Samuel T. Busey

Samuel Thompson Busey
Samuel Thompson Busey
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives; from Illinois's 15th district
	In office; March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1893
Preceded by	Joseph Gurney Cannon
Succeeded by	Joseph Gurney Cannon
Personal details
Born	November 16, 1835; Greencastle, Indiana, U.S.
Died	August 12, 1909 (aged 73); Mantrap Township, Minnesota, U.S.
Military service
Allegiance	United States of America; Union
Branch/service	United States Army; Union Army
Years of service	1861–1865
Rank	Colonel; Brevet Brigadier General
Commands	76th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment
Battles/wars	American Civil War

Samuel Thompson Busey (November 16, 1835 – August 12, 1909) was a veteran of the Civil War who served one term as a U.S. Representative from Illinois from 1891 to 1893.

Biography

Samuel Busey was born in Greencastle, Indiana but moved with his parents to Urbana, Illinois. He attended the public schools and went on to study law where he attended commercial college and law lectures in 1859 and 1860.

Civil War

During the Civil War he served as first sergeant and then first lieutenant of the Urbana Zouaves in 1861 and 1862.

He was appointed Town collector in 1862 and became a second lieutenant in the recruiting service in June 1862 and helped to organize the Seventy-sixth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry where he served as captain of Company B of that regiment June 22, 1862.

He later served as a lieutenant colonel August 22, 1862 and was promoted to colonel January 7, 1863.

On July 20, 1866, President Andrew Johnson nominated Busey for appointment to the grade of brevet brigadier general of volunteers, to rank from April 9, 1865, and the United States Senate confirmed the appointment on July 26, 1866.^[1]

He mustered out of the service July 22, 1865, in Chicago, Illinois and engaged in banking from 1867 to 1888. He later served as mayor of Urbana 1880–1889.

Congress

Busey was elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-second Congress (March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1893) defeating Joseph Gurney Cannon.

He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1892 to the Fifty-third Congress, losing to Cannon (who regained his seat). This pattern would be repeated 22 years later by fellow Democrat banker Frank T. O'Hair.

Later career and death

After his failed reelection he returned to banking.

He died in a boating accident in Mantrap Township, Hubbard County, Minnesota August 12, 1909 while on a family vacation. His niece, Annie McClain, was killed in the same accident.^[2] He was interred in Woodlawn Cemetery, Urbana, Illinois.

References

^ Eicher, John H., and David J. Eicher, Civil War High Commands. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2001. ISBN 978-0-8047-3641-1. p. 741.
^ Champaign Daily Gazette, August 13, 1909, p. 1.

United States Congress. "Samuel T. Busey (id: B001164)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on 2008-10-19

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Joseph Gurney Cannon	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 15th congressional district March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1893	Succeeded by Joseph Gurney Cannon