"(Janurary 21, 1815 -- March 19, 1900) John Armor Bingham was a printer, lawyer, judge, special counsel, minister, and American politician. Bingham was born in Mercer, Mercer County, Pennsylvania and moved to Ohio. Bingham studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1840. He was district attorney for Tuscarawas County, Ohio (1864-1849), appointed by President Lincoln as judge advocate of the Union Army with the rank of major (1864), appointed solicitor of the court of claims, United States Judge for several districts of Tennessee, and was a Minister to Japan (May 31, 1873 - July 2, 1885). Bingham was a special judge advocate in the trial of the conspirators against the life of President Lincoln, manager appointed by House in 1862 to conduct impeachment proceedings against West H. Humphreys, and in the proceedings against Andrew Johnson (1868). John was elected as an Opposition Party candidate to the 34th Congress and as a republican to the 36th, 37th, 39th, 40th, 41st, and 42nd Congresses (March 4, 1855 - March 3, 1863 & March 4, 1865 - March 3, 1873), was not successful in renomination in 1872 and 1862. During his time in Congress, he served on the Committee on the Judiciary (41st and 42nd Congresses) [Source: 'Biographical Directory of the United States Congress 1774 - Present', available at https://bioguideretro.congress.gov/Home/MemberDetails?memIndex=B000471]"