John H. Ketcham

John Henry Ketcham
Born (1832-12-21)December 21, 1832
Dover Plains, New York
Died November 4, 1906(1906-11-04) (aged 73)
New York City, New York
Place of burial Valley View Cemetery, Dover Plains, New York
Allegiance United States of America
Union
Service/branch United States Army
Union Army
Years of service 1862–1865
Rank Brigadier General
Brevet Major General
Battles/wars American Civil War

John Henry Ketcham (December 21, 1832 November 4, 1906) was a United States Representative from New York for over 33 years. He also served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Biography

John H. Ketcham was born in Dover Plains, New York. He pursued an academic course and graduated from Suffield Academy at Suffield, Connecticut. He then became interested in agricultural pursuits, as well as politics. He was Supervisor of the Town of Dover in 1854 and 1855; a member of the New York State Assembly (Dutchess County, 1st District) in 1856 and 1857; and a member of the New York State Senate (11th District) in 1860 and 1861.

With the outbreak of the American Civil War, he enlisted in the Union Army and was appointed as colonel of the 150th New York Volunteer Infantry, on October 11, 1862. Ketcham was brevetted as a brigadier general on December 6, 1864, and promoted to the full rank of brigadier general in the volunteer army on April 1, 1865. He was brevetted major general of Volunteers March 13, 1865.

Following the war, Ketcham resumed his political career. He was elected as a Republican to the Thirty-ninth and to the three succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1865 March 3, 1873). He was the chairman of the Committee on Public Lands Forty-second Congress. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1872 to the Forty-third Congress.

Ketcham was a Commissioner of the District of Columbia from July 3, 1874, until June 30, 1877, when he resigned. During this time, he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1876. He was subsequently elected as a Republican to the Forty-fifth and to the seven succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1893). He served as chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of State (Fifty-seventh through Fifty-ninth Congresses). Ketcham declined to be a candidate for renomination.

He re-entered politics and became a delegate to the 1896 Republican National Convention and was then elected as a Republican to the Fifty-fifth and to the four succeeding Congresses and served from March 4, 1897, until his death in New York City on November 4, 1906. John Ketcham is buried in Valley View Cemetery in Dover Plains, New York.

John H. Ketcham Elementary School in Washington, DC is named for him.

See also

New York Assembly
Preceded by
Albert Emans
New York State Assembly
Dutchess County, 1st District

1856–1857
Succeeded by
Albert Emans
New York State Senate
Preceded by
Henry C. Wetmore
New York State Senate
11th District

1860–1861
Succeeded by
William H. Tobey
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Homer A. Nelson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 12th congressional district

1865–1873
Succeeded by
Charles St. John
Preceded by
John O. Whitehouse
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 13th congressional district

1877–1885
Succeeded by
Egbert L. Viele
Preceded by
Thomas J.V. Alstyne
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 16th congressional district

1885–1893
Succeeded by
William Ryan
Preceded by
Jacob LeFever
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 18th congressional district

1897–1903
Succeeded by
Joseph A. Goulden
Preceded by
John K. Stewart
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 21st congressional district

1903–1906
Succeeded by
Samuel McMillan
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