Silkman was graduated at Yale University in 1845, studied law, and after laboring as a journalist, was admitted to the bar in 1850, soon establishing a good practice. Prior to the American Civil War, he caused much excitement by introducing resolutions against slavery in the New York diocesan convention of the Protestant Episcopal church. After the war, he became greatly interested in religious matters, and was at one time identified With the Fulton street prayer-meeting. Subsequently, he was converted to Spiritualism, and remained until his death one of its foremost adherents. So pronounced were his views on this subject that his family had him examined to decide with regard to his sanity, and in 1883, he was committed to the Utica asylum. From this decision, he appealed, and after a long litigation in the courts, he recovered a verdict of US$15,000 damages against his son and his son-in-law for false imprisonment. An appeal from this verdict was nearing at the time of his death. On being released from Utica, he reopened his law-office and recovered a portion of his practice, but made the chief aim of his life thereafter to procure the release of those inmates of the Utica asylum that he claimed were unjustly confined. In this, owing to his ability as a lawyer and his persistence, he was unusually successful, and a number were released at different times through his efforts.
