David Batcheller Mellish (2 January 1831-23 May 1874) was a member of the US House of Representatives (R-NY 9) from 4 March 1873 to 23 May 1874, succeeding Fernando Wood and preceding Richard Schell.
Biography[]
David Batcheller Mellish was born in Oxford, Massachusetts in 1831, and he worked for the Worcester Spy newspaper before coming to work as a proofreader and New York Tribune reporter in New York City. While Mellish came from a family of Democrats, he became active in the Republican Party due to his opposition to Tammany Hall, and he served in the US House of Representatives from 1873 to 1874, championing clean elections and good government, and winning the support of many Democrats. He advocated for "soft money" to aid in the nation's recovery from the Panic of 1873, and he also supported African-American civil rights. Mellish died in office in 1874.