Wright, Silas
soldier, lawyer, United States senator, was born May 24, 1795, in Amherst, Mass. In 1819 he settled in the practice of the law at Canton, St Lawrence county, N. Y. He was soon made magistrate and postmaster of his town, and surrogate of his county; and early raised a uniformed militia rifle company, of which he was unanimously chosen captain, from which position he rose to be colonel of a rifle regiment, and became a brigadier-general of infantry in 1827. He was elected to the state senate in 1823, and served until 1827, when he took his seat in congress; and was re-elected in 1828. He was chosen United States senator in 1833; was re-elected in 1837, and again in 1843, and continued to serve until 1844. In 1844 he was elected governor of New York. He died Aug. 27, 1847, in Canton, N. Y.