John Palmer (politician)
Encyclopedia
John Palmer was an American politician.
when Palmer was still a small child. Later he accompanied his seafaring grandfather, and witnessed the Siege of Sevastopol
during the Crimean War
from their freighter
. In the meanwhile, his parents returned to the United States
, settled at Bath-on-the-Hudson
, just opposite Albany
, and opened a paint shop. Here Palmer joined them and became a house painter.
, he enlisted as a private in the 91st Regiment of New York Volunteers and fought his way up to be brevetted a captain of volunteers, participating in the campaigns of the Army of the Gulf
under General Nathaniel P. Banks. His father, who had enlisted too, was killed in battle at Petersburg, Virginia
. At the expiry of his three-year-term, Palmer re-enlisted, and the regiment was transferred to the V Corps
of the Army of the Potomac
under General G. K. Warren. He was seriously injured at the Battle of Five Forks
when a shot horse fell on top of him, and his back was cut by the sword of its rider.
. He was Secretary of State of New York
from 1894 to 1898, elected in 1893
and 1895
on the Republican ticket.
Early life
His parents were Englishmen who returned with him to EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
when Palmer was still a small child. Later he accompanied his seafaring grandfather, and witnessed the Siege of Sevastopol
Siege of Sevastopol (1854-1855)
The Siege of Sevastopol was a major siege during the Crimean War, lasting from September 1854 until September 1855...
during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
from their freighter
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
. In the meanwhile, his parents returned to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, settled at Bath-on-the-Hudson
Rensselaer, New York
Rensselaer is a city in Rensselaer County, New York, United States, and is located on the Hudson River directly opposite Albany. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 9,392; in 1920, it was 10,832. The name is from Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original landowner of the region in New...
, just opposite Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, and opened a paint shop. Here Palmer joined them and became a house painter.
Military career
At the outbreak of the American 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...
, he enlisted as a private in the 91st Regiment of New York Volunteers and fought his way up to be brevetted a captain of volunteers, participating in the campaigns of the Army of the Gulf
Army of the Gulf
The Army of the Gulf was a Union army that served in the general area of the Gulf states controlled by Union forces. It mainly saw action in Louisiana and Alabama.-History:...
under General Nathaniel P. Banks. His father, who had enlisted too, was killed in battle at Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
. At the expiry of his three-year-term, Palmer re-enlisted, and the regiment was transferred to the V Corps
V Corps (ACW)
The V Corps was a unit of the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War.-1862:The corps was first organized briefly under Nathaniel P. Banks, but then permanently on May 18, 1862, designated as the "V Corps Provisional"...
of the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
under General G. K. Warren. He was seriously injured at the Battle of Five Forks
Battle of Five Forks
The Battle of Five Forks was fought on April 1, 1865, southwest of Petersburg, Virginia, in Dinwiddie County, during the Appomattox Campaign of the American Civil War. The battle, sometimes referred to as the "Waterloo of the Confederacy," pitted Union Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan against...
when a shot horse fell on top of him, and his back was cut by the sword of its rider.
Political career
After the war, he returned to Albany and resumed his trade as a house painter. He married Margaret Moore in 1867, and they had four children. He became President of the Albany Builders' Exchange, Chairman of the Arbitration Committee, President of the Painters' Association of the State of New York, Vice President of the Decorators's and Painters' Association of the United States. In August 1891, at the national encampment at Detroit, he was chosen Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the RepublicGrand Army of the Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, US Marines and US Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died...
. He was Secretary of State of New York
Secretary of State of New York
The Secretary of State of New York is a cabinet officer in the government of the U.S. state of New York.The current Secretary of State of New York is Cesar A...
from 1894 to 1898, elected in 1893
New York state election, 1893
The 1893 New York state election was held on November 7, 1893, to elect the Secretary of State, the State Comptroller, the Attorney General, the State Treasurer, the State Engineer and a judge of the New York Court of Appeals, as well as all members of the New York State Assembly and the New York...
and 1895
New York state election, 1895
The 1895 New York state election was held on November 5, 1895, to elect the Secretary of State, the State Comptroller, the Attorney General, the State Treasurer, the State Engineer and a judge of the New York Court of Appeals, as well as all members of the New York State Assembly and the New York...
on the Republican ticket.
Sources
- http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9504E5D9173EEF33A25757C2A9649D94629ED7CF Presentation of the new Secretary of State, in NYT on December 24, 1893
- http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9E02E2DD1139E033A25755C0A9679D94649ED7CF Short bios of state officers elected in 1895, in NYT on November 6, 1895
- http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9F04E3D81738EF32A25755C1A9629C946497D6CF Obit in NYT on April 16, 1905
- http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/palmer.html Political Graveyard
- http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9E02E2DD1139E033A25755C0A9679D94649ED7CF His wife's obit notice in NYT on May 6, 1922