Homer Augustus Nelson

Infobox Congressman
name=Homer Augustus Nelson


state=New York
district=12th
party=Democrat
term=March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1865
preceded=Stephen Baker
succeeded=John H. Ketcham
date of birth=birth date|1829|8|31|mf=y
place of birth=Poughkeepsie, New York, U.S.
date of death=death date and age|1891|4|25|1829|8|31|mf=y
place of death=Poughkeepsie, New York, U.S.
spouse=Helen Stearns Nelson
profession=Politician, Lawyer
religion=
current occupation=
footnotes=

Homer Augustus Nelson (August 31, 1829 – April 25, 1891) was an American politician and soldier from the state of New York. He was an officer in the Union Army during the first part of the Civil War and a United States congressman during the latter half of the war.

Nelson was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, where he was also raised and educated. He studied law and was admitted to the bar, commencing practice in Poughkeepsie. He was a judge of Dutchess County, New York from 1855 to 1862.

At the outbreak of the Civil War, he became colonel of the 159th New York Volunteer Infantry. He left in 1863 when he took his seat in the 38th United States Congress, but was unsuccessful for reelection in 1864.

Following the war, he was a delegate to the New York State Constitutional Convention in 1867 and the same year was elected Secretary of State of New York serving until 1871. Nelson later became a member of the New York State Senate in 1882 and 1883 and was appointed a member of the commission to report a revision of the judiciary article of the New York State constitution in 1890. He died the next year in Poughkeepsie and was interned in Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery.

External links

*CongBio|N000034 Retrieved on 2008-02-14
*findagrave|6942226 Retrieved on 2008-02-14
* [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/nelson.html#R9M0J7VIS Homer Augustus Nelson] at The Political Graveyard