He was serving his first term as United States Representative from New York when he died in Washington, D.C. Mellish was born in Oxford, Worcester County, Massachusetts, on January 2, 1831.
[1] After completing his education, Mellish apprenticed at the Worcester Spy newspaper, where he learned printing, editing, proofreading, and news reporting.
[1] Mellish became active in politics as a Republican, and opposed control of the city by the Tammany Hall Democratic organization, which was widely regarded as corrupt.
[1] In 1871, Mellish began work for the Collector of the Port of New York; initially appointed as a clerk, he later moved up to the position of assistant appraiser.
[1] On January 10, 1874, Mellish spoke on the House floor in favor of a civil rights bill introduced by Senator Charles Sumner.
[1] Citing examples from New York court cases to desegregate streetcars and other public facilities, Mellish argued that Sumner's bill deserved passage because it would place black and white citizens on equal footing in terms of free exercise of their rights.