# Edward Gilbert

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{{short description|American politician (c. 1819-1852)}}
{{Other people}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name        = Edward Gilbert
|image       = Edward Gilbert engraving Crop.jpg
|caption     = Engraving of Gilbert from 1855
|state       = [California](/source/California)
|district    = {{ushr|CA|AL|at-large}}
|term_start  = September 11, 1850
|term_end    = March 3, 1851
|predecessor = Constituency established
|successor   = [Joseph W. McCorkle](/source/Joseph_W._McCorkle)
|birth_date  = c. {{birth date text|1819}}
|birth_place = [Cherry Valley, New York](/source/Cherry_Valley%2C_New_York), U.S.
|death_date  = {{death date and age|1852|8|2|1819}}
|death_place = near [Sacramento, California](/source/Sacramento%2C_California), U.S.
|party       = [Democratic](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States))
}}
'''Edward Gilbert''' ({{circa|1819}} – August 2, 1852) was an American newspaper editor and [Democratic](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) [California](/source/California) politician. From 1850 to 1851, he served briefly as a member of the [United States House of Representatives](/source/United_States_House_of_Representatives).

==Biography ==
Gilbert was born in [Cherry Valley](/source/Cherry_Valley%2C_New_York), New York.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=G000172|title=GILBERT, Edward - Biographical Information|website=bioguide.congress.gov|access-date=2017-05-15}}</ref>

During the [Mexican–American War](/source/Mexican%E2%80%93American_War) of 1846–48, he served in the [U.S. Army](/source/U.S._Army).<ref>{{cite book|url=https://media.onevoter.org/reports/Legislators_of_California.pdf|title=Legislators of California|date=2011|last1=Vassar|first1=Alexander C.|accessdate=23 November 2016}}</ref> After his regiment arrived in [San Francisco](/source/San_Francisco), California in 1847, Gilbert was discharged from service and chose to remain in California.

In 1849, Gilbert partnered with businessman Edward Kemble and printer G. O. Hubbard to found the [''Alta California''](/source/The_Daily_Alta_California) weekly paper, where Gilbert worked as senior editor for the next four years.<ref name=":1" />

===Political career ===
In September 1849, Gilbert became the youngest delegate to the Constitutional Convention, winning the San Francisco delegate position with 1,512 out of the 1,519 votes cast.<ref name=":1" /> He was elected in November 1849 at-large as one of California's first two Representatives in the [31st Congress](/source/31st_United_States_Congress), and served from September 11, 1850, until March 3, 1851.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://history.house.gov/Historical-Highlights/1800-1850/The-admission-of-California-into-the-Union/ |title=The Admission of California into the Union |publisher=The United States House of Representatives |accessdate= August 16, 2020}}</ref>

===Duel and death ===
In 1852, Gilbert wrote an article that charged [General James W. Denver](/source/James_W._Denver) with "negligence and gross mismanagement" in an expedition to aid destitute immigrants, and the increasing conflict between Gilbert and Denver finally led Gilbert to challenge him to a duel.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://cal-press.wildapricot.org/hall-of-fame_edward-gilbert|title=California Press Foundation - Hall-of-Fame_Edward-Gilbert|website=cal-press.wildapricot.org|language=en|access-date=2017-05-15|archive-date=2020-12-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201205231602/https://cal-press.wildapricot.org/hall-of-fame_edward-gilbert|url-status=dead}}</ref> After several missed shots from both men, Denver shot Gilbert in the abdomen, killing him.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" />

Gilbert was interred in Laurel Hill Cemetery, San Francisco.<ref name=":0" /> Later, after the city banned cemeteries within city-limits, his remains were removed and buried in the Laurel Hill Mound mass grave of Cyprus Lawn Memorial Park in [Colma](/source/Colma%2C_California).

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{CongBio|G000172}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-hs}}
{{s-new|constituency}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the [U.S. House of Representatives](/source/List_of_United_States_representatives_from_California)<br>from [California's at-large congressional district](/source/California's_at-large_congressional_district)<br>{{small|Seat B}}|years=1850–1851}}
{{s-aft|after=[Joseph W. McCorkle](/source/Joseph_W._McCorkle)}}
{{s-end}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilbert, Edward}}
Category:1810s births
Category:1852 deaths
Category:19th-century American newspaper editors
Category:American politicians killed in duels
Category:American military personnel of the Mexican–American War
Category:Burials at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park
Category:Burials at Laurel Hill Cemetery (San Francisco)
Category:Deaths by firearm in California
Category:Democratic Party United States representatives from California
Category:People from Otsego County, Michigan
Category:Year of birth uncertain
Category:19th-century United States representatives

{{California-Representative-stub}}
{{california-politician-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Edward Gilbert](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Gilbert) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Gilbert?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.