John B. Weber
Encyclopedia
John Baptiste Weber was a U.S. Representative
from New York
.
. His parents, Philippe Jacob Weber and Mary Anne Weber (née Young), had emigrated to the United States in 1833 from Leutenheim, Alsace
and settled in Buffalo. John was the youngest boy of a family of four children He started attending Public School #4 at the age of four. His education continued through the Central School of Buffalo when he began to work as an "errand boy".
In 1856, at the age of 14, John Weber joined the New York State Milita. He served in Company F of the 65th regiment as their color guard
.
as a private in the Forty-fourth Regiment New York Volunteer Infantry on August 7, 1861. By August 30, he had been promoted to the rank of corporal. On January 2, 1862 Corporal Weber was again promoted to the rank of sergeant.
During the Battle of Yorktown
, on April 3, 1862, Weber was promoted from sergeant of Company A to sergeant major.
Following Lieutenant Weber's service in the Forty-fourth Regiment, he was promoted to first lieutenant and appointed adjutant
by Colonel Chapin. During this time Lieutenant Weber helped with recruiting for the newly formed One Hundred and Sixteenth New York regiment in the summer of 1862.
between October 8 and November 9, 1863 being designated the "18th Infantry, Corps d'Afrique". Early in 1864, during the Red River Campaign
, Weber had the majority of his men reassigned leaving him only a handful. To rebuild his numbers he was promised replacements from the slaves that were expected to be liberated during the campaign. These replacements were never acquired and Weber learned from a member of General Banks
staff that his unit was to be consolidated. Rather than waiting to be discharged, Weber offered his resignation and returned to Buffalo arriving on July 8, 1864. The war ended before he received another command.
in 1868. In the area of local politics, Weber helped in reform of the rules for electing county committeemen. The reforms gave voters a greater share in selecting candidates for these offices.
He served as assistant postmaster of Buffalo 1871-1873.
Sheriff of Erie County 1874-1876.
He engaged in the wholesale grocery business.
At the Republican Convention for the Thirty-third Congressional District, held at Niagara Falls, New York
on September 3, 1884, John Weber was decided upon by a vote of 10-8 to be the Republican candidate for the Congressional seat. Weber was elected as a Republican
to the Forty-ninth
and Fiftieth
Congresses (March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1889). He was unsuccessful when he ran for reelection in 1888 to the Fifty-first
Congress.
He served as delegate to the Republican National Convention at Chicago in 1888. Weber was appointed the Grade-Crossing Commissioner of the city of Buffalo. He held this post from 1888 to 1908.
In 1890 Weber was appointed as the first Commissioner of Immigration at the port of New York. On the opening day of Ellis Island
, January 1, 1892, Colonel Weber gave a $10 gold Liberty coin to 17-year-old Annie Moore, who was the first immigrant to be processed at Ellis Island.
He held this position until 1893. Weber also served as commissioner general of the Pan American Exposition at Buffalo in 1901.
on December 18, 1926 at the age of 84. He was interred at Forest Lawn Cemetery
in Buffalo, New York. The grave marker is inscribed "Colonel 89th U.S. Infantry".
is named after Colonel Weber.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Early life
John Weber was born at his parents cottage on Oak Street in Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. His parents, Philippe Jacob Weber and Mary Anne Weber (née Young), had emigrated to the United States in 1833 from Leutenheim, Alsace
Leutenheim
Leutenheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France. It lies east of Haguenau and a short distance west of the Rhine, which here defines the frontier between France and Germany.-History:...
and settled in Buffalo. John was the youngest boy of a family of four children He started attending Public School #4 at the age of four. His education continued through the Central School of Buffalo when he began to work as an "errand boy".
In 1856, at the age of 14, John Weber joined the New York State Milita. He served in Company F of the 65th regiment as their color guard
Color guard
In the military of the United States and other militaries, the color guard carries the National Color and other flags appropriate to its position in the chain of command. Typically these include a unit flag and a departmental flag...
.
Civil War service
John Weber enlisted in the Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
as a private in the Forty-fourth Regiment New York Volunteer Infantry on August 7, 1861. By August 30, he had been promoted to the rank of corporal. On January 2, 1862 Corporal Weber was again promoted to the rank of sergeant.
During the Battle of Yorktown
Battle of Yorktown (1862)
The Battle of Yorktown or Siege of Yorktown was fought from April 5 to May 4, 1862, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. Marching from Fort Monroe, Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac encountered Maj. Gen. John B. Magruder's small Confederate force...
, on April 3, 1862, Weber was promoted from sergeant of Company A to sergeant major.
Following Lieutenant Weber's service in the Forty-fourth Regiment, he was promoted to first lieutenant and appointed adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
by Colonel Chapin. During this time Lieutenant Weber helped with recruiting for the newly formed One Hundred and Sixteenth New York regiment in the summer of 1862.
