Levi Maish (November 22, 1837 – February 26, 1899) was a Democratic member of the

U.S. 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

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, ...

Early life

Levi Maish was born in

Conewago Township, York County, Pennsylvania Conewago Township is a township in York County, Pennsylvania, USA. The township encompasses the land between the Conewago Creek and the Little Conewago Creek west of their conjunction. The township was formed in 1818 from the northeastern p ...

. He attended the common schools and the York County Academy. He taught school in Manchester Township and in

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

Civil War

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 ...

, Maish recruited a company for the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

in 1862, and because of this joined the 130th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry as a Captain. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel because of his education. In less than two months he was involved in the battle of Antietam, wounded severely in the upper chest and lung, leading an advance across the cornfield in front of the initially strong defensive position of the sunken road. During his convalescence, he was promoted to

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

. After the Battle of Fredericksburg. He was mustered out with his regiment at the expiration of its term of service on May 21, 1863.

Education and Pennsylvania state service

Maish attended lectures in the law department of the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

, and was admitted to the bar in 1864. He served as a member of the

Pennsylvania State 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 ...

in 1867 and 1868. He was appointed by the legislature in 1872 as one of a commission to reexamine and reaudit the accounts of certain public officers of

York County, Pennsylvania York County ( Pennsylvania Dutch: Yarrick Kaundi) is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 456,438. Its county seat is York. The county was created on August 19, 1749, from part of Lancaster ...

United States House of Representatives

Maish was elected as a Democrat to the Forty-fourth and Forty-fifth Congresses. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1878. He was again elected to the Fiftieth and Fifty-first Congresses. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1890. He was engaged in the practice of law in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, until his death there in 1899. Interment in Arlington National Cemetery.

Freemasonry

Maish was made a Mason in York Lodge No. 266, F.&A.M., in

York, Pennsylvania York (Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Yarrick''), known as the White Rose City (after the symbol of the House of York), is the county seat of York County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the south-central region of the state. The populatio ...

on January 6, 1863. He resigned in 1869 to become a warrant member of Zeredatha Lodge No. 451 in

, of which he was subsequently elected to serve as Worshipful Master in 1873.

References

Retrieved on 2008-02-14
The Political GraveyardZeredatha-White Rose Lodge No. 451, F.&A.M.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maish, Levi 1837 births 1899 deaths Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Pennsylvania lawyers Union Army colonels People from York County, Pennsylvania Burials at Arlington National Cemetery People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American lawyers