John Cradlebaugh (February 22, 1819 – February 22, 1872) was the first delegate to the

United States House of Representatives 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

Nevada Territory The Territory of Nevada (N.T.) was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until October 31, 1864, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Nevada. Prior to the creation of the Nevada ...

Biography

Born in

Circleville, Ohio Circleville is a city in and the county seat of Pickaway County, Ohio, United States, set along the Scioto River, 25 miles (40 km) south of Columbus. The population was 13,927 at the 2020 census. The city is best-known today as the host ...

, he attended the common schools;

Kenyon College Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio. It was founded in 1824 by Philander Chase. Kenyon College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Kenyon has 1,708 undergraduates enrolled. Its 1,000-acre campus is ...

(in Gambier, Ohio) and

Miami University Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public research university in Oxford, Ohio. The university was founded in 1809, making it the second-oldest university in Ohio (behind Ohio University, founded in 1804) and the ...

(in Ohio). He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1840, and was appointed United States

associate justice Associate justice or associate judge (or simply associate) is a judicial panel member who is not the chief justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the Supreme Court of the United States and some sta ...

for the district of

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

on June 4, 1858. In March 1859, Cradlebaugh convened a grand jury in Provo, Utah concerning the

Mountain Meadows massacre The Mountain Meadows Massacre (September 7–11, 1857) was a series of attacks during the Utah War that resulted in the mass murder of at least 120 members of the Baker–Fancher emigrant wagon train. The massacre occurred in the southern U ...

and several other unsolved murders and crimes that occurred in the territory, but the jury declined to return any indictments or deliver a report on the charges. Cradlebaugh dismissed the jury and, acting as committing magistrate and accompanied by a military escort, continued his investigation in the vicinity of Mountain Meadows. Territorial officials such as Governor Alfred Cumming objected to Cradlebaugh's use of federal troops and petitioned for the troops removal. United States Attorney General Jeremiah S. Black subsequently barred Cradlebaugh and fellow judge Charles Sinclair from requisitioning troops in Utah. Cradlebaugh moved to Carson City, Nevada, and upon the formation of the

Territory of Nevada The Territory of Nevada (N.T.) was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until October 31, 1864, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Nevada. Prior to the creation of the Nevada ...

was elected a Delegate to the Thirty-seventh Congress, serving from December 2, 1861, to March 3, 1863, during the first years of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. He was the

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military 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 colonel was typically in charge o ...

of the 114th Ohio Infantry and served from April 27, 1862, until

honorably discharged A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. Each country's military has different types of discharge. They are generally based on whether the persons completed their training and th ...

on October 20, 1863, on tender of resignation after being wounded in the

Battle of Vicksburg The siege of Vicksburg (May 18 – July 4, 1863) was the final major military action in the Vicksburg campaign of the American Civil War. In a series of maneuvers, Union Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee crossed the Mis ...

. Cadelebaugh returned to

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

and engaged in the mining business until his death at

Eureka Eureka (often abbreviated as E!, or Σ!) is an intergovernmental organisation for research and development funding and coordination. Eureka is an open platform for international cooperation in innovation. Organisations and companies applying th ...

; interment was in Forest Cemetery,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cradlebaugh, John 1819 births 1872 deaths 19th-century American politicians Delegates to the United States House of Representatives from Nevada Territory Kenyon College alumni Miami University alumni Mountain Meadows Massacre Nevada Independents People from Circleville, Ohio People from Eureka, Nevada People of Nevada in the American Civil War People of Ohio in the American Civil War People of the Utah War Union Army colonels Utah Territorial judges