Wheeler was born near
Providence, Rhode Island, on August 25, 1783. He was the son of Silas Wheeler (1752–1827), a veteran of the
American Revolution who took part in the burning of the
Gaspée. Later in the Revolution, Silas Wheeler joined the crew of a
privateer. He was captured by the
British and jailed in
Kinsale, Ireland. He escaped with the help of the
Irish Patriot,
Henry Grattan. In gratitude, Silas Wheeler named his son after Grattan. Wheeler attended public and preparatory schools in Rhode Island. He moved to
Steuben County, New York, with his parents in 1800, and became a farmer, lumberman and winemaker. The Wheeler family founded
Wheeler, the Steuben County town that was named for them. Wheeler was active in the New York Militia, and attained the rank of
Lieutenant Colonel as a member of the 96th Infantry Regiment. He also served as Wheeler's
Town Supervisor from 1823 to 1824. He was a member of the
New York State Assembly in
1822,
1824 and
1826. He was a member of the
New York State Senate from 1828 to 1831, sitting in the
51st,
52nd,
53rd and
54th New York State Legislatures. Wheeler was elected as an
Anti-Mason to the
22nd United States Congress, holding office from March 4, 1831, to March 3, 1833. He was a
presidential elector on the
Whig ticket in
1840, voting for
William Henry Harrison and
John Tyler. Wheeler died in Wheeler on March 11, 1852. He was buried at the Wheeler Family Cemetery in Wheeler. ==References==