|
Matthew Lyon (July 14, 1749 – August 1, 1822) was an Irish-born American printer, farmer, soldier and politician, serving as a United States Representative from both Vermont and Kentucky. Lyon represented Vermont in Congress from 1797 to 1801, and represented Kentucky from 1803 to 1811. His tenure in Congress was tumultuous. He brawled with one Congressman; and was jailed on charges of violating the Sedition Act, winning re-election to Congress from inside his jail cell. ==Early life and military career== Lyon attended school in Dublin, having been born in nearby County Wicklow, Ireland. He began to learn the printer's trade in 1763, but emigrated to Connecticut in 1764. Lyon landed as a redemptioner and worked on a farm in Woodbury, where he continued his education. In 1774, Lyon moved to Wallingford, Vermont (then known as the New Hampshire Grants), and organized a company of militia. He served as adjutant in Colonel Seth Warner's regiment in Canada in 1775, and was then commissioned a second lieutenant in the regiment known as the Green Mountain Boys in July 1776. He moved to Arlington, Vermont, in 1777. Lyon served during the Revolutionary War, serving initially under Horatio Gates in upstate New York. In a version of the event later circulated by his political opponents, Lyon was reportedly cashiered for cowardice and ordered to carry a wooden sword to represent his shame.〔McLaughlin, pg. 225〕 In Lyon's version, his men and he were not being put to good use, and he asked to leave Gates' command and join the regiment commanded by Seth Warner. Lyon's conduct was vindicated by both Arthur St. Clair and James Wilkinson.〔Eliakim Persons Walton, (Records of the Governor and Council of the State of Vermont ), Volume 8, 1880, page 469〕〔J. Fairfax McLaughlin, (A Picturesque Politician of Jefferson's Time ), The Century Illustrated Magazine, Volume 65, page 932〕 Lyon subsequently joined Warner's regiment as a paymaster with the rank of captain, and served during the Battle of Bennington and other actions.〔Aleine Austin, (Matthew Lyon, "New Man" of the Democratic Revolution, 1749–1822 ), 1981, page 18〕 After leaving Warner's Regiment following the Battle of Saratoga, Lyon continued his revolutionary activity, serving as a member of Vermont's Council of Safety, a captain in the militia (later advancing to colonel), paymaster general of the Vermont Militia, deputy secretary to Governor Thomas Chittenden, and assistant to Vermont's treasurer.〔Rossiter Johnson, John Howard Brown, (The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans ), 1904, entry for Matthew Lyon〕 Lyon became a member of the Vermont House of Representatives from Arlington, serving from 1779 to 1783. He founded Fair Haven, Vermont in 1783 and returned to the state House of Representatives from 1783 to 1796 as Fair Haven's member. (At the time, Vermont apportioned the House by town, with each town having one representative.) Lyon built and operated various kinds of mills, including one for the manufacture of paper. He established a printing office in 1793 and published the ''Farmers' Library'' from 1793 through 1794.〔''The Farmers' Library, or, Vermont Political & Historical Register''. Rutland, Vt: J. Lyon, 1793-1794. OCLC 14152194 ( WorldCat )〕 It was officially listed as being operated by his son, James Lyon. It was continued as the ''Fair Haven Gazette''.〔''The Fair Haven Gazette and Poultney Journal.'' Fair Haven, Vt. OCLC 37328623 ( WorldCat )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Matthew Lyon」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|