed

Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary An envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, usually known as a minister, was a diplomatic head of mission who was ranked below ambassador. A diplomatic mission headed by an envoy was known as a legation rather than an embassy. Under the ...

Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...

El Salvador El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...

, and

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

in 1891, and served until April 1893. Shannon was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-fourth and Fifty-fifth Congresses (March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1899). He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1898. He resumed the practice of his profession in New York City. He retired in 1903 and moved to

Brockport, New York Brockport is a village (New York), village in Monroe County, New York, United States. Most of the village is within the town of Sweden, New York, Sweden, with two small portions in the town of Clarkson, New York, Clarkson. The population was 7,1 ...

, where he died October 5, 1920. He was interred in Lake View Cemetery.

References

Retrieved on 2008-02-15

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Shannon, Richard Cutts 1839 births 1920 deaths Colby College alumni Ambassadors of the United States to Brazil Union army officers Ambassadors of the United States to Costa Rica Ambassadors of the United States to Nicaragua Ambassadors of the United States to El Salvador 19th-century American diplomats Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) Columbia College (New York) alumni 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives