John Swinburne (New York)
Encyclopedia
John Swinburne was an American
physician and Republican congressman
from New York
who served as a medical officer from 1861 to 1864, during the Civil War
and as a member of American Ambulance Corps at the Siege of Paris
in 1870–71. In his last decade, 1880s, he was briefly mayor of Albany and represented 19th congressional district
for one term.
, Swinburne lost his father at the age of twelve and had to work to support himself as well as assume responsibility for his mother and sisters. He sought summertime work on farms and, during wintertime, attended the county's public schools and academies in nearby towns of Denmark
and Lowville
, as well as Fairfield
in neighboring Herkimer County. Graduating from Albany Medical College
, first in his 1846 class, he began a practice as physician and surgeon.
In 1861, at the start of the Civil War, he was appointed by commander of New York National Guard, Brigadier General John F. Rathbone, to serve as chief medical officer at Albany depot. In June 1862, following Battle of Savage's Station
, as Army of the Potomac
, along with its physicians, retreated, Swinburne remained to care for the thousands of wounded prisoners, both Union
and Confederate
. Respecting his principled stand, Confederate commander Stonewall Jackson
gave him a pass, with an accompanying personal note, permitting visits to Union prisoners. In 1864, Governor Horatio Seymour
nominated him to the post of Health Officer of the Port of New York and, in 1867, he was renominated by Governor Reuben Fenton
, serving a total of six years, until 1870. During his administration, despite the state legislature's reluctance to assign funding, he supervised the construction of then-state-of-the-art quarantine facilities on islands which were named Swinburne and Hoffman.
While on a trip to Europe in July 1870, following retirement from the port, he arrived in France
at the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War
. In September, as the Siege of Paris
began, he was importuned by the city's American community to form, at their expense, the Parisian equivalent of the Civil War U.S. Ambulance Corps
. For the next six months, through the fall of Paris to the Prussian Army
on January 28, 1871, until his departure on March 18, the first day of the revolutionary Paris Commune
, the ambulance corps operated on a wide-ranging scale throughout the city, obtaining results beyond the over-stretched capacities of the local physicians. In recognition of his efforts, the newly-formed Third Republic
awarded him the decoration of Chevalier [Knight] in Legion of Honor, the country's highest distinction. He was also decorated by the Red Cross of Geneva.
In the charter election of April 1882, as the Republican
candidate for Mayor of Albany, he received what appeared to be a majority, but a recount gave his Democratic
opponent, Michael N. Nolan
, who was both the incumbent mayor and a member of Congress, a 118-vote win. The resulting litigation, which lasted for fourteen months of the two-year term, ultimately forced Nolan's resignation on June 24, 1883 and the swearing-in of John Swinburne as mayor. Mayor Swinburne held the office just over ten months, until the expiration of his term on May 6, 1884. In April, he was denied re-election by a similar discrepancy of 241 votes, which handed the mayoralty to the Democratic candidate, A. Bleecker Banks. Republicans then offered him the 19th district's congressional seat and, in November, he prevailed over Democrat Thomas J. Van Alstyne
, the incumbent from 16th congressional district
who had been redistricted
into the 19th.
Following the election, an ultimately unsuccessful movement started to nominate him for Governor of New York in the gubernatorial contest of November 1885. In the interim, he served in the Forty-ninth
Congress from March 4, 1885 to March 3, 1887 but, in November 1886, was again controversially defeated by Democrat Nicholas T. Kane
with a challenged margin of 81 votes. Upon Kane's death in September, six months after taking office, Swinburne was urged to run in the special election to replace him, but declined any further participation in politics.
In the two years remaining, John Swinburne returned to his medical practice and the treatment of the indigent. Suffering from stomach cancer, he died at home in Albany eight weeks before his 69th birthday and was interred in Albany Rural Cemetery
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
physician and Republican congressman
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...
who served as a medical officer from 1861 to 1864, during the Civil War
American 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...
and as a member of American Ambulance Corps at the Siege of Paris
Siege of Paris
The Siege of Paris, lasting from September 19, 1870 – January 28, 1871, and the consequent capture of the city by Prussian forces led to French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War and the establishment of the German Empire as well as the Paris Commune....
in 1870–71. In his last decade, 1880s, he was briefly mayor of Albany and represented 19th congressional district
New York's 19th congressional district
United States House of Representatives, New York District 19 is located in the southern part of the state of New York. District 19 lies north of New York City and is composed of parts of Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, and Westchester Counties, in addition to the entirety of Putnam County.District 19...
for one term.
