Daniel Cruger (December 22, 1780 – July 12, 1843) was an American newspaper publisher, lawyer and politician who served as a

United States representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

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Early and family life

Daniel Cruger was born in Sunbury,

Northumberland County, Pennsylvania Northumberland County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 91,647. Its county seat is Sunbury. The county was formed in 1772 from parts of Lancas ...

on December 22, 1780. He was the son of Daniel Cruger, Sr. and Elizabeth (née Wheaton) Cruger. He graduated from

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...

in 1802. He married twice. His first wife, Hannah (née Clement) Cruger, died in 1831. His second wife, Lydia Boggs Shepherd, was the wealthy widow of Moses Sheperd, a relation of the prominent Virginia Duke Family, who was a man contractor of the

National Road The National Road (also known as the Cumberland Road) was the first major improved highway in the United States built by the Federal Government of the United States, federal government. Built between 1811 and 1837, the road connected the Pot ...

. They married on July 16, 1833 in Ohio County, Virginia (now West Virginia).

Early career and military service

Cruger learned the printer's trade, and published the ''Owego Democrat'' in

Owego, New York Owego is a town in Tioga County, New York, United States. The population was 18,728 at the 2020 census. The name is derived from the Iroquois word ''Ahwaga'', meaning "where the valley widens". Owego is in the southeastern corner of the coun ...

. He studied law, was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1805, and commenced practice in

Bath, New York Bath is a town in Steuben County, New York, United States, with an area of 96.3 square miles (249 km2) and a population of 11,426 in 2020. Its largest settlement is the Village of Bath, which has an area of 2.9 sq mi (7.5 km2) and a population ...

. Cruger served as a major in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

Political career

He was a member from Allegany and Steuben Counties of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...

from 1814 to 1816, and again from Steuben County in 1826. Cruger served as

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** In ...

during 1816. Cruger was elected as a

Democratic-Republican The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early ...

to the

Fifteenth Congress The 15th 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 the Old Brick Capitol in Washington, ...

, and served from March 4, 1817 to March 3, 1819. He was District Attorney of the Seventh District of New York from 1815 to 1818, and of

Steuben County, New York Steuben County (stu-BEN) is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 93,584. Its county seat is Bath. Its name is in honor of Baron von Steuben, a Prussian general who fought on the American ...

from 1818 to 1821. Afterwards he resumed the practice of law. Daniel Cruger is buried at the Stone Church Cemetery in Wheeling, West Virginia.

References

External links

Political Graveyard {{DEFAULTSORT:Cruger, Daniel 1780 births 1843 deaths Members of the New York State Assembly Speakers of the New York State Assembly People from Sunbury, Pennsylvania Steuben County district attorneys 19th-century American newspaper editors United States Army officers Democratic-Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) People from Owego, New York People from Steuben County, New York 19th-century American politicians Journalists from New York (state) Military personnel from Pennsylvania