Representative Clement Laird Vallandigham

Clement Laird Vallandigham served as a Representative from Ohio in the United States Congress from 1857 to 1863. A member of the Democratic Party, Clement Laird Vallandigham contributed to the legislative process during 3 terms in office.

Clement Laird Vallandigham’s service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history. As a member of the House of Representatives, Clement Laird Vallandigham participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of constituents.

Clement Laird Vallandigham ( və-LAN-dig-əm; July 29, 1820 – June 17, 1871) was an American lawyer and politician who was the leader of the Copperhead faction of anti-war Democrats during the American Civil War. He served two terms for Ohio’s 3rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. In 1863, he was convicted by an Army court martial for publicly expressing opposition to the war and exiled to the Confederate States of America. He ran for governor of Ohio in 1863 from exile in Canada, but was defeated. Vallandigham died in 1871 in Lebanon, Ohio, after accidentally shooting himself in the abdomen with a pistol during a courtroom demonstration.