General James Shields

Item CDV-10403

Description

Shields, James, brigadier-general, was born in Dungannon,
County Tyrone, Ireland, Dec.12, 1810. He emigrated to the
United States in 1826, studied law and was admitted to the bar
at Kaskaskia, Ill., when he was but twenty-one years old. He
subsequently turned his attention to politics, in 1836 was
elected to the state legislature and in 1839 was made state
auditor. In 1843 he was appointed judge of the Supreme Court
and in 1845 was appointed commissioner of the U. S. land
office. He served during the Mexican war, being severely
wounded both at Cerro Gordo and Chapultepec, and for
meritorious and gallant services on the former occasion was
commissioned brigadier-general and brevet major-general. He
served under Gen. Taylor on the Rio Grande and under Gen. Wood
at Chihuahua. After resigning from the army he was appointed
governor of Oregon in 1848. He served as U. S. senator from
Illinois 1849-55, and was U. S. senator from Minnesota from
1858-60, and afterward settled in California. He was in
Mexico at the outbreak of the Civil war, engaged in
superintending a mine, but at once went to Washington and
offered his services for the cause of the Union. He was
appointed brigadier-general of volunteers on Aug. 19, 1861
assigned to the command of Gen. Lander's brigade after the
latter's death, and was placed at the head of a division of
Gen. N. P. Banks' Army of the Shenandoah, March 29, 1862. He
took a leading part in the battles of Winchester and Port
Republic, and resigned from the service in 1863. Gen. Shields
then settled in Wisconsin, whence he removed to Carrollton,
Mo., where he practiced law and served as a railroad
commissioner. In 1874 he was elected to the Missouri
legislature and in 1879 was appointed to the U. S. senate to
serve out the unexpired term of Senator Bogg. He died at
Ottumwa, Ia., June 1,1879.

Source: The Union Army, vol. 8