History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century/4/Cyrus Bussey
CYRUS BUSSEY was born October 5, 1833, in Trumbull County, Ohio, and was educated at various places where his father was stationed as a Methodist minister. When eighteen years of age he began the study of medicine. In July, 1855, he removed to Iowa, locating at Bloomfield in Davis County where he opened a store. In 1859 he was nominated by the Democrats of Davis County for State Senator and elected. He was a delegate to the National Democratic Convention in 1860 which met at Baltimore and nominated Stephen A. Douglas for President. At the extra session of the Legislature in May, 1861, called by Governor Kirkwood to place the State on a war footing, Cyrus Bussey was among the Democrats who gave a warm support to the war measures. At the close of the session he helped raise the Third Iowa Cavalry Regiment of which he was commissioned colonel. He was a gallant officer and in 1864 was promoted to Brigadier-General. After the war he located at New Orleans and became President of the Chamber of Commerce. In 1868 he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention which nominated General Grant for President. In 1880 he was again a delegate to the Republican Convention and was one of the famous three hundred six delegates who voted for Grant for a third term. In 1889 General Bussey was appointed by President Harrison Assistant Secretary of the Interior where he served until 1893. General Bussey left the Democratic party early in the Civil War and became a Republican, often taking an active part in the national campaigns as a public speaker.