Hon. Byron M. Cutcheon HON. BYRON M. CUTCHEON, M.C., lawyer, soldier, statesman, was born at
Pembroke, N. H., May 11, 1836. He is from one of those old and highly respected
New England families, of Scotch-Irish stock, who settled in New Hampshire about
1720. The Cutcheons (or McCutcheons, as the name originally was) have lived at
Pembroke since the Revolutionary war, in which the grandfather of the subject,
Frederick McCutcheon, took an active part as a soldier in the cause of
independence, serving four successive enlistments. Rev. James M. Cutcheon, father of Byron M., was born at North Pembroke, and
died there in 1856, having reared a family of six boys, of whom the subject was
the youngest. Byron M. Cutcheon received his earliest school training in the district
school of his native town, and at the age of thirteen entered the Pembroke
academy, in which he qualified himself for a teacher by the age of seventeen,
and taught his first school in his native town in 1853-4. Enticed by the
unfolding opportunities of the west, he left the family home while yet a boy,
and in 1855 cam to Ypsilanti, Mich., where he continued his preparatory studies,
spending the winters in teaching. He took charge of the Birmingham academy, in
Oakland county, Mich., in 1857. After holding this position one year he entered
as a student the university of Michigan, from which he graduated, taking the
degree of A. B. in 1861. His college studies were interrupted by absence during
three winters, which he spent teaching, earning means with which to complete his
course. Having completed his college studies, his first engagement was that of
principal and teacher of ancient languages, higher mathematics, etc., in the
high school at Ypsilanti—a position he filled until he resigned to enter the
army in 1862. A feature of his education, which is important in determining the natural
bent of mind of the subject of this sketch, was a year spent in military school
at Pembroke. Being descended from a race of soldiers on both sides of the
family, he chose this from natural inclination toward military life. In July,
1862, he raised a company for the Twentieth Michigan infantry, in response to
the president’s call for 300,000 volunteers, and was at once mustered into the
service as second lieutenant. His career through the war was one of faithful duty, which found recognition
in successive promotions up to the rank of colonel and brigadier-general by
brevet "for conspicuous gallantry." He entered upon the scenes of actual war at
Washington, in September 1862, when, having been promoted to the captaincy of
his company, he saw the demoralized army of Gen. Pope returning form the field
of the disastrous second battle of Bull Run. He was engaged in the battle at
Fredericksburg, in December, 1862; Horseshoe Bend, Ky.; Vicksburg and Jackson,
Miss.; Blue Springs, Hough’s Ferry, Lenoir Station, Campbell’s Station,
Knoxville, Strawberry Plains, Thurley’s Ford, Bean’s Station, and other points
in Tennessee, in 1863. He received the congressional medal of honor, "for
distinguished bravery’ at the battle of Horseshoe Bend, Ky. At Campbell’s Station, in November, 1863, in which action his regiment bore a
conspicuous part, the subject, then major, was thrown in command of his regiment
by the death of the Lieutenant-colonel, and led his regiment with such bravery
and skill as to elicit the commendation of his commanding general. From this
time to the end of the war his command was never less than a regiment. From Tennessee his regiment was ordered east in the spring of 1864, when it
joined the army of the Potomac, and participated in most of the memorable
engagements of that army. Having been promoted to colonel, he commanded his
regiment in the three days’ fighting at the Wilderness; directed the rear guard
of the Ninth army corps in its movement via Chancellorsville to Spottsylvania;
led the advance of the corps across the Nye river in front of Spottsylvania, his
being the regiment that made the first lodgment on the crest in front of the
enemy’s works. On May 10th, while leading a charge on a battery of
the enemy, he was severely wounded by a fragment of a shell, which wound
confined him to the hospital for nearly two months. He rejoined his command in
front of Petersburg, Va., July 7, 1864, and on the 30th of July led
it in the charge in the "battle of the crater," through a storm of bullets and
canister that mowed down nearly half of his men. In August he took part in the
three days’ fight on the Weldon railroad, on the first day of which he rallied a
broken regiment under fire, taking the colors in his own hands. For this he was
brevetted (by President Lincoln, on recommendation of Gen. Willcox) a colonel of
the United States volunteers, "for conspicuous gallantry." Later he participated
in the engagements at Ream’s Station, Poplar Springs church, Pegram Farm,
Boydton Road and Hatcher’s Run. On October 16, 1864, he was assigned to the
command of the Second brigade, First division, Ninth army corps, which he
continued to command until mustered out of the service. Owing to very severe and
long-continued sickness in his family, he resigned in March, 1865, having been
brevetted brigadier-general of volunteers for gallantry in the Wilderness
campaign and in operations in front of Petersburg, Va. In the spring of 1866, Gen. Cutcheon received the appointment of state agent
of the Michigan Soldiers’ Monument association, and as such made a canvass of
the state. It was during this work that he, with Gen. R. A. Alger and Gen. John
Robingson met at Detroit, and organized the famous "Boys in Blue," of which Gen.