Education and service in Civil War and Franco-Prussian War
Born into a farming family in the unincorporated community of Deer River in Lewis CountyLewis County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 26,944 people, 10,040 households, and 7,309 families residing in the county. The population density was 21 people per square mile . There were 15,134 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...
, Swinburne lost his father at the age of twelve and had to work to support himself as well as assume responsibility for his mother and sisters. He sought summertime work on farms and, during wintertime, attended the county's public schools and academies in nearby towns of Denmark
Denmark, New York
Denmark is a town in Lewis County, New York, United States named after the Kingdom of Denmark, situated in Scandinavia. The population was 2,747 at the 2000 census.The Town of Denmark is on the northwest border of the county and is east of Watertown....
and Lowville
Lowville (town), New York
Lowville is a town in Lewis County, New York, United States. The population was 4,548 at the 2000 census. The town is near the center of the county and is southeast of the city of Watertown. Lowville contains a village also named Lowville, which is the county seat. The town of is named after...
, as well as Fairfield
Fairfield Academy
Fairfield Academy was an academy that existed for nearly one hundred years in the Town of Fairfield, Herkimer County, New York.-Founding:It was organized as an academy for men in 1802, when the community was an active local manufacturing center...
in neighboring Herkimer County. Graduating from Albany Medical College
Albany Medical College
Albany Medical College is a medical school located in Albany, New York, United States. It was founded in 1839 by Amos Dean, Dr. Thomas Hun and others, and is one of the oldest medical schools in the nation...
, first in his 1846 class, he began a practice as physician and surgeon.
In 1861, at the start of the Civil War, he was appointed by commander of New York National Guard, Brigadier General John F. Rathbone, to serve as chief medical officer at Albany depot. In June 1862, following Battle of Savage's Station
Battle of Savage's Station
The Battle of Savage's Station took place on June 29, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia, as fourth of the Seven Days Battles of the American Civil War. The main body of the Union Army of the Potomac began a general withdrawal toward the James River. Confederate Brig. Gen. John B. Magruder pursued...
, as 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...
, along with its physicians, retreated, Swinburne remained to care for the thousands of wounded prisoners, both Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
and Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
. Respecting his principled stand, Confederate commander Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
ຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
gave him a pass, with an accompanying personal note, permitting visits to Union prisoners. In 1864, Governor Horatio Seymour
Horatio Seymour
Horatio Seymour was an American politician. He was the 18th Governor of New York from 1853 to 1854 and from 1863 to 1864. He was the Democratic Party nominee for president of the United States in the presidential election of 1868, but lost the election to Republican and former Union General of...
nominated him to the post of Health Officer of the Port of New York and, in 1867, he was renominated by Governor Reuben Fenton
Reuben Fenton
Reuben Eaton Fenton was an American merchant and politician from New York.-Life:He was the son of a farmer. He was elected a colonel of the New York State Militia in 1840. He became a lumber merchant, and entered politics as a Democrat...
, serving a total of six years, until 1870. During his administration, despite the state legislature's reluctance to assign funding, he supervised the construction of then-state-of-the-art quarantine facilities on islands which were named Swinburne and Hoffman.
While on a trip to Europe in July 1870, following retirement from the port, he arrived in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
at the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
. In September, as the Siege of Paris
Siege of Paris
The Siege of Paris, lasting from September 19, 1870 – January 28, 1871, and the consequent capture of the city by Prussian forces led to French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War and the establishment of the German Empire as well as the Paris Commune....
began, he was importuned by the city's American community to form, at their expense, the Parisian equivalent of the Civil War U.S. Ambulance Corps
U.S. Ambulance Corps
The U.S. Ambulance Corps was a unit of the Union Army during the American Civil War. The Ambulance Corps was initially formed as a unit only within the Army of the Potomac, due to the effort of several Army officials, notably Dr. Jonathan Letterman, medical director of the Army of the Potomac, and...
. For the next six months, through the fall of Paris to the Prussian Army
Prussian Army
The Royal Prussian Army was the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power.The Prussian Army had its roots in the meager mercenary forces of Brandenburg during the Thirty Years' War...
on January 28, 1871, until his departure on March 18, the first day of the revolutionary Paris Commune
Paris Commune
The Paris Commune was a government that briefly ruled Paris from March 18 to May 28, 1871. It existed before the split between anarchists and Marxists had taken place, and it is hailed by both groups as the first assumption of power by the working class during the Industrial Revolution...
