Cornelius Springer Hamilton

Cornelius Springer Hamilton (January 2, 1821 – December 22, 1867) was a 19th-century American lawyer, newspaper editor, and Republican politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Ohio from March 4, 1867, until his death in December of that same year. His brief congressional career took place during the turbulent Reconstruction era following the Civil War, when he participated in the legislative process and represented the interests of his Ohio constituents in the Fortieth Congress.

Hamilton was born on January 2, 1821, in Gratiot, Licking County, Ohio. He attended the common schools of the area and pursued further studies at Denison University in Granville, Ohio, reflecting an early commitment to education. In 1839 he moved with his parents to Union County, Ohio, where the family engaged in agricultural pursuits. Working on the family farm provided him with firsthand experience of rural life and the concerns of farming communities that would later inform his public service.

While living in Union County, Hamilton studied law and prepared for a professional career in the legal field. He was admitted to the bar in 1845 and commenced the practice of law in Marysville, the county seat of Union County. That same year he also acted as a land appraiser and assessor, an early public role that acquainted him with property issues and local administration. His legal practice in Marysville established him as a prominent figure in the community and laid the foundation for his subsequent political and editorial activities.

Hamilton’s public career expanded significantly in the 1850s. From 1850 to 1851 he served as a delegate to the Ohio state constitutional convention, participating in efforts to revise and shape the fundamental law of the state. During this period he also became editor and proprietor of the Marysville Tribune, a position he held from 1850 to 1853. Through the newspaper he influenced public opinion and engaged in the political debates of the day. He went on to serve as a member of the Ohio State Senate in 1856 and 1857, representing his district in the state legislature and gaining further experience in lawmaking and public policy.

During the Civil War era, Hamilton was drawn into federal service. In 1862 President Abraham Lincoln appointed him assessor of the eighth congressional district of Ohio, a position he held until 1866. As assessor, he was responsible for implementing federal tax measures in support of the Union war effort, administering revenue laws at a time of national crisis. His work in this role enhanced his reputation as a capable administrator and loyal Republican, positioning him for higher office as the war ended and Reconstruction began.

Hamilton was elected as a Republican to the Fortieth Congress and served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives, beginning on March 4, 1867. As a member of the Republican Party representing Ohio, he contributed to the legislative process during a significant period in American history, when Congress was grappling with the reintegration of the former Confederate states and the rights of newly freed African Americans. Although his time in Congress was brief, he participated in the democratic process at the national level and represented the interests of his Ohio constituents until his service was cut short by his untimely death later that year.

On December 22, 1867, while at his family farm near Marysville, Ohio, Hamilton was killed under tragic circumstances. He was beaten to death by his apparently deranged son, Thomas Hamilton, who attacked him with a board while they were feeding livestock. After killing his father, Thomas pursued his mother, his younger brother John, and members of the local community with an axe, injuring but not killing anyone else. Cornelius Springer Hamilton thus became one of the members of the United States Congress who died in office in the 19th century, and his death is often noted in lists of assassinated American politicians and of members of Congress killed or wounded while in office. He was interred in Oakdale Cemetery in Marysville, Ohio, where he is buried among the community he had long served as lawyer, editor, state legislator, federal official, and congressman.