Moses McClean

Moses McClean (June 17, 1804 – September 30, 1870) was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. He was born on his father William McLean’s farm in Carroll’s Tract, near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on June 17, 1804, in what was then a largely rural part of Adams County. Raised in this agrarian environment, he grew up in proximity to the town that would later become central both to his professional life and to one of the pivotal battles of the American Civil War.

McClean pursued a legal education as a young man, studying law in Pennsylvania and preparing for admission to the bar. He was admitted to the bar in 1825 and commenced the practice of law in Gettysburg. Establishing himself as an attorney in the county seat, he developed a legal practice that connected him with the civic and political life of the region. His work at the bar in Gettysburg provided the foundation for his later entry into elective office at both the state and national levels.

As a member of the Democratic Party representing Pennsylvania, McClean contributed to the legislative process during one term in the United States Congress. He was elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-ninth Congress and served from March 4, 1845, to March 3, 1847. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, marked by debates over territorial expansion and foreign policy. During his term, he supported the declaration of war against Mexico at the outset of the Mexican–American War, aligning himself with the Democratic administration’s expansionist policies. In this capacity, he participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his constituents in Pennsylvania.

After his term in the U.S. House of Representatives expired in 1847, McClean returned to Gettysburg and resumed the practice of law. Remaining a prominent local attorney, he continued to be involved in public affairs and retained influence in regional political circles. His legal career in Gettysburg spanned many years, and he became a well-known figure in the community during a time of growing national tension over slavery, sectionalism, and party realignments.

McClean returned to formal political office in the mid-1850s. In 1855 he served as a conservative member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, where he was associated with the Know Nothing political movement, a nativist and anti-immigrant current that briefly gained prominence in state and national politics. His service in the state legislature reflected the shifting partisan landscape of the 1850s, as older party loyalties were challenged by emerging movements and realignments in advance of the Civil War.

During the American Civil War, McClean remained in Gettysburg, which became the site of one of the conflict’s most consequential battles. In July 1863, during the Battle of Gettysburg, his brick home on Baltimore Street was struck by an errant Union artillery shell. Although the incident underscored the immediacy and danger of the fighting within the town, McClean and his family were unharmed. The episode linked his personal life directly to the broader national struggle that unfolded literally on his doorstep.

Following the Civil War, McClean continued the practice of law in Gettysburg. He remained in the community where he had spent virtually his entire professional life, witnessing its transformation from a quiet county seat to a symbol of national sacrifice and reunion. He practiced law until his death in Gettysburg on September 30, 1870, concluding a career that combined local legal work with service in both the United States Congress and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.