, the ambulance corps operated on a wide-ranging scale throughout the city, obtaining results beyond the over-stretched capacities of the local physicians. In recognition of his efforts, the newly-formed Third Republic
French Third Republic
The French Third Republic was the republican government of France from 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed due to the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, to 1940, when France was overrun by Nazi Germany during World War II, resulting in the German and Italian occupations of France...
awarded him the decoration of Chevalier [Knight] in Legion of Honor, the country's highest distinction. He was also decorated by the Red Cross of Geneva.
As physician, mayor and congressman
Returning from Europe, Swinburne settled in Albany and established a medical practice, including the free Swiburne Dispensary in which tens of thousands of indigent patients were treated at his expense. He also accepted, in 1876, the chair of Professor of Fractures and Clinical Surgery with Albany Medical College and became a pioneering expert in providing forensic testimony at trials involving medical evidence. Due to his unorthodox innovative methods in the treatment of bone disease, his colleagues at the College, in a secret, nighttime meeting, abolished his chair, thus when he arrived the following morning to deliver a scheduled lecture, the doors of the auditorium were locked. His charitable work was also resented by a number of local doctors who made repeated legal attempts to shut down the free clinic. Students at the College, however, rallied around him and demanded the publication of his lectures.In the charter election of April 1882, as the 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...
candidate for Mayor of Albany, he received what appeared to be a majority, but a recount gave his Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
opponent, Michael N. Nolan
Michael N. Nolan
Michael Allen Nicholas was a U.S. Representative from New York State as well as mayor of Albany, New York's capital...
, who was both the incumbent mayor and a member of Congress, a 118-vote win. The resulting litigation, which lasted for fourteen months of the two-year term, ultimately forced Nolan's resignation on June 24, 1883 and the swearing-in of John Swinburne as mayor. Mayor Swinburne held the office just over ten months, until the expiration of his term on May 6, 1884. In April, he was denied re-election by a similar discrepancy of 241 votes, which handed the mayoralty to the Democratic candidate, A. Bleecker Banks. Republicans then offered him the 19th district's congressional seat and, in November, he prevailed over Democrat Thomas J. Van Alstyne
Thomas J. Van Alstyne
Thomas Jefferson Van Alstyne was a U.S. Representative from New York.Born in Richmondville, New York, Van Alstyne attended the common schools, Moravia Academy, and Hartwick Seminary, and graduated from Hamilton College, Clinton, New York, in 1848.He studied law in Albany, New York.He was...
, the incumbent from 16th congressional district
New York's 16th congressional district
New York's 16th Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in the Bronx. The district includes the neighborhoods of Bedford Park, East Tremont, Fordham, Hunts Point, Melrose, Highbridge, Morrisania, Mott Haven and University Heights. ...
who had been redistricted
Redistricting
Redistricting is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. In 36 states, the state legislature has primary responsibility for creating a redistricting plan, in many cases subject to...
into the 19th.
Following the election, an ultimately unsuccessful movement started to nominate him for Governor of New York in the gubernatorial contest of November 1885. In the interim, he served in 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...
Congress from March 4, 1885 to March 3, 1887 but, in November 1886, was again controversially defeated by Democrat Nicholas T. Kane
Nicholas T. Kane
Nicholas Thomas Kane was a U.S. Representative from New York.Born in County Waterford, Ireland, Kane immigrated to the United States when a boy and settled near Albany, New York.He attended the common schools...
with a challenged margin of 81 votes. Upon Kane's death in September, six months after taking office, Swinburne was urged to run in the special election to replace him, but declined any further participation in politics.
In the two years remaining, John Swinburne returned to his medical practice and the treatment of the indigent. Suffering from stomach cancer, he died at home in Albany eight weeks before his 69th birthday and was interred in Albany Rural Cemetery
Albany Rural Cemetery
The Albany Rural Cemetery was established October 7, 1844, in Menands, New York, just outside of the city of Albany, New York. It is renowned as one of the most beautiful, pastoral cemeteries in the United States, at over . Many historical American figures are buried there.-History:On April 2,...
.
External links
- http://books.google.com/books?id=23AIAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=falseA Typical American, or, Incidents in the life of Dr. John Swinburne, of Albany, the eminent patriot, surgeon, and philanthropist. Citizens' Association (Albany, N.Y. 1888). Extremely complimentary biography of John Swinburne published less than a year before his death. The Citizens' Association's possible intention may have been to promote him for future political office.]