Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Riddle, Albert Gallatin

RIDDLE, Albert Gallatin, lawyer, b. in Monson, Mass., 28 May, 1816. His father removed to Geauga county, Ohio, in 1817, where the son received a common-school education, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1840, practised law, and was prosecuting attorney from 1840 till 1846. He served in the legislature in 1848-'9, and called the first Free-soil convention in Ohio in 1848. In 1850 he removed to Cleveland, was elected prosecuting attorney in 1856, defended the Oberlin slave-rescuers in 1859, and was elected to congress as a Republican, serving from 4 July, 1861, till 3 March, 1863. He made speeches then in favor of arming slaves, the first on this subject that were delivered in congress, and others on emancipation in the District of Columbia and in vindication of President Lincoln. In October, 1863, he was appointed U. S. consul at Matanzas. Since 1864 he has practised law in Washington. D. C., and, under a retainer of the state department, aided in the prosecution of John H. Surratt for the murder of President Lincoln. In 1877 he was appointed law-officer to the District of Columbia, which office he now (1898) holds. For several years, from its organization, he had charge of the law department in Howard university. Mr. Riddle is the author of “Students and Lawyers,” lectures (Washington, 1873); “Hart Ridgely, a Story of Northern Ohio” (Boston, 1873); “The Portrait, a Romance of Cuyahoga Valley” (1874); “Alice Brand, a Tale of the Capitol” (New York, 1875); “Life, Character, and Public Services of James A. Garfield” (Cleveland, 1880); “The House of Ross” (Boston, 1881); “Castle Gregory” (Cleveland, 1882); “Hart and his Bear” (Washington, 1883); “The Sugar-Makers of the West Woods” (Cleveland, 1885); “The Hunter of the Chagrin” (1882); “Mark Loan, a Tale of the Western Reserve” (1883); “Old Newberry and the Pioneers” (1884); “Speeches and Arguments” (Washington, 1886); and “Life of Benjamin F. Wade” (Cleveland, 1886).