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The Political Graveyard: A Database of American History
Politicians Killed in Gun Accidents

Very incomplete list!

in chronological order

  William Harris Wharton (1802-1839) — of Texas. Born in Virginia, 1802. Delegate to Texas Convention of 1832 from District of Victoria, 1832; delegate to Texas Convention of 1833 from District of Victoria, 1833; delegate to Texas Consultation of 1835 from District of Columbia, 1835; member of Texas Republic Senate from District of Brazoria, 1836, 1837-39; died in office 1839. Killed when he accidentally shot himself while dismounting from his horse, near Hempstead, Waller County, Tex., March 14, 1839 (age about 36 years). Interment at Restwood Memorial Park, Clute, Tex.
  Relatives: Brother of John Austin Wharton.
  Wharton County, Tex. is named partly for him.
  Thomas Walker Gilmer (1802-1844) — of Virginia. Born in Gilmerton, Albemarle County, Va., April 6, 1802. Lawyer; member of Virginia state house of delegates, 1829-36, 1838-39; Speaker of the Virginia State House of Delegates, 1838-39; Governor of Virginia, 1840-41; U.S. Representative from Virginia, 1841-44 (12th District 1841-43, 5th District 1843-44); U.S. Secretary of the Navy, 1844; died in office 1844. Slaveowner. Among those killed in the explosion when a cannon accidentally burst on board the U.S.S. Princeton, on the Potomac River near Fort Washington, Prince George's County, Md., February 28, 1844 (age 41 years, 328 days). Originally entombed at Congressional Cemetery, Washington, D.C.; reinterment at a private or family graveyard, Albemarle County, Va.
  Relatives: Son of George Gilmer and Elizabeth Anderson (Hudson) Gilmer; married to Anne Elizabeth Baker; nephew of Mildred Gilmer (who married William Wirt); grandnephew of John Walker and Francis Walker; second cousin once removed of Meriwether Lewis; second cousin twice removed of Aylett Hawes; third cousin once removed of Robert Brooke, George Madison, Richard Aylett Buckner, Richard Hawes and Albert Gallatin Hawes; third cousin twice removed of Hubbard T. Smith; third cousin thrice removed of Archer Woodford; fourth cousin of Zachary Taylor, Francis Taliaferro Helm, Aylette Buckner, David Shelby Walker and Aylett Hawes Buckner; fourth cousin once removed of John Strother Pendleton, Albert Gallatin Pendleton, Charles John Helm, Hubbard Dozier Helm, James David Walker, David Shelby Walker Jr. and Harry Bartow Hawes.
  Political families: Walker-Meriwether-Kellogg family of Virginia; Jackson-Lee family; Demarest-Meriwether-Lewis family of New Jersey; Harrison-Randolph-Marshall-Cabell family of Virginia; Lee-Randolph family; Walker-Helm-Lincoln-Brown family of Kentucky; Washington-Walker family of Virginia; Pendleton-Lee family of Maryland; Clay family of Kentucky; Lewis-Pollard family of Texas (subsets of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).
  Gilmer County, W.Va. is named for him.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — National Governors Association biography — Find-A-Grave memorial
  Abel Parker Upshur (1790-1844) — of Virginia. Born in Northampton County, Va., June 17, 1790. Lawyer; member of Virginia state house of delegates, 1812-13, 1824-27; state court judge in Virginia, 1826-41; delegate to Virginia state constitutional convention, 1829-30; U.S. Secretary of the Navy, 1841-43; U.S. Secretary of State, 1843-44; died in office 1844. Episcopalian. Among those killed in the explosion when a cannon accidentally burst on board the U.S.S. Princeton, on the Potomac River near Fort Washington, Prince George's County, Md., February 28, 1844 (age 53 years, 256 days). Originally entombed at Congressional Cemetery, Washington, D.C.; reinterment in 1874 at Oak Hill Cemetery, Washington, D.C.
  Relatives: Son of Littleton Upshur; married to Elizabeth Ann Upshur.
  Upshur counties in Tex. and W.Va. are named for him.
  The World War II Liberty ship SS Abel Parker Upshur (built 1942 at Wilmington, North Carolina; scrapped 1966) was named for him.