89th United States Colored Infantry
On September 19, 1863, Weber attained the rank of colonel, two day before his twenty-first birthday, when he accepted command of the Eighty-ninth United States Colored Infantry. He chose the appointment to the colored regiment over the appointment to a Massachusetts regiment. The 89th regiment was organized out of Port Hudson, LouisianaPort Hudson, Louisiana
Port Hudson is a small unincorporated community in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States. Located about northwest of Baton Rouge, it is most famous for an American Civil War battle known as the Siege of Port Hudson.-Geography:...
between October 8 and November 9, 1863 being designated the "18th Infantry, Corps d'Afrique". Early in 1864, during the Red River Campaign
Red River Campaign
The Red River Campaign or Red River Expedition consisted of a series of battles fought along the Red River in Louisiana during the American Civil War from March 10 to May 22, 1864. The campaign was a Union initiative, fought between approximately 30,000 Union troops under the command of Maj. Gen....
, Weber had the majority of his men reassigned leaving him only a handful. To rebuild his numbers he was promised replacements from the slaves that were expected to be liberated during the campaign. These replacements were never acquired and Weber learned from a member of General Banks
Nathaniel Prentice Banks
Nathaniel Prentice Banks was an American politician and soldier, served as the 24th Governor of Massachusetts, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and as a Union general during the American Civil War....
staff that his unit was to be consolidated. Rather than waiting to be discharged, Weber offered his resignation and returned to Buffalo arriving on July 8, 1864. The war ended before he received another command.
From Congressman to Commissioner of Ellis Island
Following the war, Colonel Weber began his involvement in politics. His early efforts involved helping to organize the Republican Third Ward Grant club and being its president in 1867. The Third Ward Grant club was involved with the presidential run of Ulysses S. GrantUlysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
in 1868. In the area of local politics, Weber helped in reform of the rules for electing county committeemen. The reforms gave voters a greater share in selecting candidates for these offices.
He served as assistant postmaster of Buffalo 1871-1873.
Sheriff of Erie County 1874-1876.
He engaged in the wholesale grocery business.
At the Republican Convention for the Thirty-third Congressional District, held at Niagara Falls, New York
Niagara Falls, New York
Niagara Falls is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 50,193, down from the 55,593 recorded in the 2000 census. It is across the Niagara River from Niagara Falls, Ontario , both named after the famed Niagara Falls which they...
on September 3, 1884, John Weber was decided upon by a vote of 10-8 to be the Republican candidate for the Congressional seat. Weber was elected as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to the Forty-ninth
49th United States Congress
The Forty-ninth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1885 to March 4, 1887, during the first two years...
and Fiftieth
50th United States Congress
The Fiftieth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1887 to March 4, 1889, during the third and fourth...
Congresses (March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1889). He was unsuccessful when he ran for reelection in 1888 to the Fifty-first
51st United States Congress
The Fifty-first United States Congress, referred to by some critics as the Billion Dollar Congress, was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C...
Congress.
He served as delegate to the Republican National Convention at Chicago in 1888. Weber was appointed the Grade-Crossing Commissioner of the city of Buffalo. He held this post from 1888 to 1908.
In 1890 Weber was appointed as the first Commissioner of Immigration at the port of New York. On the opening day of Ellis Island
Ellis Island
Ellis Island in New York Harbor was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States. It was the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. The island was greatly expanded with landfill between 1892 and 1934. Before that, the much smaller original island was the...
, January 1, 1892, Colonel Weber gave a $10 gold Liberty coin to 17-year-old Annie Moore, who was the first immigrant to be processed at Ellis Island.
He held this position until 1893. Weber also served as commissioner general of the Pan American Exposition at Buffalo in 1901.
Death
Weber died at home on Abbott Road in Lackawanna, New YorkLackawanna, New York
Lackawanna is a city in Erie County, New York, U.S., located just south of the city of Buffalo in the western part of New York state. The population was 18,141 at the 2010 census. The name derives from the Lackawanna Steel Company...
on December 18, 1926 at the age of 84. He was interred at Forest Lawn Cemetery
Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo
Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York was founded in 1849 by Charles E. Clark. It covers over 250 acres and over 152,000 are buried there. Notable graves include U.S. President Millard Fillmore, singer Rick James, and inventor Lawrence Dale Bell...
in Buffalo, New York. The grave marker is inscribed "Colonel 89th U.S. Infantry".
Honors
In Lackawanna, the local Veterans of Foreign Wars PostVeterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a congressionally chartered war veterans organization in the United States. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, VFW currently has 1.5 million members belonging to 7,644 posts, and is the largest American organization of combat...
is named after Colonel Weber.