Samuel Gordon Daily (1823 – August 15, 1866) was an American politician from the

Nebraska Territory The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Nebraska. The Nebraska ...

. He was born in

Trimble County, Kentucky Trimble County is a county located in the north central part of the U.S. state of Kentucky. Its county seat is Bedford. The county was founded in 1837 and is named for Robert Trimble. Trimble is no longer a prohibition or dry county. Trimble Co ...

. Daily moved with his parents to

Jefferson County, Indiana Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2020, the population was 33,147. The county seat is Madison. History Jefferson County was formed on February 1, 1811, from Dearborn and Clark Counties. It was named for ...

in 1824, where he attended the common schools and

Hanover College Hanover College is a private college in Hanover, Indiana, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Founded in 1827 by Reverend John Finley Crowe, it is Indiana's oldest private college. The Hanover athletic teams participate in the H ...

Hanover, Indiana Hanover is a town in Hanover Township, Jefferson County, southeast Indiana, along the Ohio River. The population was 3,546 at the 2010 census. Hanover is the home of Hanover College, a small Presbyterian liberal arts college. The "Point," locate ...

. Daily then studied law and was admitted to the bar in

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...

and commenced practice in

Madison, Indiana Madison is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Indiana, United States, along the Ohio River. As of the 2010 United States Census its population was 11,967. Over 55,000 people live within of downtown Madison. Madison is the larges ...

. He was an unsuccessful candidate of the

Free Soil Party The Free Soil Party was a short-lived coalition political party in the United States active from 1848 to 1854, when it merged into the Republican Party. The party was largely focused on the single issue of opposing the expansion of slavery into ...

for election to the

Indiana General Assembly The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Senate. ...

; he then moved to Indianapolis and was engaged in the cooperage business. In 1857, he moved to Nebraska Territory, and settled in

Peru, Nebraska Peru is a city in Nemaha County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 648 at the 2020 census. Peru State College is located in Peru. History The first attempt to settle the community took place in 1853, by some residents of Peru, Illino ...

, in

Nemaha County, Nebraska Nemaha County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 7,074. Its county seat is Auburn. In the Nebraska license plate system, Nemaha County is represented by the prefix 44 (it had the ...

. Daily built a sawmill on the Missouri River and in 1858 became a member of the Nebraska Territorial House of Representatives. In this position, he was one of the first in Nebraska to declare himself a Republican. Daily was a radical and outspoken abolitionist. He also introduced the first bill to abolish slavery in the Territory. The bill failed. Samuel Daily successfully contested as a Republican the election of

Experience Estabrook Experience Estabrook (April 30, 1813 March 26, 1894) was an American attorney and legal administrator. He was the 3rd Attorney General of Wisconsin and the 1st United States Attorney for the Nebraska Territory. Biography Born in Lebanon, New ...

to the Thirty-sixth

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

,.Collections of the NSHS – Volume 19
/ref> The next election for the Thirty-seventh Congress was also contested. This time the opponent was

J. Sterling Morton Julius Sterling Morton (April 22, 1832 – April 27, 1902) was a Nebraska newspaper editor and politician who served as President Grover Cleveland's United States Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Agriculture. He was a prominent Bourbon Dem ...

; the founder of

Arbor Day Arbor Day (or Arbour in some countries) is a secular day of observance in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant trees. Today, many countries observe such a holiday. Though usually observed in the spring, the date varies, dependi ...

. Again, Daily won the contest. He was reelected to the Thirty-eighth Congress without a contest. He served in Congress from May 18, 1860, to March 3, 1865. In March 1865, he was appointed deputy collector of customs in

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

at the special request of President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

. He died of yellow fever in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 15, 1866. He was buried in Mount Vernon Cemetery in Peru, Nebraska.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Daily, Samuel 1823 births 1866 deaths 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American lawyers American abolitionists Deaths from yellow fever Delegates to the United States House of Representatives from Nebraska Territory Hanover College alumni Indiana Democratic-Republicans Indiana lawyers Indiana Free Soilers Infectious disease deaths in Louisiana Louisiana Republicans Members of the Nebraska Territorial Legislature Nebraska Republicans People from Madison, Indiana People from Peru, Nebraska People from Trimble County, Kentucky United States Customs Service personnel