James Shields

James Shields, born on May 12, 1806, emigrated from Ireland as a young man. He taught school, studied law, and was admitted to practice.

• He served in the Illinois House of Representatives in 1836, became the state auditor in 1839, and was a member of the Supreme Court of Illinois from 1843 to 1845.
• While serving in the Illinois House, Shields met Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas. Lincoln was a Whig and Shields was a Democrat; the two clashed rhetorically and once even scheduled a duel.
• Shields served in the Mexican War and was injured in the Battle of Cheruhisco.
• He served briefly as governor of the Oregon Territory before being elected to the U.S. Senate, where he represented Illinois for one term. Defeated for re-election, he then moved to Minnesota, where he served from 1858 to 1859 as one of the first senators from that state.
• During the Civil War Shields served as a brigadier general with the Union Army.
• After the war he continued his active political life. He was a member of the Missouri legislature and served as senator from Missouri in 1879, thus becoming the only senator to have represented three states.
• He died in office on June 1, 1879.