Marsh Giddings

Marsh Giddings about 1871

Marsh Giddings (19 November 1816 – 3 June 1875) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan, who was appointed as U.S. consul-general to India and later served as the Governor of New Mexico Territory from 1871 to 1875.

Early life

Giddings was born in Sherman, Connecticut, to William and Jane (Ely) Giddings, who moved to Kalamazoo County, Michigan when he was 13. In 1834, he entered Western Reserve college (which later became part of Case Western Reserve University), at Hudson, Ohio, but did not finish. When he was 21 he was elected as a Justice of the Peace for Richland Township, Kalamazoo County, Michigan. In 1836, he married Louisa Mills.

Michigan politics

Giddings was elected as a member of the Michigan State House of Representatives from Kalamazoo County in 1849. He served as a probate judge in Michigan, 1860-68; a Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1864; a member of the Republican National Committee from Michigan, 1866-70; a delegate to Michigan state constitutional convention, 1867; and a delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan in 1868.^[1]

National politics

U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant nominated Giddings to be consul-general of the United States at Calcutta, India, 1870^{[2] [3]} , as part of his patronage based spoils system. Giddings was paid, but never left Michigan. ^[4] Some biographical sketches indicate that Giddings declined to go to India due to concerns about his health. ^{[5] [6]} Grant then nominated Giddings as Governor of New Mexico Territory, after Willard Warner had declined that post. ^[7] Giddings took up his duties at the end of August 1871, although he was not confirmed by the United States Senate until later that December.

New Mexico

Giddings was appalled by the violence and lawlessness in the territory. His first day in office he was confronted by a riot in Mesilla. When he requested troops to put down lawlessness in Cimarron, he was told that that troops could be used in civil affairs only by a request from a U.S. Marshall or by orders from the president.^[8] The Lincoln County Wars started during his tenure, but he didn’t have the resources to suppress the lawlessness in southern New Mexico either. In January 1874 the best he could do was to offer a reward of $500 for the arrest of those cowboys who had shot up a Hispanic dance in Lincoln murdering four men, the seminal event starting the wars.^[9]

Giddings died in office, and Territorial Secretary William G. Ritch acted as governor for about two months until the inauguration of Samuel Beach Axtell.^[10] Giddings was a Congregationalist^[11], and even though he died in Santa Fe, New Mexico his body was shipped back to Michigan and he was buried at the Mountain Home Cemetery in Kalamazoo.^[12]

References

1. ^ "Giddings, Marsh (1816-1875)" The Political Graveyard
2. ^ Journal of the executive proceedings of the Senate of the United States of America, 1869-1871 Friday, July 8, 1870, page 513
3. ^ Journal of the executive proceedings of the Senate of the United States of America, 1871-1873 Monday, May 22, 1871, page 98
4. ^ Jauhri, R.C. (1970) American Diplomacy and Independence for India Vora, Bombay, ISBN 0-8426-0223-2
5. ^ "Marsh Giddings" Historical collections. Volume 11. Collections and researches made by the Michigan pioneer and historical society pp. 300-303
6. ^ Bingham, Stephen D. (1888), Early History of Michigan, Lansing: Thorp & Godfrey, http://books.google.com/?id=st4iAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA288&dq=Marsh+Giddings  p. 288
7. ^ Journal of the executive proceedings of the Senate of the United States of America, 1871-1873 Wednesday, December 6, 1871, page 116
8. ^ "Note 112" "Chapter Seven: The Third Fort Union: Construction and Military Operations, Part Two (1869-1891)" Fort Union: Historic Resource Study Letter: Devin to AAG Dept. of the Missouri, Feb. 25, 1875, TS, DNM, USAC, RG 393,; and Williams to Devin, Feb. 25, 1875, TR, DNM, USAC, RG 393
9. ^ Parsons, Chuck (2005) "Texas Ranger N.O. Reynolds: From the Horrells to Sam Bass" WOLA Journal pp. 15-19, p.16
10. ^ Prince, L. Bradford (1912) A Concise History of New Mexico Torch Press, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, p.199 OCLC 8570421
11. ^ "U.S. Congregationalist Politicians" Famous Adherents
12. ^ "Marsh Giddings" Find-A-Grave listing

External links

• "Marsh Giddings" Find-A-Grave listing

Persondata
Name	Giddings, Marsh
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	19 November 1816
Place of birth
Date of death	3 June 1875
Place of death