History of Woodstock, (Howard County) Maryland United States of America

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Arthur Pue Gorman, senator, was born in Woodstock, Howard county, Md., March 11, 1839; son of Peter and Elizabeth A. (Brown) Gorman; and grandson of John Gorman who came to Harrisburg, Pa., from Ireland in 1800, removed to Oldtown, Baltimore county, Md., and was a cattle drover. Peter Gorman removed to Laurel, Md., in 1845, was a contractor, and furnished granite for the public buildings in Washington and for the Baltimore & Ohio railroad. In 1860 while in Richmond, Va., collecting debts due him, he was imprisoned by Governor Letcher for speaking in opposition to secession, and his imprisonment cost him his life. His wife was the daughter of John R. Brown of a celebrated colonial family of Maryland, a friend of the Howards and the Carrolls and prominent in the war of 1812. In 1852 Arthur was appointed a page in the house of representatives, Washington, D.C., and through the influence of Stephen A. Douglas, a friend of his father, he was transferred to the senate chamber, where he was successively page, messenger, assistant postmaster and postmaster. He was also private secretary to Senator Douglas and resided in the senator's family. When General Early made his famous raid on the national capital, young Gorman was 1st lieutenant of a company of volunteers, made up of employees of the government. In 1866 he left the employ of the senate as postmaster on account of alleged officious partisanship. He was appointed by President Johnson collector of internal revenue for the fifth Maryland district, and was removed by President Grant. In 1869 he was elected a director of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal, and the same year a delegate in the state legislature. In 1871 he was speaker of the house of delegates, and in 1872 was elected president of the canal company. He was state senator, 1875-81, and U.S. senator for three senatorial terms, 1881-99, failing of re-election in 1898. He was the leader of the Democratic party in the senate during his last two terms and served as chairman of the committee on printing and the select committee on library, and as a member of the committees on appropriations, commerce, interstate commerce, pensions and rules. On April 29, 1898, he resigned the chairmanship of the senate Democratic caucus, and Senator Turpie of Indiana was elected his successor.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Woodstock, (Howard County) Maryland

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