Ashley, James Mitchell, 1824-1896

James M. Ashley was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on November 24, 1824, the son of John C. and Mary (Kirkpatrick) Ashley. When James was 2 the family moved to Portsmouth, Ohio, where his father was a circuit preacher. At age 16 James left home to work on an Ohio River steamboat. In 1849 he was admitted to the Ohio bar. He was an ardent abolitionist and served as a delegate to the 1856 Republican National Convention and was elected to Congress in 1858. In 1869 he was appointed Governor of Montana Territory but was removed, after serving less than a year, due to his outspoken criticisms of President Ulysses S. Grant. He died in 1896.

From the description of James M. Ashley papers, 1866-1869. (Montana Historical Society Library). WorldCat record id: 646066015

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