Samuel D. Shannon was born in Camden, South Carolina, on May 3, 1833, and fought with the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Following the war, he was a journalist in Charleston. Plagued by poor health, he moved to Denver and about 1885 relocated to Cheyenne. He was appointed Secretary of the Wyoming Territory by President Cleveland on April 9, 1887 and his appointment was renewed January 24, 1888. He served until July 1, 1889. Shannon died at the Soldiers' Home near Baltimore, Maryland on September 13, 1896, and is buried in Camden, South Carolina.

Additional Resources

• "A Confederate in the Capitol: Samuel D. Shannon," Wyoming Postscripts, December 11, 2015. (accessed January 2016)