Cluskey was born , in
Savannah, Georgia, and was baptized May 11, 1832. He worked as a newspaper editor for the
Memphis Avalanche and the
Louisville Daily Ledger. From 1852 and 1859, he served as
Postmaster of the United States House of Representatives, and was succeeded by
Josiah M. Lucas. During the
American Civil War, he served as an
assistant quartermaster-general in the
Confederate States Army and eventually rose to the rank of
colonel. He was elected to represent
Tennessee in the
Second Confederate Congress from 1864 to 1865. He died on January 13, 1873, aged 40 or 41, from injuries inflicted during the
Battle of Shiloh and was interred at
Mount Olivet Cemetery in Washington, D.C. ==References==