Representative Moses Hoagland

Moses Hoagland (June 19, 1812 – April 16, 1865) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician who served one term as a U.S. representative from Ohio from 1849 to 1851. He was born near Baltimore, Maryland, where he attended the local public schools. Little is recorded about his family background, but his early years in Maryland provided the foundation for his later professional and political pursuits in the rapidly developing western territories of the United States.

After completing his basic education, Hoagland pursued the study of law. Seeking opportunity in the growing communities of the Old Northwest, he moved to Ohio and continued his legal training there. He was admitted to the bar in 1842 and commenced the practice of law in Millersburg, Ohio, the county seat of Holmes County. In Millersburg he established himself as a practicing attorney, building a professional reputation that would support his later entry into public life.

During the Mexican War, Hoagland served in the Ohio infantry, reflecting the strong participation of Midwestern volunteers in that conflict. His conduct in the field earned him recognition, and he was promoted to the rank of major for bravery in action. This military service enhanced his public standing in Ohio and contributed to his credentials as a leader at a time when service in the war was often regarded as a mark of patriotism and personal courage.

Hoagland’s political career reached its peak with his election as a Democrat to the Thirty-first Congress. Representing Ohio, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives from March 4, 1849, to March 3, 1851. As a member of the Democratic Party, he participated in the legislative process during a significant and turbulent period in American history, marked by sectional tensions and debates over the expansion of slavery and the organization of new territories. In Congress he represented the interests of his Ohio constituents and took part in the broader democratic process that shaped national policy in the years immediately preceding the Compromise of 1850. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1850 to the Thirty-second Congress, bringing his single term of federal legislative service to a close.

Following his departure from Congress, Hoagland returned to Millersburg and resumed the practice of law. His legal experience and prior public service led to his appointment as associate justice for the Territory of Washington on June 21, 1853, a position that would have placed him in the judicial leadership of one of the nation’s newest territorial governments. However, he declined to accept the appointment and remained in Ohio, continuing his legal career and local civic involvement rather than relocating to the Pacific Northwest.

Moses Hoagland spent the remainder of his life in Millersburg, where he maintained his law practice and his role as a respected member of the community. He died there on April 16, 1865, shortly after the end of the Civil War, and was interred in Oak Hill Cemetery in Millersburg, Ohio. His career reflected the trajectory of many mid-nineteenth-century American lawyers who combined local legal practice, military service, and a brief period of national office during a formative era in the nation’s political history.