James Michael Cavanaugh (July 4, 1823 – October 30, 1879) 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

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

and a delegate from the

Territory of Montana The Territory of Montana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 26, 1864, until November 8, 1889, when it was admitted as the 41st state in the Union as the state of Montana. Original boundaries T ...

. He was born in

Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield is a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States, and the seat of Hampden County. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the ...

, July 4, 1823 and received an academic education. He engaged in newspaper work, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1854 and began practice in

Davenport, Iowa Davenport is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Iowa, United States. Located along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state, it is the largest of the Quad Cities, a metropolitan area with a population of 384,324 and a ...

. He then moved to Chatfield, Fillmore County,

, in 1854 and continued the practice of law; upon the admission of Minnesota as a State into the Union, in 1858, was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the

thirty-fifth congress The 35th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1857, ...

and served from May 11, 1858, to March 3, 1859; unsuccessful candidate for re-election in 1858 to the

thirty-sixth congress The 36th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1859, ...

; moved to

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

in 1861 and resumed the practice of law; also engaged in mining; member of the State constitutional convention in 1865; moved to

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

in 1866; as a

, he was elected a delegate to the fortieth and forty-first congresses (March 4, 1867 – March 3, 1871); unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1870; engaged in the practice of law in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

; returned to

in 1879 and settled in

Leadville The City of Leadville is a statutory city that is the county seat, the most populous community, and the only incorporated municipality in Lake County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 2,602 at the 2010 census and an estimated ...

, where he died October 30, 1879. He is buried in the Greenwood Cemetery in New York City. On May 28, 1868, Cavanaugh stated within the House of Representatives - "I like an Indian better dead than living. I have never in my life seen a good Indian - and I have seen thousands - except when I have seen a dead Indian." Similar statements were also ascribed to civil and Indian war general

Philip Sheridan General of the Army Philip Henry Sheridan (March 6, 1831 – August 5, 1888) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close as ...

, although he always denied making them. ''The Congressional Globe: Containing the Debates and Proceedings of the Second Session, Fortieth Congress'' (City of Washington: Office of the Congressional Globe, 1868), p. 2638.

Notes

1823 births 1879 deaths Burials at Green-Wood Cemetery Delegates to the United States House of Representatives from Montana Territory Montana Democrats Colorado Democrats Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota 19th-century American legislators People from Chatfield, Minnesota Politicians from Springfield, Massachusetts Iowa lawyers Colorado lawyers Lawyers from New York City Massachusetts lawyers Minnesota lawyers 19th-century American lawyers {{Montana-politician-stub