Cutcheon was the first president. In 1866, also, Gen. Cutcheon was appointed, by
the governor, president of the Michigan Soldiers’ Home commission, and conducted
the duties required by that position so satisfactorily that he received, upon
presentation of the result of his work to the state legislature, a vote of
thanks from that body. After the war he retuned to Ypsilanti, where he began the study of law in the
office of his brother, Hon. Sullivan M. Cutcheon, at the time speaker of the
Michigan house of representatives, and who afterward held the important position
of United States district attorney for the eastern district of Michigan. The
general completed his legal studies in the law department of Michigan
university, at Ann Arbor, graduating therefrom in March, 1866, and also
receiving the degree of master of arts. His first professional location was at
Ionia, in the fall of 1866, where he at once entered upon the practice of his
progression, but removed in July of the following year to Manistee. Although a
lawyer by profession, and not seeking preferment outside of the ranks of that
calling, his reputation as a public speaker, and his knowledge of governmental
affairs, brought him at once to the notice of his older political associates. In politics he has always been a republican. At the state convention of 1866,
his name was presented for secretary of state, and he came within a few votes of
nomination. In the ensuing campaign, upon invitation of the state republican
central committee, he was one of the speakers who canvassed the state. Before removing to Manistee he had been appointed to the state board of
railroad commissioners, apposition he continued to hold by re-appointments up to
1883, when he resigned to enter congress. In 1868 he was chosen a presidential
elector from Michigan and was made secretary of the electoral college. In 1875
he was elected regent of the Michigan State university for the term of eight
years, in which position he was active in promoting the welfare of that
institution. He has been at different times, president, orator and poet of the
alumni association of this, his alma mater. He was a member of the first city
council of Manistee, and, as chairman of the ordinance committee, drafted the
first code of ordinances for the city’s government. He was chosen, in 1870, city
attorney; has been a member of the board of education; has held the office of
prosecuting attorney of the county, and numerous other positions of trust in
political, military and religious organizations. In 1877 he received the
appointment from President Grant of postmaster of Manistee, holding that
position until 1883, when he resigned to enter congress. He was first elected to congress in the autumn of 1882, and held a seat in
that body until March 4, 1891, elected each time by increased majorities, having
been nominated and renominated four times, receiving his last election in 1888
by a plurality of 4,374. As a congressman he was a faithful, diligent, and able
representative, letting his voice be heard on almost all of the great political
questions of the day. He served on the committee on military affairs for eight
years, and in the fifty- ?? congress was chairman of that
committee taking an especially prominent part in matters affecting the interests
of veteran soldiers. His speech on the president’s veto of private pension
bills, delivered on the floor of congress July 9, 1886, was more largely
circulated by the national congressional committee as a campaign document during
the following autumn than any other speech of that session. Many bills
introduced by him became laws, especially relating to the army. At the close of his congressional career March 4, 1891, Gen. Cutcheon was
appointed by President Harrison a member of the United States board of ordnance
and fortification of which he continued a member until March 25, 1895. In
September, 1891, he removed his residence to Grand Rapids, which is still his
home. On his retirement from the board of ordnance and fortification, he was
editorial writer on political and international subjects on the Detroit Daily
Tribune until May, 1895, when he again returned to the practice of his
profession, after twelve years in public life. Since he resumed the work of his
profession has retired entirely from active politics. In personal appearance Gen. Cutcheon is much above the average in stature,
standing over six feet in height; is upright and well proportioned, presenting a
commanding appearance. In public speech he is forcible and convincing, but,
withal, graceful and frequently eloquent. As a debater he is logical and clear
and quick at repartee. He is uniformly courteous and affable in social and
business relation. He has been a member of the Congregation church during all of his active
life, taking a deep interest in its welfare, not only locally, but as a member
of its state and national councils, having been a member of three triennial
national councils of that church. The general was married, June 22, 1863, to Miss Marie A. Warner, a teacher in
the city schools of Ann Arbor, and a lady of thorough culture and refinement.
Their family consists of five children—four sons and one daughter—namely, Frank
Warner, Charles Tripp, Max Hart, Frederick Richard, and Marie Louise.
Transcriber: Jeri Landheer
Created: 10 September 2006