Jonathan Cilley
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Cilley was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maine
. He served part of one term in the 25th Congress. He died in office at Bladensburg, Md.
as the result of being challenged to fight a duel
with Congressman William J. Graves
, a colleague from Kentucky
. Graves, an experienced marksman, had issued the challenge after Cilley had criticized a newspaper article written by Graves's political ally, New York City editor James W. Webb.
and nephew of Bradbury Cilley
, he was born in Nottingham, New Hampshire
. He attended Bowdoin College
and was a member of the famed class of 1825, which included future literary giants Nathaniel Hawthorne
and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
. While at Bowdoin he also became close friends with future President Franklin Pierce
, a member of the class of 1824. Deciding to stay in Maine, he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1828, practicing in Thomaston, Maine
.
In 1829 he married Deborah Prince, the daughter of local businessman Hezekiah Prince. Jonathan and Deborah had five children, two of whom died very young. Their surviving children were Greenleaf (b. 1829), Jonathan Prince (b. 1835). and Julia (b. 1837). Cilley edited the Thomaston Register from 1829–1831 and represented Thomaston in the Maine Legislature
from 1831–1836, serving as speaker
of the state House in his final two years of service there. He was then elected to the United States Congress
, but did not complete his first term.
. With the Democratic Party
, Cilley's party, strongly at odds with the opposition Whig Party
, supporters of both sides mobilized the newspaper
s favoring each party. One of the pillars of the Whig Party was the New York Courier and Enquirer
, an East Coast newspaper edited by James Watson Webb
.
Democrats, including Cilley, considered Webb's coverage of Congress to be biased and unfair, and Cilley vented some of his party's bitterness in remarks made on the House floor
. Webb, who considered himself insulted by Cilley's remarks, and unable to respond within the House chamber because he was not an elected member of the House, persuaded a Whig friend, the Kentucky marksman William J. Graves, to challenge Cilley to a duel. Duelling was prohibited within the boundaries of the District of Columbia by federal law, so the participants and their seconds arranged to meet at the Bladensburg dueling grounds
, across the state line in Maryland. The meeting on the "field of honor" was scheduled to take place on February 24, 1838.
When the duel took place, Graves fatally wounded Cilley by shooting him through the femoral artery
. The unfortunate congressman bled to death on the field. Jonathan was buried in Cilley Cemetery, Thomaston, Maine.
Jonathan Cilley's brother Joseph Cilley
served as a U.S. Senator from New Hampshire in 1846-1847. Jonathan Cilley's successor as speaker of the Maine House in 1837 was Hannibal Hamlin
, later Vice President of the United States
. Cilley's son, Jonathan Prince Cilley, became a Brevetted
Brigadier General
in the Union Army
during the Civil War
.
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. He served part of one term in the 25th Congress. He died in office at Bladensburg, Md.
Bladensburg dueling grounds
Bladensburg Dueling Grounds is a small spit of land, along Dueling Creek formerly, in the town of Bladensburg, Maryland and now within the town of Colmar Manor, which is northeast of Washington, D.C., United States, an area which hosted over fifty bloody pistol duels mostly fought using a duelling...
as the result of being challenged to fight a duel
Duel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with agreed-upon rules.Duels in this form were chiefly practised in Early Modern Europe, with precedents in the medieval code of chivalry, and continued into the modern period especially among...
with Congressman William J. Graves
William J. Graves
William Jordan Graves was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky.Graves was born in New Castle, Kentucky, and pursued an academic course early in life, choosing to study law. He was admitted to the bar and practiced law in Kentucky before serving as member of the State house of representatives in 1834...
, a colleague from Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. Graves, an experienced marksman, had issued the challenge after Cilley had criticized a newspaper article written by Graves's political ally, New York City editor James W. Webb.
Biography
Jonathan Cilley was a member of one of the leading families of northern New England. A grandson of Major General Joseph CilleyJoseph Cilley (state senator)
Joseph Cilley was a New Hampshire state senator and general.Cilley was born in 1734 at Nottingham, New Hampshire to Captain J. Cilley of the Isles of Shoals and his wife Alice Rawlings. In 1758 Joseph Cilley joined Rogers' Rangers and served in northern New York and Canada...
and nephew of Bradbury Cilley
Bradbury Cilley
Bradbury Cilley was a United States Representative from New Hampshire. He was born in Nottingham, New Hampshire. He attended the common schools and then engaged in agricultural pursuits....
, he was born in Nottingham, New Hampshire
Nottingham, New Hampshire
Nottingham is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,785 at the 2010 census. It is the location of Pawtuckaway State Park.-History:...
. He attended Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College , founded in 1794, is an elite private liberal arts college located in the coastal Maine town of Brunswick, Maine. As of 2011, U.S. News and World Report ranks Bowdoin 6th among liberal arts colleges in the United States. At times, it was ranked as high as 4th in the country. It is...
and was a member of the famed class of 1825, which included future literary giants Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer.Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in the city of Salem, Massachusetts to Nathaniel Hathorne and the former Elizabeth Clarke Manning. His ancestors include John Hathorne, a judge during the Salem Witch Trials...
and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline...