  See also Wikipedia article — NNDB dossier — Find-A-Grave memorial
  Virgil Maxcy (1785-1844) — of Maryland. Born in Attleboro, Bristol County, Mass., May 5, 1785. Lawyer; member of Maryland state executive council, 1815; member of Maryland state house of delegates, 1820; member of Maryland state senate, 1820; U.S. Charge d'Affaires to Belgium, 1837-42. Among those killed in the explosion when a cannon accidentally burst on board the U.S.S. Princeton, on the Potomac River near Fort Washington, Prince George's County, Md., February 28, 1844 (age 58 years, 299 days). Originally entombed at Congressional Cemetery, Washington, D.C.; reinterment at a private or family graveyard, Anne Arundel County, Md.
  Relatives: Son of Levi Maxcy and Ruth (Newell) Maxcy; married to Mary Galloway.
  See also U.S. State Dept career summary
  David Gardiner (1784-1844) — of New York. Born in East Hampton, Suffolk County, Long Island, N.Y., May 29, 1784. Member of New York state senate 1st District, 1824-27. Among those killed in the explosion when a cannon accidentally burst on board the U.S.S. Princeton, on the Potomac River near Fort Washington, Prince George's County, Md., February 28, 1844 (age 59 years, 275 days). Originally entombed at Congressional Cemetery, Washington, D.C.; later interred at South End Cemetery, East Hampton, Long Island, N.Y.
  Relatives: Son of Phebe Gardiner and Abraham Gardiner; married to Juliana MacLachlan; father of Julia Tyler (who married John Tyler); grandfather of David Gardiner Tyler and Lyon Gardiner Tyler; third cousin thrice removed of John Lee Saltonstall; fourth cousin of Jonas Mapes; fourth cousin once removed of Alfred Conkling and David Parshall Mapes.
  Political families: Mapes-Jennings-Denby-Harrison family of New York and Arizona; Tyler family of Virginia (subsets of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
  Joseph Roffignac (1766-1846) — also known as Louis Philippe Joseph de Rouffignac — of New Orleans, Orleans Parish, La. Born in Angoulême, France, 1766. Fled France in 1789 to escape the guillotine, presumably over disloyalty to the revolutionary regime; mayor of New Orleans, La., 1820-28. French ancestry. Suffered a stroke, and dropped the gun he was holding, which accidentally discharged, shooting him in the head and killing him, in Périgueux, France, 1846 (age about 80 years). Burial location unknown.
  George Nixon Briggs (1796-1861) — also known as George N. Briggs — of Lanesborough, Berkshire County, Mass. Born in Adams, Berkshire County, Mass., April 12, 1796. Lawyer; Berkshire County Register of Deeds, 1824-31; U.S. Representative from Massachusetts, 1831-43 (9th District 1831-33, 7th District 1833-43); Governor of Massachusetts, 1844-51; defeated (American), 1859; common pleas court judge in Massachusetts, 1851-56; delegate to Massachusetts state constitutional convention, 1853. Killed by the accidental discharge of a "fowling piece" (shotgun), in Pittsfield, Berkshire County, Mass., September 11, 1861 (age 65 years, 152 days). Interment at Pittsfield Cemetery, Pittsfield, Mass.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — National Governors Association biography
  Richardson A. Scurry (1811-1862) — of Texas. Born in Gallatin, Sumner County, Tenn., November 11, 1811. Democrat. Served in the Texas Army during the Texas War of Independence; judge of Texas Republic, 1840-41; member of Texas Republic House of Representatives, 1842-44; U.S. Representative from Texas 1st District, 1851-53; general in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Accidentally shot himself in the foot while hunting, in August 1854; the wound never healed and became infected; though his leg was later amputated, he died as a result in Hempstead, Waller County, Tex., April 9, 1862 (age 50 years, 149 days). Interment at Hempstead Cemetery, Hempstead, Tex.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page
  Charles Tillinghast James (1805-1862) — also known as Charles T. James — of Providence, Providence County, R.I. Born in West Greenwich Center, West Greenwich, Kent County, R.I., September 15, 1805. U.S. Senator from Rhode Island, 1851-57. Died of wounds that he received from the accidental explosion of a cannon shell of his own manufacture, with which he was experimenting, at Sag Harbor, Suffolk County, Long Island, N.Y., October 17, 1862 (age 57 years, 32 days). Interment at Swan Point Cemetery, Providence, R.I.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page
  George M. Carhart (d. 1863) — of California. Member of California state assembly 21st District, 1853-54. Accidentally shot and killed while sleeping in Skinner's Saloon, Bannock, Beaverhead County, Mont., May 17, 1863. Burial location unknown.
