James Hepburn Campbell was born on February 8, 1820 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States; the son of Francis C. Campbell, a lawyer, and was the grandson of the Rev. John Campbell, an Episcopal clergyman. His mother was Jane Hepburn, a daughter of James Hepburn of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, not the daughter of Judge William Hepburn, as is sometimes stated.
Campbell was admitted to the bar in 1841, having graduated from the law department of Dickinson College at Carlisle.
Campbell first located at Pottsville, Pennsylvania, where he built up a large legal practise and soon became active in politics. In 1840 he was a representative to the Young Men's Ratification Convention held at Baltimore after the nomination of William Henry Harrison. Four years later he represented his district in the national Whig convention when Henry Clay received the nomination for president. In 1845, although residing in a district largely Democratic, he was elected a Whig member of the Thirty-fourth Congress. He supported N. B. Banks for speaker, taking an active part in the protracted contest over his election. In 1856 he was defeated as a Republican by W. L. Dewart, the Democratic nominee, but two years later was returned to Congress by a vote of 7, 153 as against 4, 860 for this same opponent. In 1860 he was again elected. He represented his state on the Committee of Thirty-Three to which Lincoln's first inaugural address was referred. Largely due to his energetic and adroit leadership the bill granting federal aid for the Pacific railroad by the middle route was passed in the House on May 6, 1862. He was an ardent champion of protection to industry in the form of a tariff and spoke several times in favor of the Morrill Act of 1861. He supported the Legal Tender Act of 1862 and the conscription bill. In April 1861 he left his home to aid in the defense of the national capital, and, after passing safely through the Baltimore mobs on April 19, enlisted as a private in Maj. Cassius M. Clay's battalion. The following month he was elected major of the 25th Regular Pennsylvania Volunteers for three months' service. During the invasion of Pennsylvania by Gen. Lee in 1863 he aided Gen. Nagle in the recruiting of a regiment of 1, 100 men and became lieutenant-colonel in command of the 39th Pennsylvania Volunteers. After he was mustered out of service, Secretary of State Seward tendered him the appointment of judge of the court for the suppression of the African slave trade, provided for by the treaty of 1862 with Great Britain. This post required residence in Capetown, Africa, and Campbell declined it. In 1864 President Lincoln appointed him United States minister to Sweden and Norway, where he resided three years. On his return he resumed his law practise in Philadelphia, later leaving the law for agricultural pursuits at his country place, Aeola, near Wayne, where he died.
Campbell was elected as an Opposition Party candidate to the Thirty-fourth Congress. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1856 to the Thirty-fifth Congress. He was again elected as a Republican to the Thirty-sixth and Thirty-seventh Congresses. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1862.
He was a member of the U. S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.
He was married in 1843 to Juliet H. Lewis, daughter of Chief Justice Ellis Lewis of Pennsylvania.
