"(May 1, 1833 -- December 27, 1908) Charles Edward Phelps was a lawyer, public servant, soldier, commissioner of public schools, judge, member of law faculty at a university, and an American politician. Phelps was born in Guilford, Windham County, Vermont and moved to Maryland in 1841. Phelps studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1855. He was elected a member of the Baltimore City Council (1860). He entered the Union Army (August 20, 1862) as a lieutenant colonel of the 7th Regiment, member of the Maryland Volunteers, was promoted to colonel (April 13, 1864), and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor March 30, 1898 for action at Laurel Hill. He was a judge on the supreme bench of the city of Baltimore (1882 - 1908) and was a member of the law faculty of the University of Maryland (1884 - 1907). Phelps was elected as a Unconditional Unionist to the 39th Congress and reelected as a Conservative to the 40th Congress from March 4, 1865 to March 3, 1869. [Source: 'Biographical Directory of the United States Congress 1774 - Present', available at https://bioguideretro.congress.gov/Home/MemberDetails?memIndex=P000292]"