  Williamson Robert Winfield Cobb (1807-1864) — also known as Williamson R. W. Cobb — of Bellefonte, Jackson County, Ala. Born in Rhea County, Tenn., June 8, 1807. Democrat. Member of Alabama state house of representatives, 1845; U.S. Representative from Alabama, 1847-61 (6th District 1847-53, 8th District 1853-55, 6th District 1855-61); Representative from Alabama in the Confederate Congress 3rd District; defeated, 1861; elected 1863. Slaveowner. Killed by the accidental discharge of his own pistol, while putting up a fence on his plantation near Bellefonte, Jackson County, Ala., November 1, 1864 (age 57 years, 146 days). Interment a private or family graveyard, Madison County, Ala.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page
  Clement Laird Vallandigham (1820-1871) — also known as Clement L. Vallandigham — of Ohio. Born in New Lisbon (now Lisbon), Columbiana County, Ohio, July 29, 1820. Democrat. Lawyer; member of Ohio state house of representatives, 1845-46; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Ohio, 1856, 1864, 1868; U.S. Representative from Ohio 3rd District, 1858-63; defeated, 1852, 1854, 1862; candidate for Governor of Ohio, 1863. Leader of the pro-Southern "Copperheads" during the Civil War; arrested by the Union military authorities in 1863 for treasonable utterances, and banished to the Confederate States; returned to the North by way of Canada. Accidentally shot himself, while practicing a courtroom demonstration he planned as part of a defense in a murder trial (not actually in court at the time, contrary to legend), and died of his wound the next day, in the Lebanon House hotel, Lebanon, Warren County, Ohio, June 17, 1871 (age 50 years, 323 days). Interment at Woodland Cemetery, Dayton, Ohio.
  Relatives: Uncle of John A. McMahon.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — Wikipedia article — OurCampaigns candidate detail
  Claiborne Hooper Phillips (1847-1886) — of Nashville, Davidson County, Tenn. Born in 1847. Mayor of Nashville, Tenn., 1883-86. Accidentally shot and killed while on a hunting trip, near Britton, Marshall County, Dakota Territory (now S.Dak.), September 10, 1886 (age about 39 years). Burial location unknown.
  Datus Ensign Coon (1831-1893) — also known as Datus E. Coon — of Osage, Mitchell County, Iowa; Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa; Selma, Dallas County, Ala.; San Diego, San Diego County, Calif. Born in DeRuyter, Madison County, N.Y., February 20, 1831. Republican. Newspaper publisher; colonel in the Union Army during the Civil War; delegate to Alabama state constitutional convention, 1868; member of Alabama state senate, 1870; member of Alabama state house of representatives, 1870; delegate to Republican National Convention from Alabama, 1872; U.S. Commercial Agent (Consul) in Baracoa, 1879-85. Accidentally shot, and died soon after, in San Diego, San Diego County, Calif., December 17, 1893 (age 62 years, 300 days). Interment at Mt. Hope Cemetery, San Diego, Calif.
  Relatives: Married 1855 to Hattie A. Cummins; married 1865 to Jennie (Ells) Bailey.
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
  Alson Bailey Abbott (1844-1894) — also known as Alson B. Abbott — of Queensbury, Warren County, N.Y.; Glens Falls, Warren County, N.Y. Born in Andover, Essex County, Mass., November 3, 1844. Served in the Union Army during the Civil War; lawyer; member of New York state assembly from Warren County, 1878; president, Canton Bridge Company. While cleaning a shotgun for hunting, it accidentally discharged, killing him, in Glens Falls, Warren County, N.Y., August 27, 1894 (age 49 years, 297 days). Interment at Pineview Cemetery, Queensbury, N.Y.
  Relatives: Son of William F. Abbott and Sarah Job (Abbott) Abbott; married 1873 to Sarah Morgan.
