John P. C. Shanks
Encyclopedia
John Peter Cleaver Shanks (June 17, 1826 – January 23, 1901) was a U.S. Representative
from Indiana
.
(now West Virginia), Shanks pursued an academic course. He studied law and was admitted to the bar
in 1848 and commenced practice in Portland, Indiana
, in 1849. He served as prosecuting attorney of Jay County in 1850 and 1851 and served as member of the State house of representatives in 1855.
During the Civil War
he served in the Union Army
as a colonel and aide-de-camp.
Shanks was elected as a Republican
to the Thirty-seventh
Congress (March 4, 1861-March 3, 1863).
He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1862 to the Thirty-eighth
Congress.
Shanks was elected to the Fortieth
and to the three succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1867-March 3, 1875) and served as chairman of the Committee on Militia (Forty-first
Congress) and the Committee on Indian Affairs (Forty-second
Congress).
He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1874.
He resumed the practice of his profession.
He was again a member of the State house of representatives in 1879.
Shanks died in Portland, Indiana
, January 23, 1901 and was interred in Green Park Cemetery.
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 Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
.
Biography
Born in Martinsburg, VirginiaMartinsburg, West Virginia
Martinsburg is a city in the Eastern Panhandle region of West Virginia, United States. The city's population was 14,972 at the 2000 census; according to a 2009 Census Bureau estimate, Martinsburg's population was 17,117, making it the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle and the eighth largest...
(now West Virginia), Shanks pursued an academic course. He studied law and was admitted to the bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
in 1848 and commenced practice in Portland, Indiana
Portland, Indiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 6,437 people, 2,739 households, and 1,750 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,566.8 people per square mile . There were 2,928 housing units at an average density of 712.7 per square mile...
, in 1849. He served as prosecuting attorney of Jay County in 1850 and 1851 and served as member of the State house of representatives in 1855.
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...
he served 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...
as a colonel and aide-de-camp.
Shanks was elected 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 Thirty-seventh
37th United States Congress
The Thirty-seventh United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1861 to March 4, 1863, during the first two...
Congress (March 4, 1861-March 3, 1863).
He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1862 to the Thirty-eighth
38th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:Before this Congress, the 1860 United States Census and resulting reapportionment changed the size of the House to 241 members...
Congress.
Shanks was elected to the Fortieth
40th United States Congress
The Fortieth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1867 to March 4, 1869, during the third and fourth...
and to the three succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1867-March 3, 1875) and served as chairman of the Committee on Militia (Forty-first
41st United States Congress
-House of Representatives:- Senate :* President : Schuyler Colfax* President pro tempore: Henry B. Anthony - House of Representatives :* Speaker: James G. Blaine -Members:This list is arranged by chamber, then by state...
Congress) and the Committee on Indian Affairs (Forty-second
42nd United States Congress
The Forty-second United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1871 to March 3, 1873, during the third and fourth...
Congress).
He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1874.
He resumed the practice of his profession.
He was again a member of the State house of representatives in 1879.
Shanks died in Portland, Indiana
Portland, Indiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 6,437 people, 2,739 households, and 1,750 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,566.8 people per square mile . There were 2,928 housing units at an average density of 712.7 per square mile...
, January 23, 1901 and was interred in Green Park Cemetery.
See also
- List of American Civil War generals