Dunn was elected to the State house of representatives in 1858, and was a successful cotton grower until 1861. He owned slaves. He served as a captain in the
Confederate States Army during the
Civil War. Continuing his study of the law, he was
admitted to the bar in 1867 and commenced the practice of law in
Forrest City, Arkansas.
Congress Elected as a
Democrat to the
Forty-sixth and to the four succeeding Congresses, Dunn served from March 4, 1879, to March 3, 1889. He served as chairman of the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries (
Fiftieth Congress). Not a candidate for renomination in 1888, he moved to
Los Angeles, California, and continued the practice of law.
Later career Appointed a special commissioner for the prevention of frauds on the customs revenue, Dunn moved to New York City in 1893. He moved to
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1895 and engaged in the construction of railroads, until he settled in
Texarkana, Texas, in 1905. ==Death==