Background
Dewitt Clinton Giddings was born July 18, 1827, in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania.
United States representative politician
Dewitt Clinton Giddings was born July 18, 1827, in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania.
He was the youngest of eight children of James and Lucy (Demming) Giddings. George Giddings and John James Giddings were successful operators of the San Antonio, Texas to Santa Fe, New Mexico Mail Lincolnshire. Giddings worked teaching school part-time to finance his education as a civil engineer and later was employed as a railroad engineer
He began his legal studies in Honesdale, Pennsylvania in 1850.
When word reached home that Giddings" older brother, Giles, died of wounds received at the battle of San Jacinto, another brother, Jabez Demming Giddings traveled to Texas to Claim Giles" land bounty. He was his brother"s junior partner in a law practice in Brenham.
Giddings served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the 21st Texas Cavalry in the Confederate States Army. Giddings first served in the Forty-second Congress after a controversial election in which he defeated William T. Clark by 135 votes.
Suspected voting irregularities gave the House seat to Clark initially, but Giddings successfully contested the election and took his seat in Congress.
Giddings was reelected to the Forty-third Congress (May 13, 1872 – March 4, 1875) and to the Forty-fifth Congress (March 4, 1877 – March 4, 1879). On August 19, 1903, De Witt Clinton Giddings succumbed to heart disease and died in Brenham, Texas.