Thomas Raymond Horton (April 18, 1823 – July 26, 1894) was a

U.S. 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 c ...

from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. Born in

Fultonville, New York Fultonville is a village in Montgomery County, New York, United States. The village is named after Robert Fulton, inventor of the steamboat. The Fultonville Village is on the south bank of the Mohawk River in the Town of Glen. It is west of Ams ...

, Horton attended the public schools. He studied law and was admitted to the bar and practiced. He served as member of the Fultonville village board of trustees in 1848. He served as clerk of the Montgomery County board of supervisors for six years. He was a

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

for eight years. He was editor and publisher of the ''Amsterdam (New York) Recorder'' from 1841 to 1857. Horton was elected as an

Opposition Party Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. This article uses the term ''government'' as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning ''th ...

candidate to the Thirty-fourth Congress (March 4, 1855 - March 3, 1857). During the protracted dispute over the election of a

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

in late 1855 and early 1856, fought largely on sectional grounds between proponents and opponents of slavery, Rust was one of those who attempted to negotiate a compromise. Unhappy about how his efforts were characterized by

Horace Greeley Horace Greeley (February 3, 1811 – November 29, 1872) was an American newspaper editor and publisher who was the founder and newspaper editor, editor of the ''New-York Tribune''. Long active in politics, he served briefly as a congressm ...

in the '' New-York Tribune'', Rust confronted Greeley on the grounds of the United States Capitol and knocked him down. An article about the event was published in a newspaper in Horton's district and over his initials. Upon deciding that the article was inaccurate and its tone offensive, Rust confronted Horton to ask whether he had written the item in question -- the preliminary step to issuing a challenge to a duel. Horton admitted authorship and agreed to apologize and retract his words; after first committing to do so in person on the floor of the House, he subsequently reached agreement with Rust to do so in writing instead, and issued his apology and retraction to the ''

Washington Evening Star ''The Washington Star'', previously known as the ''Washington Star-News'' and the Washington ''Evening Star'', was a daily afternoon newspaper published in Washington, D.C., between 1852 and 1981. The Sunday edition was known as the ''Sunday Star ...

'' and other newspapers. Horton was not a candidate for renomination in 1856. He served as delegate to the

1860 Republican National Convention The 1860 Republican National Convention was a presidential nominating convention that met May 16-18 in Chicago, Illinois. It was held to nominate the Republican Party's candidates for president and vice president in the 1860 election. The conven ...

. During the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, he served as adjutant of the 115th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment from 1862 to 1864. After the war he was editor and publisher of the ''Montgomery County Republican.'' Horton was active in the Montgomery County Agricultural Society, and served on the board of directors of the Fonda and Fultonville Railroad. Horton died in Fultonville on July 26, 1894. He was interred in the Old Fultonville Cemetery.

References

External links

Thomas Raymond Horton entry
at

The Political Graveyard The Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 277,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information. The name comes from the website's inclusion of burial locations of ...

* 1823 births 1894 deaths People from Fultonville, New York Opposition Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) New York (state) Republicans Union Army officers People of New York (state) in the American Civil War 19th-century American politicians {{NewYork-Representative-stub