Henry J. B. Cummings

Henry Cummings
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 7th district
In office March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1879
Preceded by	John A. Kasson
Succeeded by	Edward H. Gillette
Personal details
Born	Henry Johnson Brodhead Cummings (1831-05-21)May 21, 1831 Newton, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	April 16, 1909(1909-04-16) (aged 77) Winterset, Iowa, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Military service
Branch/service	Union Army
Years of service	1942–1946
Rank	Colonel
Unit	39th Iowa Infantry Regiment Company F, 4th Iowa Infantry Regiment
Battles/wars	Civil War

Henry Johnson Brodhead Cummings (May 21, 1831 – April 16, 1909) was an American lawyer, Civil War officer, editor and publisher, and one-term Republican congressman from Iowa's 7th Congressional District.

Early life

Born in Newton, New Jersey, Cummings attended public schools in Muncy, Pennsylvania.

Career

He was editor of a newspaper in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, in 1850, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1855. He moved to Winterset, Iowa, in 1856; he served as prosecuting attorney for Madison County from 1856 to 1858.

In July 1861, Cummings enlisted in the Union Army, and was made captain of Company F of the 4th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He accepted the commission of colonel in the 39th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment on September 12, 1862, and he was honorably discharged on December 22, 1864. Afterward, he became editor and proprietor of the Winterset Madisonian.

In 1876 he was elected as a Republican to succeed John A. Kasson as the representative of Iowa's 7th Congressional District in the U. S. House of Representatives. He served in the 45th United States Congress, from 1877 to 1879. Running for re-election in 1879, he was defeated in the general election by Greenback Party candidate Edward H. Gillette.

Death

Cummings died in Winterset on April 16, 1909, and was interred in Winterset Cemetery.

External links

• United States Congress. "Henry J. B. Cummings (id: C000986)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on 2008-02-14