. While at Bowdoin he also became close friends with future President Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce was the 14th President of the United States and is the only President from New Hampshire. Pierce was a Democrat and a "doughface" who served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. Pierce took part in the Mexican-American War and became a brigadier general in the Army...
, a member of the class of 1824. Deciding to stay in Maine, he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1828, practicing in Thomaston, Maine
Thomaston, Maine
Thomaston, Maine is a town on the coast of Maine the United States. The name may also refer to:*Thomaston , Maine, a census-designated place comprising the center of the town*South Thomaston, Maine, an adjacent town...
.
In 1829 he married Deborah Prince, the daughter of local businessman Hezekiah Prince. Jonathan and Deborah had five children, two of whom died very young. Their surviving children were Greenleaf (b. 1829), Jonathan Prince (b. 1835). and Julia (b. 1837). Cilley edited the Thomaston Register from 1829–1831 and represented Thomaston in the Maine Legislature
Maine Legislature
The Maine Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. It is a bicameral body composed of the lower house Maine House of Representatives and the upper house Maine Senate...
from 1831–1836, serving as speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of the state House in his final two years of service there. He was then elected to the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
, but did not complete his first term.
Fatal duel
Cilley died in office as a sacrifice to the bitter political climate that surrounded the Twenty-fifth Congress25th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:-Leadership:- Senate :* President: Richard Mentor Johnson * President pro tempore: William R. King - House of Representatives :* Speaker: James K. Polk -Members:This list is arranged by chamber, then by state...
. With the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, Cilley's party, strongly at odds with the opposition Whig Party
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
, supporters of both sides mobilized the newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s favoring each party. One of the pillars of the Whig Party was the New York Courier and Enquirer
New York Courier and Enquirer
The New York Courier and Enquirer, properly called the Morning Courier and New-York Enquirer, was a daily broadsheet newspaper published in New York City from June 1829 until June 1861, when it was merged into the New York World. Throughout its life it was edited by newspaper publisher James...
, an East Coast newspaper edited by James Watson Webb
James Watson Webb
General James Watson Webb was a United States diplomat, newspaper publisher and a New York politician in the Whig and Republican parties.-Biography:...
.
Democrats, including Cilley, considered Webb's coverage of Congress to be biased and unfair, and Cilley vented some of his party's bitterness in remarks made on the House floor
National Statuary Hall
National Statuary Hall is a chamber in the United States Capitol devoted to sculptures of prominent Americans. The hall, also known as the Old Hall of the House, is a large, two-story, semicircular room with a second story gallery along the curved perimeter. It is located immediately south of the...
. Webb, who considered himself insulted by Cilley's remarks, and unable to respond within the House chamber because he was not an elected member of the House, persuaded a Whig friend, the Kentucky marksman William J. Graves, to challenge Cilley to a duel. Duelling was prohibited within the boundaries of the District of Columbia by federal law, so the participants and their seconds arranged to meet at the Bladensburg dueling grounds
Bladensburg dueling grounds
Bladensburg Dueling Grounds is a small spit of land, along Dueling Creek formerly, in the town of Bladensburg, Maryland and now within the town of Colmar Manor, which is northeast of Washington, D.C., United States, an area which hosted over fifty bloody pistol duels mostly fought using a duelling...
, across the state line in Maryland. The meeting on the "field of honor" was scheduled to take place on February 24, 1838.
When the duel took place, Graves fatally wounded Cilley by shooting him through the femoral artery
Femoral artery
The femoral artery is a general term comprising a few large arteries in the thigh. They begin at the inguinal ligament and end just above the knee at adductor canal or Hunter's canal traversing the extent of the femur bone....
. The unfortunate congressman bled to death on the field. Jonathan was buried in Cilley Cemetery, Thomaston, Maine.
Legacy
In 1838, after Cilley's death, longtime friend Nathaniel Hawthorne published two biographical sketches of the fallen congressman. The lawmaker's colleagues paid tribute to him in 1839 by passing a federal law strengthening the prohibition against dueling in Washington, D.C. Dueling itself was already forbidden within the District; the 1839 law created the new criminal offenses of issuing a challenge to a duel, or accepting a challenge, within the boundaries of the District, even if the duel itself was meant to take place outside the District.Jonathan Cilley's brother Joseph Cilley
Joseph Cilley (senator)
Joseph Cilley was a United States Senator from New Hampshire.Cilley was born in Nottingham, New Hampshire, the son of Greenleaf Cilley and his wife Jane Nealy. He was also the grandson of Revolutionary War officer Joseph Cilley after whom he was named. He was the nephew of Bradbury Cilley and...
served as a U.S. Senator from New Hampshire in 1846-1847. Jonathan Cilley's successor as speaker of the Maine House in 1837 was Hannibal Hamlin
Hannibal Hamlin
Hannibal Hamlin was the 15th Vice President of the United States , serving under President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War...
, later Vice President of the United States
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
. Cilley's son, Jonathan Prince Cilley, became a Brevetted
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
External links
- Nathaniel Hawthorne's memorial to Jonathan Cilley, written in 1838.
- Jonathan Cilley at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...