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
  Horace Riverside Buck (1853-1897) — also known as Horace R. Buck — of Helena, Lewis and Clark County, Mont. Born in Yazoo County, Miss., September 18, 1853. Member Montana territorial council, 1884; district judge in Montana 1st District, 1891-96; justice of Montana state supreme court, 1897; died in office 1897. Died, from a self-inflicted gunshot (possibly a gun accident), in Helena, Lewis and Clark County, Mont., December 6, 1897 (age 44 years, 79 days). Interment at Forestvale Cemetery, Helena, Mont.
  Relatives: Son of Charles Lunsford Buck and Maria Buck; married, August 16, 1881, to Mary E. Jewett.
  See also Wikipedia article — Find-A-Grave memorial
  Athelston Gaston (1838-1907) — of Meadville, Crawford County, Pa. Born in Castile, Wyoming County, N.Y., April 24, 1838. Democrat. Mayor of Meadville, Pa., 1891; U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 26th District, 1899-1901. Accidentally hit by gunshot while on a hunting trip at Lake Edward, Quebec, September 23, 1907 (age 69 years, 152 days). Interment at Greendale Cemetery, Meadville, Pa.
  Relatives: Married to Thankful C. Hammond.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — Find-A-Grave memorial
Paul O. Husting Paul Oscar Adolph Husting (1866-1917) — also known as Paul O. Husting — of Mayville, Dodge County, Wis. Born in Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac County, Wis., April 25, 1866. Democrat. Lawyer; Dodge County District Attorney, 1903-06; member of Wisconsin state senate 13th District, 1907-14; U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, 1915-17; died in office 1917; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Wisconsin, 1916 (member, Platform and Resolutions Committee). French, Luxemburgian, and Menominee Indian ancestry. Accidentally shot in the back by his brother Gustave, when he stood up in his boat while duck hunting on Rush Lake, and died soon after in a nearby farmhouse, near Pickett, Winnebago County, Wis., October 21, 1917 (age 51 years, 179 days). Interment at Graceland Cemetery, Mayville, Wis.
  Relatives: Son of John P. Husting and Mary M. (Juneau) Husting; grandson of Solomon Juneau.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — Wikipedia article
  Image source: Library of Congress
  Leonard Pikaart (1866-1924) — of Paterson, Passaic County, N.J. Born in Paterson, Passaic County, N.J., July 19, 1866. Republican. Carpenter; architect; lawyer; member of New Jersey state house of assembly from Passaic County, 1910-12. Dutch ancestry. Member, Grange; Junior Order. While repairing a chicken coop, he was accidentally shot in the heart, and killed, by a rifle held by 12-year-old Edward Kupetz, in Hopewell Junction, Dutchess County, N.Y., October 26, 1924 (age 58 years, 99 days). Interment at Cedar Lawn Cemetery, Paterson, N.J.
  Relatives: Married to Amelia Lotharia 'Millie' Halliwell.
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
Edward F. Peters Edward Frederick Peters (1875-1931) — also known as Edward F. Peters — of Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio. Born in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, January 29, 1875. Democrat. Lawyer; Vice-Consul for Uruguay in Cincinnati, Ohio, 1902-07; Vice-Consul for Honduras in Cincinnati, Ohio, 1903; served in the U.S. Army during World War I. Member, American Bar Association. Accidentally or deliberately shot himself, in his law office, in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, March 4, 1931 (age 56 years, 34 days). Interment at Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, Ohio.
  Relatives: Son of Adolph Peters and Eva (Stermer) Peters; married 1900 to Bertha M. Rice.
  See also Find-A-Grave memorial
  Image source: Cincinnati Post, March 4, 1931
Robert L. Henry Robert Lee Henry (1864-1931) — also known as Robert L. Henry — of Texarkana, Bowie County, Tex.; Waco, McLennan County, Tex. Born in Linden, Cass County, Tex., May 12, 1864. Democrat. Lawyer; mayor of Texarkana, Tex., 1890-91; U.S. Representative from Texas, 1897-1917 (7th District 1897-1903, 1st District 1903-05, 11th District 1905-17); delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 1912 (member, Committee on Rules and Order of Business; speaker). Died from the accidental discharge of a pistol, in Houston, Harris County, Tex., July 9, 1931 (age 67 years, 58 days). Interment at Rose Hill Cemetery, Texarkana, Tex.
