Orson Flagg Bullard (June 18, 1834 - July 19, 1906) was an American politician from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

who served as a Republican member of the

Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

for Delaware County from 1873 to 1875 and from 1877 to 1878. He was expelled from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for

embezzlement Embezzlement is a crime that consists of withholding assets for the purpose of conversion of such assets, by one or more persons to whom the assets were entrusted, either to be held or to be used for specific purposes. Embezzlement is a type ...

and escaping the custody of the

sergeant-at-arms A serjeant-at-arms, or sergeant-at-arms, is an officer appointed by a deliberative body, usually a legislature, to keep order during its meetings. The word "serjeant" is derived from the Latin ''serviens'', which means "servant". Historically, s ...

of the House.

Early life and education

Bullard was born in Bridgewater Township, Pennsylvania, he attended public schools and completed his education at the academy at Montrose. In 1863, Bullard enlisted in Company C of the 29th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry and served as a sergeant. He participated in several skirmishes around the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of the Po ...

during 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 th ...

. In 1855, Bullard began studying law under

John Martin Broomall John Martin Broomall (January 19, 1816 – June 3, 1894) was an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Republican Party (United States), Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 7th congression ...

. He also worked as a principal of a boys' grammar school in

Chester, Pennsylvania Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located within the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area, it is the only city in Delaware County and had a population of 32,605 as of the 2020 census. Incorporated in 1682, Chester is ...

but quit after one year to study law full time. In 1859, he was admitted to the Delaware County bar and in 1874 to the Philadelphia bar and to practice in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

Career

He served as clerk for the office of the Prothonotary, Delaware County from 1862 to 1865 and was elected Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts for Delaware County from 1866-1871. Bullard was also elected school director for

Media, Pennsylvania Media is a borough in and the county seat of Delaware County, Pennsylvania. It is located about west of Philadelphia, the sixth most populous city in the nation with 1.6 million residents as 2020. It is part of the Delaware Valley metropolita ...

and served for 2 years. Bullard was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for Delaware County for the 1873, 1877 and 1878 terms. He was not a candidate for reelection to the House for the 1874 term. Bullard was charged with embezzlement of funds from the Media Gas Company where he served as secretary. He was expelled from the House on March 7, 1878 for embezzlement and escaping the custody of the sergeant-at-arms of the House.

Personal life

In 1859, Bullard married Rebecca A. Huston and together they had nine children. Their son,

William H.G. Bullard William Hannum Grubb Bullard (6 December 1866 – 24 November 1927) was an admiral of the United States Navy, whose service included duty during the Spanish–American War and World War I. After World War I, he established the Navy's patrol on Chi ...

was an

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

who served in the

Spanish American War Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

and

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. He was a member of the Beradburg Post No. 149,

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Il ...

. Bullard died in Hackensack, New Jersey and is interred at the Media Cemetery in

Upper Providence Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania Upper Providence Township is a township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, located around and north of the borough of Media, and about west of center city Philadelphia. The population was 10,142 at the 2010 census. The township lie ...

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Bullard, Orson Flagg 1834 births 1906 deaths 19th-century American politicians Burials at Media Cemetery Republican Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Pennsylvania lawyers Pennsylvania politicians convicted of crimes Pennsylvania prothonotaries People from Media, Pennsylvania People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War