Charles Haight (January 4, 1838 – August 1, 1891) was an American lawyer and Democratic Party politician who represented

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...

's 2nd congressional district in 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 1867 to 1871.

Early life

Haight was born in

Colts Neck Township, New Jersey Colts Neck Township is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. It is located in the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 9,957, down from the 10,142 counted in the 2010 census, i ...

, on January 4, 1838, to Thomas Haight, later a Democratic nominee for governor of New Jersey in 1847. He attended private schools in

Freehold, New Jersey Freehold, New Jersey may refer to: * Freehold Borough, New Jersey, the county seat of Monmouth County * Freehold Township, New Jersey Freehold Township is a township in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is both a ...

, and graduated from Princeton College in 1857. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1861 and commenced practice in Freehold.

Career

Haight was a member of the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...

from 1860 to 1862 and served as speaker in 1861 and 1862. He was commissioned a brigadier general of militia on May 27, 1861, and during the

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

was in command of Camp Vredenburgh from August 22, 1862, until the close of the war. Haight was elected as a Democrat to the Fortieth and Forty-first Congresses, serving in office from March 4, 1867 – March 3, 1871, but was not a candidate for renomination in 1870 to the Forty-second Congress. After leaving Congress, he resumed the practice of law. He was a delegate to the

1872 Democratic National Convention The 1872 Democratic National Convention was a presidential nominating convention held at Ford's Grand Opera House on East Fayette Street, between North Howard and North Eutaw Streets, in Baltimore, Maryland on July 9 and 10, 1872. It resulted in ...

, and served as chairman of the State delegation. He was appointed prosecutor of the pleas. He was appointed prosecuting attorney of Monmouth County in 1873 and served until his death.

Personal life

Haight was the uncle to Judge Thomas Griffith Haight. Haight died in Freehold on August 1, 1891. He was interred in Maplewood Cemetery in Freehold.

References

External links

Charles Haight
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 ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Haight, Charles 1838 births 1891 deaths Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey People from Colts Neck Township, New Jersey Princeton University alumni Speakers of the New Jersey General Assembly Democratic Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly Union militia generals 19th-century American politicians Burials at Maplewood Cemetery, Freehold, New Jersey Military personnel from New Jersey New Jersey lawyers