  Relatives: Third great-grandson of Patrick Henry.
  Political families: Breckinridge-Preston-Cabell-Floyd family of Virginia; Harrison-Randolph-Marshall-Cabell family of Virginia (subsets of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page
  Image source: Autobiographies and Portraits of the President, Cabinet, etc. (1899)
  Edward Coke Mann (1880-1931) — of South Carolina. Born in Lowndesville, Abbeville County, S.C., November 21, 1880. Democrat. U.S. Representative from South Carolina 8th District, 1919-21. While returning from a hunting trip, was accidentally shot and killed, near Rowesville, Orangeburg County, S.C., November 11, 1931 (age 50 years, 355 days). Interment at Sunnyside Cemetery, Orangeburg, S.C.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page
M. Clyde Kelly * Melville Clyde Kelly (1883-1935) — also known as M. Clyde Kelly; "Father of Air Mail" — of Edgewood, Allegheny County, Pa. Born in Bloomfield, Muskingum County, Ohio, August 4, 1883. Republican. Newspaper editor and publisher; member of Pennsylvania state house of representatives, 1911-12; U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania, 1913-15, 1917-35 (30th District 1913-15, 1917-23, 33rd District 1923-33, 31st District 1933-35). Presbyterian. Member, Sons of the American Revolution; Odd Fellows; Knights of Pythias; Royal Arcanum. On returning from a frog hunting trip, was injured when a rifle he was cleaning accidentally fired; he died one week later, in a hospital at Punxsutawney, Jefferson County, Pa., April 29, 1935 (age 51 years, 268 days). Interment at Mahoning Union Cemetery, Marchand, Pa.
  Relatives: Son of William B. Kelly and Mary C. (Clark) Kelly; married 1917 to Vida Ruth Clementson.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page
  Image source: The Book of Prominent Pennsylvanians (1913)
John W. Brown John William Brown (c.1867-1941) — also known as John W. Brown — of Worcester, Worcester County, Mass.; Woolwich, Sagadahoc County, Maine. Born in Canada, about 1867. Socialist. Naturalized U.S. citizen; carpenter; labor organizer; candidate for U.S. Representative from Massachusetts 3rd District, 1904; candidate for Governor of Massachusetts, 1907; candidate for U.S. Representative from Maine 3rd District, 1910; newspaper columnist. Member, United Mine Workers. While working on his hunting rifle, it accidentally discharged, and he died soon after, in Woolwich, Sagadahoc County, Maine, June 19, 1941 (age about 74 years). Burial location unknown.
  The World War II Liberty ship SS John W. Brown (built 1942 at Baltimore, Maryland; now a museum ship) is named for him.
  See also Wikipedia article
  Image source: Boston Globe, September 17, 1907
  Paul Ranous Greever (1891-1943) — also known as Paul R. Greever — of Wyoming. Born in Lansing, Leavenworth County, Kan., September 28, 1891. Democrat. Served in the U.S. Army during World War I; lawyer; mayor of Cody, Wyo., 1930-32; U.S. Representative from Wyoming at-large, 1935-39; defeated, 1938. Killed accidentally, while cleaning his shotgun, in Cody, Park County, Wyo., February 16, 1943 (age 51 years, 141 days). Interment at Riverside Cemetery, Cody, Wyo.
  See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — Wikipedia article — Find-A-Grave memorial
  Clellan S. Forsythe (1895-1953) — of Syracuse, Onondaga County, N.Y. Born in Houtzdale, Clearfield County, Pa., March 6, 1895. Republican. Served in the U.S. Navy during World War I; automobile dealer; member of New York state assembly from Onondaga County 2nd District, 1945-48. Presbyterian. Member, American Legion; Veterans of Foreign Wars; Freemasons. On a hunting trip, he suffered a heart attack while sitting in his Jeep, holding a shotgun, which accidentally discharged, hitting him in the chest and killing him, on Fox Island, Cape Vincent, Jefferson County, N.Y., September 18, 1953 (age 58 years, 196 days). Burial location unknown.
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The Political Graveyard is a web site about U.S. political history and cemeteries. Founded in 1996, it is the Internet's most comprehensive free source for American political biography, listing 320,919 politicians, living and dead.
 
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