Homer Augustus Nelson

{{short description|American politician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder |name=Homer Augustus Nelson |image=Homer A Nelson.jpg |state=New York |district=12th |party=Democrat |term=March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1865 |preceded=Stephen Baker |succeeded=John Henry Ketcham |office2=New York Secretary of State |term_start2=January 1, 1868 |term_end2=December 31, 1871 |governor2=Reuben Fenton<br>John T. Hoffman |predecessor2=Francis C. Barlow |successor2=G. Hilton Scribner |office3= Member of the New York State Senate |term_start3= January 1, 1882 |term_end3= December 31, 1883 |predecessor3= Stephen H. Wendover |successor3= Thomas Newbold |birth_date={{birth date|1829|8|31|mf=y}} |birth_place=Poughkeepsie, New York, US |death_date={{death date and age|1891|4|25|1829|8|31|mf=y}} |death_place=Poughkeepsie, New York, US |spouse=Helen Stearns |profession=Politician, lawyer |resting_place = Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery |current occupation= |footnotes= }} '''Homer Augustus Nelson''' (August 31, 1829 – April 25, 1891) was an American politician and soldier from the state of New York. He served one term in the U.S. House of Representative and was an officer in the Union Army during the first part of the Civil War and a United States congressman during the latter half of the war.

==Early life and education == Nelson was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, where he was also raised and educated. He studied law and was admitted to the bar, commencing practice in Poughkeepsie.

== Judicial career == He was a judge of Dutchess County, New York, from 1855 to 1862.

== Civil War == At the outbreak of the Civil War, he became colonel of the 159th New York Volunteer Infantry.

== Political career == He left in 1863 when he took his seat in the 38th United States Congress, but was unsuccessful for reelection in 1864.

Following the war, he was a delegate to the New York State Constitutional Convention in 1867 and the same year was elected Secretary of State of New York serving until 1871. He was a member of the New York State Senate (15th D.) in 1882 and 1883; and was appointed to the commission to report a revision of the judiciary article of the New York Constitution in 1890.

== Death and burial == He died on April 25, 1891, in Poughkeepsie and was interred in Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery.

==External links== {{CongBio|N000034}} *{{Find a Grave|6942226}}

{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-hs}} {{US House succession box | state=New York | district=12 | before=Stephen Baker | after= John H. Ketcham | years=1863–1865 }} {{s-off}} {{succession box | title=New York Secretary of State | before = Francis C. Barlow | after = G. Hilton Scribner | years = 1868–1871}} {{s-par|us-ny-sen}} {{succession box | before = Stephen H. Wendover | title = New York State Senate <br>15th District | years = 1882–1883 | after = Thomas Newbold}} {{s-end}}{{Nelson family}}{{New York Secretary of State}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Homer Augustus}} Category:1829 births Category:1891 deaths Category:People of New York (state) in the American Civil War Category:Union army colonels Category:Secretaries of state of New York (state) Category:Democratic Party New York (state) state senators Category:New York (state) lawyers Category:Politicians from Poughkeepsie, New York Category:Burials at Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery Category:Democratic Party United States representatives from New York (state) Category:19th-century American lawyers Category:19th-century members of the New York State Legislature Category:19th-century United States representatives