Representative Cullen Sawtelle

Cullen Sawtelle (September 25, 1805 – November 10, 1887) was an American attorney and Democratic politician from Maine, most notable for his service as a U.S. Representative from 1845 to 1847 and from 1849 to 1851. He served during a significant period in American history, participating in the legislative process and representing the interests of his constituents in Maine’s 5th congressional district.

Sawtelle was born in Norridgewock, then part of Massachusetts (now in Maine), on September 25, 1805, the son of Richard Sawtelle and Sarah “Sally” (Ware) Sawtelle. He received his early education under private tutors, reflecting the educational opportunities available to families of some means in rural New England in the early nineteenth century. In 1825 he graduated from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, an institution that produced many of the state’s leading lawyers and public officials.

After completing his formal education, Sawtelle studied law under Charles Greene of Athens, Maine, and Daniel Wells of Greenfield, Massachusetts. He was admitted to the bar in 1828 and commenced the practice of law in Norridgewock. Establishing himself as an attorney in his native community, he built a professional reputation that soon led to positions of public trust and responsibility within Somerset County and the state of Maine.

A Democrat in politics, Sawtelle entered public service as register of probate for Somerset County, a post he held from 1830 to 1838. In this capacity he oversaw the administration of wills, estates, and related legal matters, gaining practical experience in legal procedure and local governance. His growing prominence in state affairs led to his election to the Maine Senate, where he served from 1843 to 1845, participating in legislative deliberations during a period of development and political realignment in Maine.

In 1844, Sawtelle was elected as a Democrat to represent Maine’s 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. He served in the Twenty-ninth Congress from March 4, 1845, to March 3, 1847, during which time he was chairman of the Committee on Revisal and Unfinished Business. In this role he helped manage the House’s legislative workload by addressing pending measures and procedural matters. After a brief interval out of office, he was again elected in 1848 and served in the Thirty-first Congress from March 4, 1849, to March 3, 1851. During his second term he was chairman of the Committee on Revolutionary Claims, which considered petitions and claims arising from service and losses incurred during the American Revolution. Across his two terms, he contributed to the legislative process at a time marked by debates over territorial expansion, economic policy, and sectional tensions.

Following the conclusion of his congressional service in 1851, Sawtelle relocated from Maine to New York City. There he resumed the practice of law and also served as an attorney and credit manager for several mercantile firms, reflecting the growing importance of commercial law and credit relations in the expanding national economy. He continued in these professional pursuits until his retirement in 1882, remaining active in legal and business circles for several decades.

In his personal life, Sawtelle married Elizabeth Lyman (1809–1886) in 1830. The couple were the parents of three children: Henrietta, Charles, and Catharine. Their son, Charles G. Sawtelle, pursued a military career and rose to the rank of brigadier general in the United States Army, extending the family’s record of public service into another sphere of national life.

Cullen Sawtelle died in Englewood, New Jersey, on November 10, 1887. He was interred in Brookside Cemetery in Englewood. His long career as an attorney, county official, state legislator, and member of Congress reflected the trajectory of a nineteenth-century New England lawyer-politician who participated in both local governance and national legislative affairs.