James Buffinton
Encyclopedia
James Buffington (also known as "Buffinton") was a member of the United States House of Representatives
from Massachusetts
. He was born in Fall River
on March 16, 1817. He attended the common schools, and Friends College in Providence, Rhode Island
. He studied medicine but never practiced, then engaged in mercantile pursuits. He was a member of the Fall River Board of Selectmen
from 1851 to 1854, and served as the first Mayor
of Fall River under the new city government from 1854 to 1855. He was elected as a candidate of the American Party
to the Thirty-fourth Congress and as a Republican
to the three succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1855-March 3, 1863). Buffington was chairman of the Committee on Accounts (Thirty-seventh Congress,Forty-second and Forty-third Congresses), and the Committee on Military Affairs (Thirty-seventh Congress).
Buffington was mustered into the service April 24, 1861, and discharged June 15, 1861. He was not a candidate for renomination to Congress in 1862. He was a special agent of the United States Treasury and was an internal revenue collector for the district of Massachusetts 1867-1869. Buffington was elected to the Forty-first and to the three succeeding Congresses and served from March 4, 1869, until his death in Fall River on March 7, 1875. His interment was in Oak Grove Cemetery
in Fall River
.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. He was born in Fall River
Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...
on March 16, 1817. He attended the common schools, and Friends College in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
. He studied medicine but never practiced, then engaged in mercantile pursuits. He was a member of the Fall River Board of Selectmen
Board of selectmen
The board of selectmen is commonly the executive arm of the government of New England towns in the United States. The board typically consists of three or five members, with or without staggered terms.-History:...
from 1851 to 1854, and served as the first Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Fall River under the new city government from 1854 to 1855. He was elected as a candidate of the American Party
Know Nothing
The Know Nothing was a movement by the nativist American political faction of the 1840s and 1850s. It was empowered by popular fears that the country was being overwhelmed by German and Irish Catholic immigrants, who were often regarded as hostile to Anglo-Saxon Protestant values and controlled by...
to the Thirty-fourth Congress and as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to the three succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1855-March 3, 1863). Buffington was chairman of the Committee on Accounts (Thirty-seventh Congress,Forty-second and Forty-third Congresses), and the Committee on Military Affairs (Thirty-seventh Congress).
Buffington was mustered into the service April 24, 1861, and discharged June 15, 1861. He was not a candidate for renomination to Congress in 1862. He was a special agent of the United States Treasury and was an internal revenue collector for the district of Massachusetts 1867-1869. Buffington was elected to the Forty-first and to the three succeeding Congresses and served from March 4, 1869, until his death in Fall River on March 7, 1875. His interment was in Oak Grove Cemetery
Oak Grove Cemetery (Fall River, Massachusetts)
Oak Grove Cemetery is a historic cemetery at 765 Prospect Street in Fall River, Massachusetts.The cemetery was built in 1855 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.-Notable burials:...
in Fall River
Fall River
-Cities and towns:In Canada:*Fall River, Nova ScotiaIn the United States:*Fall River, Kansas*Fall River, Massachusetts, the largest city with this name*Fall River, Tennessee*Fall River, Wisconsin*Fall River County, South Dakota-Rivers:In Canada:...
.