George Augustus Sheridan (February 22, 1840 – October 7, 1896) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

Civil War veteran and politician who, along with Effingham Lawrence is known for serving for the shortest term in congressional history, serving for just one day in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Biography

Sheridan was born in Millbury, Massachusetts, and moved with his parents to Chicago in 1858.

Civil War

During the Civil War, he served as a

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

in the Union Army until his resignation on October 28, 1864. After the war, Sheridan was one of a group of Northern officials who moved in to administer the defeated Southern states (often derisively referred to by Southerners as "

carpetbagger In the history of the United States, carpetbagger is a largely historical term used by Southerners to describe opportunistic Northerners who came to the Southern states after the American Civil War, who were perceived to be exploiting the lo ...

s"). In 1866, he moved to New Orleans, Louisiana; where he served as brigadier general of the militia on the staff of the Republican Governor, Henry Clay Warmoth. In 1867, Sheridan was made

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

Carroll Parish Carroll Parish is a former parish of Louisiana, formed in 1838 from part of Ouachita Parish. Part of the parish was sectioned off in 1844 to make Morehouse Parish. Carroll Parish was divided in 1877 into East Carroll Parish East Carroll Parish ...

in northeastern Louisiana, which was later divided into East Carroll and West Carroll parishes.

Congress

Sheridan ran for the House in 1872 as a Liberal Republican against then Lt. Gov. P. B. S. Pinchback. After the election, Pinchback would become the first black governor of a U.S. state following the impeachment of the prior governor

Henry C. Warmoth Henry Clay Warmoth (May 9, 1842 – September 30, 1931) was an American attorney and veteran Civil War officer in the Union Army who was elected governor and state representative of Louisiana. A Republican, he was 26 years old when elected as 23 ...

. Pinchback originally had credentials to be seated and the House was inclined to do so, but did not wish to be as he had also won a seat in the Senate (that he was never allowed to take). Sheridan contested the election and the matter wasn't fully settled until March 3, 1875, the last day of Congress. He was sworn in in the morning, serving until noon the next day.

After Congress

After his service in the House, he was appointed Recorder of Deeds in the District of Columbia by President Rutherford Hayes, serving from May 17, 1878, until May 17, 1881, when President James Garfield fired him in order to provide the job to Frederick Douglass.

Family

His daughter was the actress,

Emma Sheridan Emma may refer to: * Emma (given name) Film * ''Emma'' (1932 film), a comedy-drama film by Clarence Brown * ''Emma'' (1996 theatrical film), a film starring Gwyneth Paltrow * ''Emma'' (1996 TV film), a British television film starring Kate Be ...

Death

Sheridan died at the age of fifty-six in the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in Hampton, Virginia. He was interred at Arlington National Cemetery.

References

External links

Page about Sheridan from the Arlington websiteEntry in the Congressional Biographical Dictionary
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheridan, George A. 1840 births 1896 deaths People from Millbury, Massachusetts Liberal Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives Members of the United States House of Representatives from Louisiana Union Army officers People of Illinois in the American Civil War Politicians from Chicago Politicians from New Orleans Burials at Arlington National Cemetery 19th-century American politicians Louisiana Liberal Republicans Military personnel from Massachusetts