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| Affiliation | Democratic |
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| Name | John Merryman |
| Address |
Balt. Co., Maryland , United States |
| Email | None |
| Website | None |
| Born |
August 09, 1824
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| Died | November 15, 1881
(57 years)
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| Contributor | U Ole Polecat |
| Last Modifed | U Ole Polecat
Aug 31, 2004 02:02pm |
| Tags |
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| Info | Merryman's interest in cattle and farming remained constant throughout his life. He was a lifetime member of the U.S. Agricultural Society and the National Agricultural Association. He exhibited his cattle at numerous national fairs and won countless prizes and a widespread reputation for his stock. He was also a member of the Maryland State Agricultural Society, serving as vice-president from 1852-1857 and president from 1857 to 1861. This organization later became the Maryland State Agricultural and Mechanical Association, and John Merryman served as president from 1877 to 1881.
Prior to the Civil War, John Merryman was a 3rd lieutenant in the Baltimore County Troops. By 1861 he was a 1st lieutenant in the Baltimore County Horse Guards. Under orders from Governor Hicks, he aided in the destruction of several bridges north of Baltimore to prevent troops from Pennsylvania from marching through Baltimore and inciting riots. On May 25, 1861, Merryman was arrested by U.S. troops, indicted for treason, and confined in Fort McHenry. Through his lawyers Merryman petitioned Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger B. Taney for a writ of habeas corpus. The writ was disobeyed by General Cadwallader, the arresting officer, under orders from President Lincoln even though Taney cited Cadwallader for contempt. It was then that Taney, who had traveled to Baltimore to hear the case, ordered that Merryman was "improperly held" and had him released. Merryman was never tried for treason. Taney, in a "test between that which personified law on the one side and that which represented the sudden and unlimited development of military force on the other," vindicated the writ of habeas corpus.
Merryman, a democrat, served as president of the Board of County Commissioners, Baltimore County, in 1857. He was State Treasurer from 1870 to 1872 and served in the House of Delegates from Baltimore County from 1874 to 1876.
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