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UNION BRIGADIER GENERAL JAMES SHIELDS
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Shields, James, brigadier-general, was born in Dungannon, County
Tyrone, Ireland, Dec.12, 1810. He emigrated to the United States in
1826, studied law and was admitted to the bar at Kaskaskia, Ill., when
he was but twenty-one years old. He subsequently turned his attention
to politics, in 1836 was elected to the state legislature and in 1839 was
made state auditor. In 1843 he was appointed judge of the Supreme
Court and in 1845 was appointed commissioner of the U. S. land office.
He served during the Mexican war, being severely wounded both at
Cerro Gordo and Chapultepec, and for meritorious and gallant services
on the former occasion was commissioned brigadier-general and brevet
major-general. He served under Gen. Taylor on the Rio Grande and
under Gen. Wood at Chihuahua. After resigning from the army he was
appointed governor of Oregon in 1848. He served as U. S. senator from
Illinois 1849-55, and was U. S. senator from Minnesota from 1858-60,
and afterward settled in California. He was in Mexico at the outbreak
of the Civil war, engaged in superintending a mine, but at once went to
Washington and offered his services for the cause of the Union. He
was appointed brigadier-general of volunteers on Aug. 19, 1861
assigned to the command of Gen. Lander's brigade after the latter's
death, and was placed at the head of a division of Gen. N. P. Banks'
Army of the Shenandoah, March 29, 1862. He took a leading part in
the battles of Winchester and Port Republic, and resigned from the
service in 1863. Gen. Shields then settled in Wisconsin, whence he
removed to Carrollton, Mo., where he practiced law and served as a
railroad commissioner. In 1874 he was elected to the Missouri
legislature and in 1879 was appointed to the U. S. senate to serve out
the unexpired term of Senator Bogg. He died at Ottumwa, Ia., June
1,1879.
